Your product or packaging label is often the first tangible experience customers have with your brand, making it prime real estate for brand-building. So, if you’re not already prioritizing your label’s look, feel, and performance features, make 2022 your year to review and refresh your branding with a label update.
Label printing is in growth mode.
Over the past two years, we’ve grown accustomed to distanced, hands-off retailing. But today, with in-person retail experiences back in action, consumers embrace the tactile connection that labels and packaging provided.
An indicator that labels are on the uptick. The global market for label printing has seen steady growth since 2014. According to Smithers Pira data, the label market will increase to $49.90 billion by 2024.
Here’s why labels are gaining momentum. While the fundamentals of label printing haven’t changed much over the years, the advancements in printing technologies and increased demand for customization by consumers are the significant drivers behind industry growth.
So, if you use labels for your products or product packaging, think about improving the consumer experience by incorporating some of the latest trends in label printing.
Bold Design.
A return to maximalist design to command consumer attention is more critical than ever in 2022. To catch the eye of consumers, label designs will go bold, featuring bright colors, clean lines, impactful borders, and vibrant gradients.
Flat Illustrations.
Using illustrations in your label design is a great way to share your brand story, engage with your customers, and provide a unique feel to your product. Simple 2D artwork in a bold color palette is a notable trend in 2022, particularly in the food and beverage industry.
Specialty Finishes.
Emerging digital print technologies allow enhancements like foil stamping, embossing, and textured inks on labels or a topcoat that gives a soft-touch, matte, or glossy finish to create a more substantial look and feel. Uses available light to add interesting shading and depth. Custom die cuts and laser cuts are also on-trend applications that add visual interest to products and packaging.
Personalization.
Today’s ink-jet and laser printing technologies deliver exceptional print quality with improved precision and throughput. Now, personalization is no longer cost-prohibitive. Quick-print processes are less expensive, allowing for greater flexibility. The result is tailored labels that create a more intimate brand experience through personalization.
Personalized small-batch label runs continue to be wildly popular in the micro-brewing and craft spirits industries. These high-quality labels offer big-brand wow with a hyper-local appeal, enhancing the user experience and helping build brand recognition.
QR Codes.
QR codes on labels and packaging are still on trend this year, but with more tailored user experiences. Scannable QR codes can bring brands to life while delivering essential information in an easy-access format. Use these codes on your labels to connect customers to landing pages, videos, games, special offers, ingredient or content information, and more.
Eco-responsible.
Solutions for re-usability and recycling are becoming increasingly important for brand perception. So, choose the suitable labels and product packaging to help you put your best foot forward while operating responsibly.
On-demand + Tracking.
Government regulations on tracking and barcoding requirements for medical and pharmaceutical products have increased the use of pressure-sensitive labels. Agility is a big driver—at Shamrock, we print product labels for customers in the cannabis market. Customizing tracking codes on quick-print labels allows us to meet their changing needs.
Thanks to advancements in printing technology and the availability of specialty inks and adhesives, specialty labels have become an affordable—and essential—marketing tool. So, there’s no time like the present to revisit your product labels to make sure you’re maximizing that opportunity.
