The Rentons pick for the label trends we think will take off in 2023

_{Pranil Chandra  | 23/01/2023} 

The new year has finally sprung upon us and with it comes a new dawn of trends in packaging and label designs. We’re no experts, but we do spend a lot of time looking at labels. Here are some trends we expect to see take force in the label printing world in 2023. 

Hyper Personalisation and Customisation

With more data available than ever on your customers, their interests, likes, and dislikes, hyper personalisation allows brands to tailor designs for their current and intended customers. This can range from things like what they do at Function of Beauty, shipping out personalised hair care tailored to their customers with the customer's name printed on the label, to campaigns like Share a Coke. 

Recently, we've been experimenting more so in this space, particularly in variable data. With our software, we’re able to print thousands of labels, each different from the last with changing text, numbered labels, or shuffling backgrounds. One of our favourite ways to do this, is utilising the Mosaic tool to create a unique background. To do this, we pick or create a vectorised pattern, and then or software chooses a different part of this pattern to create its background. We can also shuffle the colours inside this vector if we like, creating another set of variations within this shuffling of placement. 

Check out below a series of labels we created in collaboration with Maybe Sammy. We used a vector patten which then shuffled into different places and rotations for each label, as well as randomised the colours to keep each label customised and unique. This allowed for a series of labels, all entirely unique from each other which still clearly were a set thanks to their corresponding patterns and colours. 

Bright Colours and Maximalism

In antithesis to the minimalism that boomed during the pandemic as we moved to baking bread and learning to crochet, maximalism is set to return with bright colours, layered patterns and playful designs. 2023’s maximalism isn't that of the past with clashing colours and overpowering designs, now it’s more focused on fantastic typefaces, complimentary colours that pop, and playfulness that punches through. 

How can I make maximalism work for me?

If you’re starting out and unsure, finding a colour palette that works for you is a great first step. These don't been to be garish and inconsistent, but they can be if you make them work. We love the site coolors.co for their fun colour palette generator. Next look at typefaces, are you someone who loves bold but sans-serif fonts? A serif fan? Or, as I’m increasingly inclined to, flared serifs with their optimistic playfulness which breed personality into even the dreariest of words.

QR Codes

Thanks to the pandemic, almost all of us are adept at scanning QR codes with our phones, and it's more than likely this trend will start to translate to packaging and label design too. From QR codes on the back of your spirit bottle that show you how to brew cocktails or garnish them perfectly, to cosmetic labels which allow you to reorder with just a scan on the back, there’s no end to what these can be used for. Not only this, but with QR Codes, we can provide security solutions to allow people can identify potential counterfeiting attempts. 

Should you add a QR code to your product?

Why not! If you have the infrastructure online to support it, it can give you invaluable market data, and it allows a place for you to communicate at length, something that can often be tricky with smaller labels. Additionally, if you sell your products in international markets, adding QR codes might be a fantastic way to add extra security, reducing liabilities and increasing brand revenue.

_{Pranil Chandra  | 23/01/2023 | Label Printing - General Knowledge,Label Design Tips,Packaging Labels,Colours for Labels,General,Blog}