How to make beer bottle labels in the UK?

How to make beer bottle labels in the UK? The regulations for designing existing beer bottle labels in the UK are a vital marketing bet. Both for the new emerging producers and the importers of such products to the global market. The reason for this is that the UK is part of the region of the planet where beer has a consistently high commercial value. It is an industry that works because of a fundamental level of classicism, traditionalist and crucial aesthetic appeal. So, the UK, together with countries like Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic, have an average consumption of about 100 liters of alcohol per person per year.

Given such a level of importance, graphic design for beers pursues the goal of guiding the consumer to find the most suitable product. This happens through the exposure and delivery of all the data necessary to identify the preferred brands effectively.

 

In this blog, BluCactus gives you a direct overview of the UK’s current regulations for beer bottle labels. We made an informative guide to walk you through a highly competitive market. All this is marked by the high export of these brands throughout Europe, Latin America, and the world.

 

What is Britain’s favorite beer? How much beer is sold in the UK?

 

The Anglo-Saxon beer market shows a high preference for a wide range of classic products than for a particular brand. Essentially, each of these derivatives falls into the “dark beers” category. In other words, all those fermented products have chosen to apply a high degree of roasting to the processed malt grain. This way, of great value for this market, is the brand Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, a pioneer in the city of Yorkshire. It´s recognized both for its five degrees of alcohol, its exclusive combination of aromas, and its design for beer bottle labels.

 

Next in high demand is Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. It has a bitter chocolate flavor with the prestige of being manufactured in the oldest brewery in Great Britain. It is located in Wands worth in south London and has been active since 1571. Not far behind are the Mackeson Triple X and the Bombardier.

 

At a general level, the expansion of the British market has primarily defined the characteristics of its beer bottle labels. All this is supported by the opening of 2030 new breweries in the last 20 years. This equals to an average annual sale of about 8,500 million beers.

 

What should be on a beer bottle label? How do you make beer labels at home?

 

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a specific entity with the information for beer bottle labels. They establish nine main informative fields that constitute the presentation of all fermented alcoholic beverages. This branch of the industry shares a constitution with the labelling of pre-packaged foods in general. This has been based mainly on the government reforms implemented after the United Kingdom left the European Union or Brexit.

 

This political event’s impact on food labelling has become wide-ranging and remarkable.

 

Something favorable is that the national government has deployed its beer bottle label codes. A clear contrast to the rest of the European countries. For every one of the producers, a time period is set until September 30, 2022. That last thing aims to adapt their labels to current legislation. And allow the free execution of activities such as the sale, production, and import of beer products to the United Kingdom.

 

How are beer bottles labelled?

 

According to the regulations stipulated for the British nation, beer products are in the classification of packaged foods. This category refers to any ingestible product whose ability to change its form and constitution occurs only by altering the packaging or storage bag. Beer bottle labels have an informative code that they share with the rest of the labelling industry in feeding. We should add that the British regulations include notorious exceptions regarding the labelling of foods such as fish, dairy products and flour derivatives. An independent labelling system exists for such an industrial section. Based on this, the UK beer labelling requirements are the following:

 

• Product name:

 

It refers to the trade name or brand name. This is understandable as it is a widely visible and central piece of information. You´re allowed to use typography and colours that draw the attention of the buyer’s eyes directly. At the compositional level, the product name must represent no less than 70% of the surface area of ​​the face of each UK beer bottle label.

 

• List of ingredients: How to make beer bottle labels in the UK.

 

For beer, the list of ingredients also implies the declaration of their quantity. The order of presentation must be according to the order of weight and mass.

 

Always in decreasing order, consistently placing the primary component at the top of the list.

 

This requirement for all beer bottle labels must be under the title of “ingredients” or under a phrase that includes that word. It´s worth mentioning that substances such as water and a wide range of additives are under British law ingredients, and therefore their explicit declaration is mandatory.

 

 

• Allergen Information:

 

Within its study and classification of ingredients, British law establishes a total of 14 components considered potentially allergenic. Generally, these proposals are related to the ingredients used in the preparation and adequacy of food. These include components such as gluten, fish, nuts and eggs. In the case of beer bottle labels, they apply this regulation more rigorously to new beer productions, which, to create new types of deliveries, use fresh ingredients within each composition. They demand this requirement just as strictly for domestic and imported beverages.

 

• Net Content: How to make beer bottle labels in the UK.

 

Both beer bottle labels and other ingestible foods must represent their total capacity. This regulation applies to any entity that exceeds capacity and space 5 g or 5 lm in its entirety. The authorities allow a standard measure for each type of packaging and presentation. Similarly, the location of this data must not be outside the lower center section of the front face of any label. This mandatory aspect is common for all the different formulas and presentations.

 

• Conservation Instructions:

 

You can present this under two conditions for the labels of beer bottles in the UK and other foods in general.

 

The first one deals with the conservation instructions, which people explain using a sentence that tells the consumer how they should treat the product to conserve it better.

 

On the other hand, the storage instructions are also presented under the variant of the expiration date. It must be presented under the expression “best before” or “use by”.

 

Despite being an imperishable food, in the case of beer, this refers to the moment under which at least one of the components of the flavor, color or aroma loses its fundamental capacities.

 

• Manufacturer Identification: How to make beer bottle labels in the UK.

 

In the labels of beer bottles, this parameter aims to inform the consumer of all the data about the producing company. Generally, this section, more than a parameter, is a combination of informative data about the manufacturer. They include the declaration of the name of the company and its current fiscal address. British regulations refer to this aspect as the Food Business Operator by its acronym FBO. The location is usually in the back of any beer label or packaging.

 

• Country of origin:

 

Due to the high rate of imports that Great Britain has in terms of alcohol, beer bottle labels must include the country of origin of all brands. This parameter is also based on increasing competitiveness when exporting alcoholic products to the rest of the continent. Such a feature is mandatory under British law due to the general confusion that the absence of this information can cause for the consumer. This measure is due to the broad exposure and use of shelves in the markets and the recurrent similarity in specific compositions of beer label designs.

 

• Consumer warning labels: How to make beer bottle labels in the UK.

 

The regular parameter referring to food preparation codes for beer bottle labels is equivalent to consumer warnings. Specifically, the reforms in Great Britain regarding this parameter have been modified in the territory since mid-2008. Until now, the same warning labels intend to expand the information regarding the percentage of alcohol in each product. The design of the warning label bears an essential similarity to the warnings on tobacco packages. However, you can make this declaration according to two approaches or aspects.

 

The first consists of compulsorily detailing the alcoholic units contained in the can or container. On the other hand, the label must include certain warning expressions, especially for pregnant women. The expressions are recognizable under the phrases “know your limits” and “drink responsibly.”

 

• Nutritional alcoholic degree: How to make beer bottle labels in the UK.

 

The nutritional alcoholic value must always appear on UK beer bottle labels in an explicit and quantified way. The latter calculated between the volume of alcohol over every 100 of the packaging capacity. In general, for food testing, the UK regulations establish the mandatory acceptance of the sequence of requirements stipulated in the retained Community legislation number 1169/2011.

 

How are beer cans labelled?

 

Unlike beer presentations in bottles, aluminum cans require another format and printing of designs. In this area, beer bottle labels have a Dry Offset or dry printing strategy. This technique allows obtaining a more nourished finish, powerful in colour and exposes the information in about 360 degrees. You can make that last thing happen mainly since they don´t use water to get an exact fixation of the ink compound. On the other hand, the United Kingdom is one of the countries where the techniques for printing and packaging of alcoholic products have changed dramatically after the 2021 pandemic. The new consumer, exposed to, requires canned products that adapt to their new condition and reality.

 

There is an increase in food consumption at home, equivalent to 42% of the British population. In this environment, buying premium products with a high finish has become an increasingly noticeable feature; hence aluminium cans and not beer bottle labels have become indispensable. In the same branch, the demand for multipack products is notorious due to their ability to minimise the number of purchases in the supermarket.

 

Other important legislations regarding the labelling of alcoholic beverages that you must add in the canned presentation.

 

Beyond its applications and graphic benefits, the information you present must follow the current dimensional requirements. UK beer bottle labels have to go for a specific font size for their final presentation. This measurement is established in a font height equivalent to 1.2 millimeters in total. On the other hand, beer cans, being less than 80 square centimeters in size, must have a typography height measured at about 0.9 millimeters.

 

Complementary symbols and pictograms are allowed for the entire mandatory information system of beer cans and bottle labels. Likewise, the importance of categorizing the descriptive fields in alphanumeric order, using letters and numbers, is emphasized. Such informative data must always be visible and legible throughout its commercial life in an annex. Hiding of information by any additional design elements or labels is prohibited. The information must always be visible and available to the consumer, without altering any packaging to read and obtain it.

 

 

How big is a beer label?

 

There is no standard regulation for the exact measurements of beer bottle labels. Naturally, such a requirement depends on every beer production company’s type, intention, and needs for its promotional product. Thus, given the significant variability of beer bottles in the British and global market, we can see an average size ranging from 10×5 cm. On the other hand, other labelling systems that require a volume value stand out for their 20 x 10 cm measurements. The latter relates to the most observable heat-shrinkable labels within the canning system.

 

Also, it´s proven that beer bottles, cans, and containers can communicate according to their dimensionality. So, in Europe, we see the standard of 330 and 250 ml in its entirety, with a substantial import volume of the US presentations of 12 ounces. However, it also makes possible the introduction of other books whose intention is to complement the beer bottle labels in the market. So, it´s known that measures of 750 perform better in a social environment. Finally, the 250 ml presentations can keep the beer cold for longer. The latter makes it a favorited option for manufacturers of brands intended to be consumed in the beach environment and environment.

 

How much do beer labels cost?

 

In a project of 1,000 to 2,000 printed labels, the cost for each of them can reach 61.42 US dollars. This is because the total price for a beer bottle label design service depends on various factors.

 

To begin with, each label printing company has a particular manufacturing policy; on the other hand, each design and final presentation requires its elements according to the communicative intention you want to print on the product. The world market exhibits a minimum investment equivalent to one hundred and fifty US dollars to a large extent.

 

From such a starting point, the variability in the price of a printing project depends on a minimum of six elements. These six critical factors will be the criteria every printing agency evaluates.

 

Topping this list of criteria is the type of beer presentation. At the same time, other factors such as the label’s material, its size, and how much you´ll print are on the list. Then the content and accompanying graphic processes such as varnish, lamination and tooling are also factored into the total cost of beer bottle labels.

 

How do I make my own bottle labels? How do I print homemade labels?

 

BluCactus marketing agency offers you all the tools to create and distribute your beer bottle label designs in your market. The values ​​that distinguish us are professionalism, originality and avant-garde.

 

All of which allows us to build a solid image for you that your consumers will never forget. Contacting our company is very easy for you.

 

We are available for a comprehensive coverage of clients throughout England and the rest of the UK. The latter both in important cities of the territory such as London, Dublin and Edinburgh.

 

How we have become present in the British market comes from the wide acceptance that our company has in countries such as Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Our field of work is not limited to beer; we deal with a wide range of food products in general. In the case of the beer bottle packaging and label market, you can find our services configured as follows.

 

• Professional and personalized graphic design: How to make beer bottle labels in the UK.

 

To build our beer bottle label design projects, we enable a specialist staff for your particular attention. They will be able to assist you in person or through a video conference by Zoom, Google Meet or Skype. Through this contact experience, our specialist graphic designers will count on all the data profiles to create original graphic proposals of fantastic realism and power for you. Our materials and element representation system are diverse to the point of giving the surface of your label a high level of luxury and sophistication.

 

• Comprehensive creation and management of content and brand image:

 

Our company’s vision is to make your initiative a brand; for this reason, we offer comprehensive marketing services. The latter consists of complementing your brand presence through an interactive website. We create content in a multi-level format; this involves web text, infographics and more. Without counting the capacity, we have to produce elements and manage your presence on social networks with excellent efficiency. In addition to providing the beer bottle labels you need, we also complement your marketing campaigns by creating flyers, pamphlets and other branded print advertising.

 

Final Notes: BluCactus is present in Great Britain to bring all quality services to the UK and continental Europe.

 

If there is any feature that sets BluCactus apart from other companies in its branch, it´s precisely its high tendency to innovate.

 

The ability to reinvent concepts gives each of its products a vital position globally. In addition to this, our experience in the design of beer bottle labels has gone hand in hand with the internationalization of our company.

 

Emerged in mid-2010 in the city of Amsterdam, BluCactus today occupies a prominent position in the European and world market. Our strong presence in regions like the United States and Latin America is excellent proof of this. Where our client portfolio is full of entrepreneurs of diverse nature and commercial trajectories.

 

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