Good packaging does three jobs at once: it protects the product, it makes the right information easy to find, and it carries the brand. Design the structure and the hierarchy together, and treat labelling rules as a design constraint from the first sketch, not a sticker added at the end. For food and other regulated goods, the legal panel often decides how much room the design has left.
Start with structure
Before any artwork, settle the physical decisions:
- Product and protection. Weight, fragility, moisture, shelf life and how it will be stored and shipped.
- Format. Box, pouch, jar, bottle, sleeve or wrap, and the materials and finishes that suit the product.
- Panels. Which faces appear on shelf, which face the customer in an online photo, and which are for information.
- Channels. A product sold on a shelf, by post or in a gift context has different needs. Shipping may need an outer carton.
- Production limits. Print method, colour limits, minimum order and lead times, which printers and manufacturers will tell you.
Ask your packaging supplier for a dieline (the flat template showing folds and cuts), and design on that, not on a rectangle.
Information hierarchy
Customers decide quickly, so arrange information in order of importance:
- Brand and product name. What is it, and who makes it?
- Variant or key benefit. Flavour, size, scent, type.
- Proof and reassurance. Only claims you can support.
- Supporting detail. How to use, ingredients, care.
- Regulatory information. Required statements, kept legible and in the right place.
Use contrast, size and spacing to separate these levels, and test the pack at arm’s length and at thumbnail size, since many products are first seen online. The restraint that makes a brand look considered is covered in What Makes a Brand Look Premium?.
Labelling compliance in Australia
This is general information, not legal advice. Requirements depend on the product category, so confirm what applies with the relevant regulator or a qualified adviser before printing.
Food labelling
Food Standards Australia New Zealand explains that labelling standards sit in the Food Standards Code, enforced by states and territories in Australia, with general requirements in Chapter 1, and that false, misleading or deceptive representations about food are prohibited (FSANZ: Labelling for food businesses).
Allergens
For packaged food, FSANZ’s allergen guidance says allergens must be declared using the required names, shown in bold in the ingredients list at a font size no smaller than the other ingredients, and repeated in a separate bold summary statement beginning “Contains” that sits in the same field of view as the ingredients list. Voluntary “may contain” statements are not regulated by the Code (FSANZ: Allergen labelling). Reserve room for this on the pack, because it cannot be shrunk to fit.
Country of origin
The ACCC states that most food offered for retail sale must carry country of origin information, and the required format depends on whether the food is a priority or non-priority food. Priority foods grown, produced or made in Australia need a mark with the kangaroo-in-a-triangle symbol, a bar chart and an origin statement; many non-priority foods need only a text statement. Complying with the standard gives a safe harbour defence, but extra images or claims that create a misleading overall impression can still be a risk (ACCC: Country of origin food labelling). The ACCC notes that Business.gov.au offers a free tool that generates labels, and its use is voluntary.
Origin claims on non-food products are also subject to the Australian Consumer Law, so check ACCC guidance before printing “Made in Australia” or similar.
Other products
Cosmetics, therapeutic goods, electrical items and children’s products have their own labelling and safety rules. Identify the regulator for your category early.
Design with the rules in mind
- Mark out the legal panel on the dieline first, then design the front.
- Choose type sizes that keep required text legible, and test on printed proofs, not only screens.
- Avoid design elements, such as images or logos, that could be mistaken for an official origin mark or imply claims you cannot support.
- Plan for variants: flavours or sizes share a system but change claims and allergen text.
Keep the system consistent
Packaging should feel like the same brand as the website, social content and advertising. Colour, type and tone should come from your guidelines, as covered in Building a Consistent Visual Identity Across Digital Channels and What to Include in Brand Guidelines.
Pre-print checklist
- Dieline confirmed with the supplier.
- Brand name, product name and variant clear at thumbnail size.
- Required statements present, accurate and legible.
- Allergen declaration checked by whoever holds the recipe.
- Origin claims checked against the ACCC guidance.
- Barcodes, recycling and care symbols placed where required, if applicable.
- Physical proof reviewed under shop lighting.
- Colours approved on the actual material.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Studio covers brand and creative production, including the visual identity that packaging builds on, and can prepare creative assets for campaigns around a product launch. It does not give regulatory advice, so labelling content should be confirmed with the regulator or an adviser. To talk about packaging creative, contact us or see /studio.
Sources
- Labelling, food businesses, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
- Allergen labelling, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
- Country of origin food labelling, ACCC
