Creating a nice label for your candle jars is more than adding a catchy name and describing the scent, it is the most important aspect of branding your candle as well as making it look attractive to appeal to your audience.

Choosing the right material, colours and finishes are all important parts to the label design process and not something which should be rushed. Speaking with a label manufacturer and a graphic designer can help you create the perfect candle labels but our blog will help get you started and thinking about the different aspects to creating your label design.

Why Use a Label for Your Candles?

Firstly, to make your label look nice and add a luxurious element to the product, as well as being able to sell your brand and notify your customers of the candle scent, the burn hours and any safety information which is required. The visual impact a candle has is as important as how the candle smells. If a shopper picks up your candle and loves the scent, the look of the label is going to help with their purchase decision. Would your customer buy your candle without knowing anything about what is in it, or how long it will burn for? Probably not. They want to know exactly what they are buying.

A candle without a label looks a bit plain and doesn’t stand out

Adding a label draws your attention and decorates your candle

What Information to Include on Your Candle Labels

If you are selling candles, you should have a company name with a logo. This should always be displayed on your labels to help build your brand. List whatever scents are used within your candle to make it smell nice to entice your shoppers, and let them know if it is a natural fragrance or an essential oil as some will prefer one over the other. The burn time should be displayed so they know what they are getting from your candle (this is normally shown in hours) and the amount of wax used to make the candle (e.g 180 grams or 18 cl).

The design doesn’t have to be over complicated to look good. A lot of candle labels are quite simple with simply the:

• Company Name & Logo
• Candle Scent (e.g. Lavender, Sandalwood & Honey, Jasmine)
• Type of wax used (e.g. soy wax, paraffin wax, coconut wax)
• Burn Time
• Candle Weight (e.g. 7.5oz or 212g)
• Additional Info which may include how your candle was made (e.g hand-poured), a brand message (e.g. Limited Edition) or your contact information (making it easy for your customers to get in touch and re-order your candles)

Not all points above have to be included as you don’t want your label to look too busy but you can pick and choose what is necessary for your particular brand and target audience.

Designing Your Candle Label

Style & Shape

Think about if you want a clear label for your candle jar or an opaque label, both offer a different look and comes down to personal preference. Also, what size label do you require? Do you want it to wrap around the whole jar or just sit at the front? Do you want it to be an irregular shape or rectangular? Do our research and visit a candle store to see other candle label designs and what you like the look of.

Colour

Adding a touch of metallic can really make your candle labels elegant, professional and a high-end looking product or you might want to go to town with a splash of colour. Think about what style would suit your target audience. Are you going for a fun looking craft candle for a younger audience or a more sophisticated candle which would suit a more simplistic label design?

Material

The other important thing to consider is the label material which you use. A lot of candles use a thicker craft looking paper label but there are many options to consider including silver PP, paper or biodegradable materials which your label supplier can help you with providing samples for you to choose from. Always ensure the adhesive used is strong and safe enough to withstand hot temperatures which your candle jars will be reaching.

Graphic Design

Get a graphic designer to create your label for a good quality design which will enhance the look of your product. Give them a rundown of what you want to create and let them come up with several designs to choose from before taking this to your label manufacturer.

Consistency

If you have several different scented candles use the same label design but tweak a colour to the relevant scents, but keep the look of the label and branding consistent. You want your audience to recognise your candles every time.

Warning Labels

Every candle must come with a safety label. Candles can be hazardous because let’s face there is fire involved, so using it in the correct way is important to your customers safety. It is reported that approx. 7,500 home fires happen each year caused by candles so including your warning label is absolutely vital.

Create a separate label which can adhere to the bottom of your candle. Always check the latest health and safety regulations, you can find more information here: https://echa.europa.eu/legislation.

We have created a list of things you might want to include for your customers safety:

• A hazard warning symbol should be displayed to show this product can be hazardous
• Instructions on how to burn the candle (light candle for 4 hours on first use to ensure the best wax pool melt and longevity of your candle
• Never leave a burning candle unattended
• Do not burn candle for more than 4 hours at a time to avoid over heating jar and creating a hazard
• Keep away from children
• Burn on a heat-resistant surface away from drafts
• Trim candle wick to 1/4 inch after every burn to get the best burn from your candle

This hazard label doesn’t have to be fancy in any way. Just enough to write your safety instructions and include the warning symbol.

Label Printing

Once you have your label design ready to go you need to find a label printer who can help with the order process from start to finish. At Labelnet we aim to work with you and make the process as easy as possible. Our team can suggest various finishes which could add the finishing touches to your label from gloss or matt varnishing, textured printing or adding embellishments depending on your design.

We offer free sample packs to give you an idea of various materials (white, clear or metallic materials) and finishes and focus on your individual needs. With over 20 years’ experience in the label industry we are sure to offer our knowledge to print the best candle labels at a competitive price.

If you require a quote for your candle labels or a label sample pack simply click on the relevant button below and our team will be in touch to help you through the ordering process.