So you've decided to offer a new variety of e-liquid, or to enter the vaping product market for the first time. What do you need to know about labeling your latest product?

Your e-liquid labels and packaging strategy in general are critical for reaching customers. You have to pursue two objectives at once, creating labels that will help your brand stand out while also following the many legal requirements facing the vaping field.

Compete in the Vaping Market with E-Liquid Labels

The numbers are clear: E-liquid is a rising force in the overall vaping products market. If your company produces this liquid, you should be ready for brisk competition — its popularity won't have gone unnoticed by other companies.

According to Research and Markets' 2020-2025 Vape Market report, there’s an overall shift away from rechargeable e-cigarettes that use proprietary cartridges. In their place, e-liquid is gaining in appeal, with customers realizing refillable vaporizers are the most economical form of vaping equipment.

Other trends observed in the report include the rise of nicotine-free e-liquid. This is in response to some countries banning various formulas of vape juice, and is occurring alongside a move away from tobacco flavors in general.

To compete in this time of diversifying flavors, consolidating major market performers and a general shift away from smoking and toward vaping, you'll need to seize every advantage possible. Compelling and well-designed e-liquid labels are a great tool for your brand. First, however, you have to ensure compliance.

Label Your Vape Products for Compliance

In the past few years, the legal picture around e-liquid warning labels has become clearer. In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took control of vape product labeling, bringing these items in line with cigarettes and other tobacco-based items, which have been the FDA's purview since 2009.

The warning label required on e-liquid packaging has to be located in a prominent place on each of the "primary display panels" of a product's label, and has to take up 30% or more of that space. The font has to be at least 12-point, and be either Helvetica bold or Arial bold for easy legibility.

There are special requirements if an e-liquid bottle is too small for the required statement. In these cases, the bottles should be sold in a carton, wrapper or container that does include the warning. Alternatively, there can be a permanent tag affixed to the product.

There is an alternative, simpler statement that goes on tobacco-derived products without any nicotine. Getting approval for such a label requires FDA certification.

Make Your E-Liquid Labels Stand Out

Even when it's time to get into the "fun" part of labeling, graphic design, it's important to keep compliance in mind. As part of the FDA's crackdown on underage tobacco use, the agency has forbidden the sale of many flavors of e-liquid over the counter, and taken action against companies that use packaging too similar to kid-focused foods and candy.

Your task as a vape product manufacturer is to create the most compelling package possible for adult buyers while not straying into any imagery that could trigger the FDA to act. The 99 Designs inspiration gallery for liquid labels includes several examples of how professionals have walked this line, with sophisticated and minimal designs that use splashes of color but don't resemble candy.

One of the most important steps in your e-liquid label design process is picking your custom label printing partner. With Lightning Labels on your side, you can receive custom labels cut to the exact size of your e-liquid bottles, made from the label material and finishing treatment that best suit your brand's identity, whether it’s flashy, subtle or anything in between.

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