Coffee packaging and label design

What goes on a coffee label?

On top of general food label information (name of the food, net quantity, best-before date, storage conditions, operator name and address, business registration number, batch number and so on), coffee labels often show whole bean or ground, roast level and date, origin and a brewing suggestion. Which items are mandatory must be checked in the official rules.

Mandatory fields

Article 9 of Turkey’s Food Labelling and Consumer Information Regulation (Turkish Food Codex) lists the mandatory particulars; Article 16 requires them in characters with an x-height of at least 1.2 mm (0.9 mm where the largest surface is under 80 cm²) and the name of the food and net quantity in the same field of vision. For where the fields sit on the layout see Food label mandatory info fields, and for the barcode Food box barcode and nutrition zone. Whether coffee needs a nutrition declaration must be checked in the regulation’s exemptions annex.

Coffee-specific wording

Turkey’s Coffee and Coffee Extracts Communiqué (No. 2016/7), in its labelling article (Article 12), says coffee may be offered under names such as "Türk kahvesi" (Turkish coffee), "Espresso" and "filtre kahve" (filter coffee) according to the preparation method. For roasted beans and ground coffee, "kafeinsiz" (decaffeinated) may be used only if caffeine does not exceed 0.1% of dry matter by weight, and it must appear on the same face as the product name. The Communiqué has been amended since, so check the current consolidated text. This section is for information only and is not legal advice.

Optional fields

Tasting notes, processing method, variety and altitude are not mandatory, but they are often the lines buyers read most on specialty coffee. Optional information must not take over the space for mandatory information. Many brands also add a roast date as consumer information; it is not listed separately among the regulation’s mandatory particulars.

Sources (regulatory): Food Labelling and Consumer Information Regulation, Official Gazette 26.01.2017, No. 29960 (repeat) · Coffee and Coffee Extracts Communiqué (2016/7), Official Gazette 03.03.2016, No. 29642

Where does the label go on a valved bag?

On bags with a one-way degassing valve, the label must not cover the valve. Take the valve position from the bag maker, then leave clearance around it or plan a hole in the label. Put these measurements in the brief before design starts. A clash found after printing can affect a whole batch; check the first proof.

Measurement list

• Bag width and height (flat, not filled).
• Gusset depth and position (side or bottom).
• Distance from the valve centre to the bag edges, and valve diameter.
• Height of the zip or seal line.
• Boundaries of the flat area where the label will stick.

Take this list from the bag manufacturer’s technical drawing. The clearance between label edge and valve is set by the printer and the bag maker together; do not write a guessed value.

Legibility on kraft bags

Kraft gives a natural look but darkens colours. A white label or white underprint can keep colours and small text legible; decide with a printer’s sample. See CMYK, spot colour and white ink for details.

Turkish coffee packs and coffee boxes

Small-weight packs and gift boxes are common for Turkish coffee. A box holds the pack or jar and strengthens the gift moment. Size the box from the filled pack; in set boxes, plan dividers and separate cavities for extras such as cups. Space for the brand story and a brewing suggestion can be set aside on the box too.

A filled pack is thicker than a flat one and its shape can change, so take dimensions from a sample pack. How to size a box is on Box design, and the checklist for a set or trial box is on Sample box brief.

Coffee labels and boxes with Grapxo

In Grapxo you write label or box size, valve position, variety names and information texts into the brief. The vector engine produces a consistent label system across varieties and, if needed, a box surface. Regulatory accuracy and print approval remain your and your printer’s responsibility. A new variety is added as a variant of the same system.

Running many varieties in one system follows the same logic as private-label cosmetic sets; see Private-label cosmetic label set. To ask for label and box from one brief see One brief, multiple packaging outputs. For printed bags, Grapxo produces the doypack print surface (front, gusset, back); the tear notch, hang hole and valve position are not drawn yet, so the printer adds them from the bag maker’s technical drawing.

Grapxo, Canva and Pacdora for coffee packaging

Canva’s label templates and packaging mockups give quick ideas. In Pacdora, pouch dielines and 3D mockups can be used for presentations. Grapxo produces a consistent label system and box surface from a brief as print-ready vectors when the number of varieties grows. Decide on the proofed file that carries the valve position and mandatory fields correctly.

For a broader comparison see Grapxo vs Canva.

Next step in Grapxo

If your bag size, valve position and variety list are ready, open a label project in the studio. Questions: info@grapxo.com