# The most beautiful packaging/labels I've seen



## spenny92 (Aug 31, 2015)

This may be better off in the Photo Gallery, but I wasn't sure - admin, feel free to move if so.

I came across Maple Soaps on Instagram, and I am just absolutely, stupidly in LOVE with their packaging. It's so simple but so beautiful and elegant. I love the different patterned paper they use for each "flavour", and the super simple, gorgeous font that scrawls across the whole label.

The soaps themselves are pretty simple/rustic, but it goes to show that packaging really does make a huge impact on how well your product sells - these sell for $15 AU each! And by the looks of it, they're doing very, very well.

There is lots of beautiful photography and inspiration on their Instagram - I've been stalking it for days in an effort to improve my product photography.

http://maplesoapscom/
https://instagramcom/maplesoaps/


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## Dorymae (Aug 31, 2015)

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. Although that label is okay, to me it is certainly not the best I've seen.


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## snappyllama (Aug 31, 2015)

Those are lovely!  I might steal the idea to jazz up my gift giving!


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## IrishLass (Aug 31, 2015)

Very simple, yet quite elegant and pretty to my eyes. The only thing I can think of to improve upon them would be to use decorative paper that matched the scents better.


IrishLass


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## jules92207 (Aug 31, 2015)

It's well designed. Very nicely done. If that's a font type the writing is in I like it.


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## KristaY (Aug 31, 2015)

IrishLass said:


> Very simple, yet quite elegant and pretty to my eyes. The only thing I can think of to improve upon them would be to use decorative paper that matched the scents better.
> 
> 
> IrishLass



That caught my eye too, IL. I love the cigar band but not the paper. I'd get rid of the paper all together and go with clear shrink wrap. I like to see the soap I'm buying.


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## grumpy_owl (Aug 31, 2015)

It's nice, but it looks like two labels. Also, is it up to legal standards? I'm sure we'd all go much simpler if we were allowed to.


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## jblaney (Aug 31, 2015)

I have always loved a beautifully wrapped soap, but always felt let down once it was opened and the wrapper was gone.   The soap is so plain in comparison that it seems to me they are selling packaging, not soap.


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## BlackDog (Aug 31, 2015)

I'm with spenny; I think they're gorgeous.  Love the script and the textured paper.


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## spenny92 (Aug 31, 2015)

jblaney said:


> I have always loved a beautifully wrapped soap, but always felt let down once it was opened and the wrapper was gone.   The soap is so plain in comparison that it seems to me they are selling packaging, not soap.



True, I'd want to keep the soap in its packaging as an ornament as the soap itself is very plain. But hey, if people are willing to pay $15 for packaging then so be it.



Dorymae said:


> Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. Although that label is okay, to me it is certainly not the best I've seen.



Yup, horses for courses as they say.

Maybe I'm just the demographic they're aiming for!



grumpy_owl said:


> It's nice, but it looks like two labels. Also, is it up to legal standards? I'm sure we'd all go much simpler if we were allowed to.



It's an Australian company, so I'm not sure what the regs are there but I'd hope that they are conforming to them. I'm sure the ingredients and other information is on the back.


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## not_ally (Aug 31, 2015)

spenny92 said:


> Yup, horses for courses as they say.



That is so true, w/everything visual.  There are some kinds of aesthetics I do not like at all, I'm sure the people who do think *I* have crap taste 

I like your label a lot, better than this one.  I wish you would do a tutorial on it for us would-be label makers.


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## spenny92 (Aug 31, 2015)

not_ally said:


> That is so true, w/everything visual.  There are some kinds of aesthetics I do not like at all, I'm sure the people who do think *I* have crap taste
> 
> I like your label a lot, better than this one.  I wish you would do a tutorial on it for us would-be label makers.



Gosh - thanks NA, that's quite the compliment. I wouldn't know where to start with a tutorial, there really isn't much to it at all (that doesn't even make sense, does it?). I just spent some time aligning everything to the shape/size of my soap bars and then drew it up in Open Office Draw. It took a good few attempts to get the sizing and spacing of everything just right - ie, so the ingredients were centered on the back of the label. I think the rest of it - fonts, colours, etc - are personal preference, really. But if I can do it, anyone can!


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## janzo (Sep 1, 2015)

I totally agree with you N_A, would love someone on here to do a tutorial on labels, it's something I am really struggling with.  I have Printmaster and still can't figure it all out, but then again I am 'special' when it comes to techie things!

Also I agree that your labels look great Spenny, well done.


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## navigator9 (Sep 1, 2015)

spenny92 said:


> Gosh - thanks NA, that's quite the compliment. I wouldn't know where to start with a tutorial, there really isn't much to it at all (that doesn't even make sense, does it?). I just spent some time aligning everything to the shape/size of my soap bars and then drew it up in Open Office Draw. It took a good few attempts to get the sizing and spacing of everything just right - ie, so the ingredients were centered on the back of the label. I think the rest of it - fonts, colours, etc - are personal preference, really. But if I can do it, anyone can!



Is Open Office Draw part of Open Office, or is it something separate? I'm looking for a new program to make my labels, and I'm dreading it. I bought a new computer months ago, but have not set it up yet, because I am going to lose Picture It, a dinky little program that came with my first computer, and runs on WinXP. I have used this program since I started selling soap, I know it inside and out, it does what I need it to do, and there's no program comparable to it for ease of use and what it will let me do. I put SO many hours into my labels, tweaking, tweaking, tweaking. Not that they're any great work of art, but you know how it is, trying to get them to look like you see them in your mind can take a lot of time. I _*dread *_starting over again from scratch with a new program. I've used Open Office, I think I could deal with it, maybe. I've been putting this off for way too long, I know I need to bite the bullet and make a change, but I love that little program so much, it's hard to let go. :-(


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## vmakkers (Sep 1, 2015)

I use a bunch of different programs for label making including Microsoft Word and Photoshop. I don't sell but I do like to label and package the soaps I give away. I've found that if you are doing just regular square/rectangle labels, it is sometimes easier to do on Microsoft Word. Save it as a pdf, then use Photoshop and open the PDF in Photoshop which will just convert and then you can put multiples onto one page. I print onto a whole sheet label and then use my paper cutter to cut to size.  

I also do a coffee cup sleeve type label for my cup/drink shaped soaps. That was a bit more difficult and I had to use AutoCad to get the curvature and angle correct so that when I cut it out, it would wrap snuggly around the cup. To do the wording, I actually used Word and used the wordart function to curve the letters along the sleeve. It's not perfect, but it works. I haven't had the time to sit on Photoshop to really perfect my coffee sleeve label but it works for now. 

I know my labels aren't up to regulations for selling but I don't think it matters too much if I'm just giving away to friends and family. I figured I'd post an example of the drink soap label. This was a quick gift set I put together for a friend who was going to backpack through Europe.

ETA: And I just noticed I should have put potassium hydroxide instead of sodium for the shave soap. This is why I shouldn't make labels at 2AM lol! Good thing I don't sell.


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## navigator9 (Sep 1, 2015)

Vmakkers, what a nice job you did! I think I'm going to try Word, at least it's always there. But I seriously hate that you can lose a program you love, when you have to upgrade to a new OS. I'd gladly just hang onto my old computer and use it, but I got it in 2002, and the hard drive has been on it's last legs for years, and I know one day it's just going to crash, and I'll be out of luck, so I'd better learn to use something new for my labels before I'm left high and dry in the middle of busy season. Thanks for your input!


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## spenny92 (Sep 1, 2015)

navigator9 said:


> Is Open Office Draw part of Open Office, or is it something separate? I'm looking for a new program to make my labels, and I'm dreading it. I bought a new computer months ago, but have not set it up yet, because I am going to lose Picture It, a dinky little program that came with my first computer, and runs on WinXP. I have used this program since I started selling soap, I know it inside and out, it does what I need it to do, and there's no program comparable to it for ease of use and what it will let me do. I put SO many hours into my labels, tweaking, tweaking, tweaking. Not that they're any great work of art, but you know how it is, trying to get them to look like you see them in your mind can take a lot of time. I _*dread *_starting over again from scratch with a new program. I've used Open Office, I think I could deal with it, maybe. I've been putting this off for way too long, I know I need to bite the bullet and make a change, but I love that little program so much, it's hard to let go. :-(



Yup, Draw is a part of Open Office. I think it's equivalent to Microsoft Publisher. I find it very simple and easy to use, but with much more flexibility than a word processing program. In Draw, you can add text, move it around, rotate it, add images, move them easily to wherever you want them - I find that difficult to do in Word. It's also easy to just drag to resize things. What I do to make a cigar band template is use the rulers at the sides and top to measure out the width and length that I want them, them just drag text and images around to where I'd like them. Once I have the whole label there, I copy and paste it 5-6 times so I have a page full of labels ready to print out.

It's honestly so easy to use, and free, so I think it's worth a shot.


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## osso (Sep 1, 2015)

navigator9 said:


> Vmakkers, what a nice job you did! I think I'm going to try Word, at least it's always there. But I seriously hate that you can lose a program you love, when you have to upgrade to a new OS. I'd gladly just hang onto my old computer and use it, but I got it in 2002, and the hard drive has been on it's last legs for years, and I know one day it's just going to crash, and I'll be out of luck, so I'd better learn to use something new for my labels before I'm left high and dry in the middle of busy season. Thanks for your input!



I've had a lot of success with Word. Basically using tables. It's the only program I've used for labels thus far and I've been pretty happy with what I've been able to do.


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## holga_me (Sep 2, 2015)

@vmakkers totally off the topic: now I feel like taking a jog towards starbucks...Your soap looks really yummy.:clap:



As for the australian soap packaging, it looks beautiful, like the botanical illustrations a lot, but some scents are really hard to read, almost impossible


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## HappyHomeSoapCo (Sep 2, 2015)

I think they are pretty too! I love the font. The floral paper reminds me of my packaging. Except i use repurposed fabric. 

I've had the idea to change my label on the back burner for a while now. And this thread inspired me a bit!

Let me know what you think!

Happyhomesoapco.etsy.com


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## lenarenee (Sep 2, 2015)

Those are pretty, but I feel cheated by not seeing the soap. And Spenny....yours are MUCH better!!


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## Maplesoaps (Sep 2, 2015)

Hello everyone.

My name is Jenna and I am the sole owner of Maple soaps. I have had a lot of traffic from this thread directed to my site so I though it was best to comment here on a few things for you all. Thank you firstly for posting my soaps and appreciating my packaging. Just a bit of background from my end...
Im 29 years of age, have a degree in Graphic Design (specialising in packaging design) am also a fulling qualified florist (lover of all things botanical) and now a part time soap maker. I 100% design all the packaging myself, including the handwritten script 'font' which is actually my handwriting - I have no staff, no designers, no accountants, no photographers (I use an Iphone6 for all my instagram photos) so run this all on my own. The reason my soap is so 'plain' is because I believe in firstly having quality ingredients, so my soaps are made from only Coconut, Olive and Caster oil, with the additive of Shea Butter, and I only use 100% essential oils - no synthetic fragrance oils ever. I believe that if you are going to put this product on your skin, it better be good for it! I do not use palm oil ever.
I believe that the extra money spent on quality ingredients far outweighs any fancy swirls or coloured dyes/ logo stamping that may make the soap look slightly more exciting. The number one rule of selling a GIFT product is the packaging. 
While I would tend to buy quite simple products for myself, as a GIFT, I want something that looks a bit special - this is where quality packaging comes in.

I choose to use a paper wraps (EcoStar partially recycled paper) because any customer that picks up my soap can immediately smell the great essential oils that make them smell so great, I find that plastics (while not great for the environment) also tend to hold back the scent.
I've made a lot of soap wedding favors, and many brides have commented that their whole room smelt of Rose Geranium! 

A few people questioned if my soap was up to regulations, and I can assure you that all the ingredients are on the back, along with contact details, branding, and origin of where my soap has been made, aswell as the weight (on the front)

Thank you for taking the time to check out my page - as mentioned, I've had so much traffic from here - I hope this helps to clarify some topics which have been mentioned.

Have a lovely day!:wave:
Kindest,
Jenna


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## not_ally (Sep 2, 2015)

Jenna, I think you do what you do v. well.  I hope you were not upset by any of the comments here, including mine.  As I said at one point on this thread, everyone's aesthetic is so different.  Mine is not yours, but I still think you do *yours* extremely well (better than I do mine )  Thank you for joining us and saying hello.


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## maya (Sep 2, 2015)

Thanks for coming here. It must be disconcerting to have so many hits from a site. I like your packaging, I think its loverly, and you have loverly handwriting. Thanks for introducing your self and telling about your process. Nice to meet you.


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## Maplesoaps (Sep 2, 2015)

Hi Maya and not_ally (sorry i don't know how to use these forum posts very well)
Not upset from your comments, just wanted to make a post from myself as the whole thread was started initially because of my products.
I though it was best to have a voice on this! 
I think as a creative person its great to have a different style and opinion than everyone else- this is what makes the world such a beautiful place.. so many different takes on things.
I would like to say that no one's product is 'better' or 'worse' than anyone else, no one's labels are 'better or worse either, just a different creative approach!
I haven't been able to view anyone else's soaps as I don't know how this site works but I'm sure all your soaps are wonderful creations too 

Many thanks,
Jenna


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## spenny92 (Sep 2, 2015)

Awesome to hear from you, Jenna! I really hope you don't mind me sharing your photos on this website - I just fell in love with your packaging, and had to share it. If I saw your products in a store, I'd definitely buy one as a display soap and keep it in its packaging! 

I don't recall reading any negative comments thankfully, just different strokes for different folks. It's lovely to hear about your background, too - the fact that you're a florist is great, I can really understand where your inspiration for your packaging/products comes from now.

You should take a look around this forum if you want to, there's so much really great information and great people here. I, for one, would love to see you stick around! Lots of us here do love "fancy" swirls and colours and fragrances, and some prefer a more simple soap - that's fine, if we all liked/made the same thing, I think it would get pretty boring pretty quickly.

Keep up the great work!


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## not_ally (Sep 2, 2015)

I love fanciful, well-designed (or gorgeously serendipitious) swirls.  But I am coming to like simple, beautiful soaps more and more.  I think I will probably end up more on your end, Jenna.  Although I will always love a good wispy, swirly swirl  

Spenny is right, this is a good place.  I hope you stay and enjoy the soapy fellowship too.


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## jules92207 (Sep 3, 2015)

Thanks for popping in Jenna, I'm definitely a fan and obviously I love your handwriting too. I wish you were a font. 

I hope you stick around a bit, it's a great site that can always use more great soapers.


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## jblaney (Sep 3, 2015)

Jenna - Thanks for posting on this site and thank you for sharing where you get some of your packaging.   It really is lovely and you have a great eye.


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## Aline (Sep 3, 2015)

Hi Jenna! And congratulations on having soaps worthy of a discussion on the forum 

I love your packaging - the font and the paper are gorgeous. Not that you are asking for feedback but....I think it would be even better if you could get the images to correspond to the scent


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## Aline (Mar 8, 2016)

Ah so I had to follow up that I just saw Maple Soaps in a store in Makawao (Maui). Ha - that's amazing!


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## Soapsavvy (Mar 8, 2016)

I like them also. I found something I really like but a lot a people here stated they wouldn't but a product they couldn't see. I thought just open the box. Here's a photo.


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