Dear Valued Partner

TRENDS TO WATCH IN 2026

Label design in 2026 is increasingly focused on helping products stand out while telling a stronger brand story. With shelves more crowded than ever, labels are no longer just for product information, they play an important role in attracting attention and creating a memorable brand experience.

One noticeable trend is a shift toward more human and authentic design. Hand-drawn illustrations, natural textures and slightly imperfect typography are being used to give labels more personality and help brands feel more approachable.

Bold colours and distinctive typography are also making a strong comeback. Bright colour palettes and large, expressive fonts help products grab attention quickly and communicate brand identity at a glance.

Another growing trend is the use of premium finishes and tactile effects. Embossing, foiling, textured stocks and spot coatings add depth and visual impact, particularly for products positioned as premium or high-quality.  Contact us for physical samples of these effects. 

Extended Content Labels (ECLs) are also gaining momentum. Multilayer and booklet-style labels are becoming more common in industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and industrial products. As regulatory and product information requirements increase, ECLs provide a practical way to include detailed instructions, safety information and multilingual content without increasing the size of the main label.

Finally, interactive labels are becoming more common. QR codes allow customers to quickly access additional product information, videos or brand stories with a simple scan.

Overall, labels in 2026 are designed not just to inform, but to capture attention and strengthen the connection between brands and consumers.

Label Power recently supported Giddy Citizen’s product range by ensuring all barcodes meet GS1 certification standards.

When non-compliant barcodes were identified,  Giddy Citizen reached out to Label Power for an immediate fix. Our team responded quickly to minimise business disruption as much as possible. The solution was supplying small, stick-on barcode labels and a TOWA APN-60 Label Applicator to urgently cover the codes that were not GS1 Australia compliant. We are currently working with Giddy Citizen on producing a new product range with fully compliant barcodes and assisting through the GS1 approval process with new press proofs. Label Power was able to ensure both immediate fixes and long-term compliance for Giddy Citizen’s delicious product range!

With the expert team at Label Power, your GS1 barcodes are produced in full compliance with GS1 guidelines, including correct sizing and the required quiet zones, ensuring they meet GS1’s stringent testing standards. All barcodes are tested and scanned in-house to verify accurate readability prior to printing.

Get your barcodes instantly from Australia’s most experienced provider.

If your products are going into shops you need to join GS1 to register your products and have your barcode range certified.

GS1 is the only Australian supplier of legitimate authentic barcodes. Operating since the first barcode was scanned in Australia, they’ve helped businesses uniquely identify, accurately capture and automatically share information about their products, locations, assets and more. 

Follow this religiously to minimise risk.
GS1 compliance isn’t just a checkbox — it protects your entire supply chain. Start by auditing your current range against this guide, then build these checks into every approval workflow. Your printers, retailers, and customers will thank you.

(For the latest full specs, always cross-reference the official GS1 General Specifications and your local GS1 organization.)

Go to GS1 Australia for further information

Need labels that stand out for your products?  Then email us now sales@labelpower.com.au

Discover how Label Power can streamline your barcode solutions

abelling round bottles by hand can quickly become a bottleneck for growing businesses. While it seems cost-effective at first, manual application often leads to inconsistent placement, wasted labels, slower throughput, operator fatigue, and frequent rework, issues that can harm your brand image and bottom line.

Fully automated systems, on the other hand, demand significant investment, space, and technical expertise, often more than needed for short- to medium production runs.

Botlr, the semi-automatic bottle label applicator, strikes the ideal balance: it delivers professional results and much higher efficiency without the complexity or cost of full automation.

Operation is simple: position the bottle, activate the applicator, and Botlr applies the label with precision and consistency every time.

Key benefits include:

• Consistent, professional placement: Retail-ready appearance that enhances brand perception.
• Higher productivity at lower cost: Automates the critical step for greater output without the price of full automation.
• Less waste and labour: Accurate alignment reduces misapplied labels and rework.
• Easy to use: Minimal training required; no specialised skills needed.
• Compact design: Fits seamlessly on a workbench without workspace changes.

Botlr suits a wide range of industries: beverages, cosmetics, chemicals, health & wellness, and more, and handles various bottle sizes well.

Optional extras for added flexibility:

• Laser alignment tool: For ultra-precise positioning, including over-labelling existing labels.
• Epson ColorWorks cable: Enables seamless print-and-apply integration with compatible Epson printers.

In short, Botlr is a smart, scalable investment that streamlines labelling, improves presentation, cuts costs, and supports growth without jumping straight to full automation.

Small Printer. Big Label Capabilities.

The OKI Pro C650 is known as one of the most compact high-performance A4 colour printers, making it ideal for businesses where space is limited but performance matters.

With Label Power’s sheet-fed label solutions, your printer becomes a powerful in-house label production system.

Benefits include:

Print on demand
Avoid minimum order quantities and print exactly what you need.

Reduce label costs
Eliminate outsourcing and long lead times.

Flexible media handling

The C650 can handle media from 60gsm up to 256gsm and lengths up to 1.32m, making it ideal for labels, signage, and promotional materials.

Perfect for industries such as:

• Retail & product packaging
• Food & beverage
• Warehousing & logistics
• Healthcare & pharmaceuticals
• Hospitality & events

Label Power supplies high-quality sheet labels designed to run smoothly through OKI printers, ensuring reliable performance and professional results.

Label Power have only 10 units of this fantastic printer left in stock so please act quickly and contact us now to secure your own unit! 

This is a friendly reminder that as of October 1, 2025, Seagull has moved to a subscription (on-premises) as a primary licensing model.

New perpetual licenses will no longer be available.

Existing perpetual licenses remain unchanged.

To support this transition, Seagull will provide updated marketing collateral and promotional pricing for subscription sales.

For existing customers:

• Perpetual licenses can still be renewed if activated on a supported version.
• Convert to a subscription at renewal time through the Flex Program, available for all versions.

Switching to subscription provides better value, enhanced features, and simpler management. Please ensure timely renewal to avoid any interruptions.