Summary:
Your labels do a lot of heavy lifting. They tell your brand’s story, keep you compliant, and build trust with your customers. Popular places to use them include beverage containers, wellness items, and retail goods. Free Canva templates from professional printers like Little Rock Printing in Calgary make it easy to create labels that look professional every time. From choosing a durable finish to ordering short runs that fit your current needs, getting high-quality labels is now simpler than ever.
Updated January 2026
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Custom labels make your products pop, but to get truly unique ones, you’ll need to put some thought into designing and printing them. Little Rock can help!
We offer high-quality custom printing for a wide variety of products, and we’re happy to share our best design tips to help you get results you and your customers will love. Read on to learn the ins and outs of making custom labels for practically any purpose.
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Why Print Custom Labels with Little Rock?
Little Rock Printing takes a personalized approach to printing your design. Here’s how we go above and beyond to create labels you can’t find anywhere else:
Fast Turnaround Times
Little Rock can print your custom label order in as quickly as 1 business day, since we print everything by hand in our own Calgary workshop! Working this way also helps us ensure quality control on every order before it goes out, so you can look forward to getting the right products at the right time.
Flexible Order Quantities
Custom labels are great for small businesses that need flexibility. Short print runs make it easy to test new products, rotate seasonal offerings, or update packaging without committing to large quantities. Perfect for farmers’ markets, handmade brands, and small-batch producers who change flavors, ingredients, or product lines often and want their packaging to keep pace.
Combine Orders to Save Money
No minimum order sizes for us, not even on custom label orders! And you can keep your orders cost-effective by bundling multiple designs into a single order. For example, order 10 designs with 100 copies each and pay the same price as a single run of 1,000!
Free Test Prints
We offer true samples, produced with the same process as our larger orders. Simply order a single copy of your design and enter the code “FREEPROOF” at checkout. We’ll send you a single copy of your order so you can see what it looks and feels like before purchasing the rest.
Free Label Templates
Designing your own custom labels is easier when your canvas is already sized for print. Little Rock has created a bunch of Canva templates made specifically for label applications, with proper dimensions, bleed, and layouts already built in.
Circle Labels
Circle stickers have a classic, eye-catching look that naturally draws attention to your brand. Whether you’re branding a new product or sharing a special message, their rounded shape helps your design stand out on any surface.
- Use on: Round items like candles, promotional items, handmade crafts, envelope seals, or for excellent contrast on bottles and other types of packaging.
Rectangle Labels
Rectangle labels offer a traditional, spacious canvas that’s perfect for when you have a bit more to say. Their elongated shape gives you plenty of room for detailed info or larger design elements, and they can be oriented horizontally or vertically to fit your packaging.
- Use on: Bottles and cans, address labels, ingredient lists, barcodes, or oblong product boxes.
Square Labels
The clean, symmetrical design of square labels strike the perfect balance between a circle and a rectangle. They’re an ideal choice if you’re looking for a modern touch that still provides ample space for all your important product information.
- Use on: Coasters, cosmetic products, boutique items, jarred goods, gifts, and small boxes.
Get the Template
Four Steps to Designing Ideal Custom Labels
Step 1: Choose Your Materials.
It’s best to plan out the materials you’ll print your labels on before you start designing. Here’s how our two main options compare:
Paper-Based Labels
Our paper-based white label stock is:
- Thick and durable
- Printed with strong adhesive to bond to different products
- Ideal for products that need labels to last
Product Examples: multi-use items and food products that need freezer storage.
Poly-Based Labels
Our polypropylene (BOPP) labels are:
- Cost-effective
- Moisture and scratch-resistant
- Ideal for short-term use
Example Products: Meal kits, makeup, or skincare products.
Remember, labels do more than just show off your brand; they often carry important details about your product that your customers need.
From ingredients to instructions, your labels must stay sharp and legible throughout the life of your product, especially for items that may be exposed to moisture, oils, or heavy handling. So choose your label material carefully.
Step 2: Create Your Design in Canva
Once you choose your template, you’ll be able to remove the stock elements from the design in Canva and add your own. To do this:
- Click and delete any element you want to get rid of.
- Use the Elements tab on the left of the screen to add visuals from Canva’s vast online library, or click Upload to add your own custom images.
- Use the Text tab to select fonts for your design and replace the text in the template.
- Customize any part of your design by clicking on it and choosing options from the toolbar at the top of the screen (color, transparency, border, etc.).
Step 3: Download Your Design
Once you’re happy with the way your label design looks in Canva, use these steps to download a print-ready version:
- Go to “Share” in the upper right corner.
- Select “Download” from the dropdown menu.
- Choose “PDF Print” under “File Type.”
- Include “Crop marks and bleeds.”
- Choose “Flatten PDF”.
- Opt for “CMYK” under “Colour Profile.”
- Click the “Download” button.
Once you’ve chosen your printing options in the step below, you’ll be able to submit this design to us before finalizing your order.
Step 4: Choose Your Print Options & Submit Your Design
Before submitting your design, make sure that you’ve selected the right material type (see Step 1) and finish for your labels. Laminated labels cost slightly more, but offer an extra layer of protection for your design and help prevent moisture damage or fading. Gloss laminate gives your labels a sleek and smooth look, while matte laminate provides a more textured appearance.
After you’ve made your selections on our product page, you’ll be able to upload your design and complete your order. As soon as we receive it, we’ll get to work.
Awesome Custom Labels by Little Rock Customers
Different brands and product types require different stylistic choices. Below are some examples of excellent custom labels from a variety of businesses to help inspire your design:
Breweries
These labels that Skunkworks Distillery created for their Moonshine Mule Ginger Beer Cocktails are great because they make excellent use of white (blank) space to emphasize key information and limit the number of fonts and colours for a minimalist, easy-to-read look.
Artisan Shops
Independent retailer Ellie Mae Studios created attractive labels for a run of blueberry vanilla soy wax candles. The soft colours evoke the spirit of their product and use a matte laminate finish for a rustic, handmade feel.
Etsy & Independent Sellers
Our friends at the Camp Four Company used these bold labels to give their products a boost and make them stand out on their ecommerce site. These use a high-contrast design that attracts the eye while still being easy to read.
Food & Restaurant Packaging
From meal kits and take-out containers to pre-packaged deli items and more, custom labels help people remember whose food they’re eating and make sure essential information like ingredients or preparation instructions are clearly displayed for your customers. Look at this tasteful example from La Belle Graze, who offer custom charcuterie boards and boxes in Calgary!
Farmer’s Market Products
Preserves look great in glass jars, and the right labels can take them one step further to create lasting impressions on people who walk by your booth! Keep your fonts clean and large to make them easy to read at a glance, and use colours that complement the natural look of your products, like this blue and white design for salted caramel sauce by Crème Cream Puffs.
Apothecary & Self-Care Products
From beard balm to bar soap, makeup, candles, and more, custom labels are essential for showing off your establishment’s unique wares. Let your customers know the key benefits of each item you sell while setting the tone for their experience, just like The Wild Stuff & Co has done with this rugged label for beard pomade.
Printing Labels that Do Justice to Your Brand
Great products deserve great labels, and with our assistance, getting them is easy! Just choose materials and print options that fit your products, create your design in Canva, and send it to Little Rock so that we can handle the rest.
To keep learning, browse our FAQ below, or for specific questions about ordering from Little Rock, contact us and speak to a team member who will be happy to explain any part of the process.
Frequently Asked Questions about Custom Labels
What information should be on a custom label?
Here’s a list of information you might need to put on your label, depending on what it’s for:
- The product title
- The name of your brand
- Your brand logo or an image representing the product
- A brief description of the product or item
- If the label is for a product, list the ingredients or components
- Instructions on how to use, assemble, store, or care for the item
- The manufacture, expiration, or best-before date, if applicable
- For products, a barcode or QR code for scanning
- The price of the item (if it’s for retail)
- Your contact information (address, phone number, website)
- The product or item’s country of origin
- The batch or serial number for tracking and quality control
- Any applicable warnings, allergens, or safety instructions
- Any necessary regulatory information or certifications
- Recycling instructions or environmental impact information
- The quantity or size of the product
Can Little Rock design my custom labels for me?
As a print shop, we don’t offer in-house design services at this time. But creating your own labels is easy in Canva, and following the steps in this guide will allow you to easily create professional-looking labels for your brand.
Where can I find custom label design templates?
Little Rock provides free Canva templates for custom labels and stickers. Choose circle stickers, rectangle labels, or square labels to get a canvas that matches the type of product you need to print labels for, then add your own custom elements.
Can I add my own fonts and graphics to Canva?
All Canva accounts let you upload custom images for use in your design and provide a library of available fonts. If you want to upload a custom font package, you’ll need a Canva Pro account.
When will my custom labels be ready?
When you place your order with Little Rock, you’ll be asked to choose a delivery timeline of 1-5 business days. We guarantee your order will be ready by then!
