GOAL: This tutorial demonstrates how to properly design a nutrition label for food packaging.

If you package food in the United States, you have to tell customers what’s in it. Not only is it a sound ethical practice, but it’s also the law.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website lists the specifications you need to follow on your nutrition label.

There are many, many “what-if” scenarios covered in greater detail on their website. But you’ll be fine just following the guidelines in the infographic below.

1. Follow U.S. Nutrition Label Visual Guidelines

2. Typeface and Size guidelines

The Nutrition Facts label uses 6 points or larger Helvetica Black and/or Helvetica Regular type. In order to fit some formats, the typography may be kerned as much as -4 (tighter kerning reduces legibility).
Key nutrients & their % Daily Value are set in 8 points Helvetica Black (but “%” is set in Helvetica Regular).
Nutrition Facts is set in either Franklin Gothic Heavy or Helvetica Black to fit the width of the label flush left and flush right.

Serving Size and Servings per container are set in 8 points Helvetica Regular with 1 point of leading.
The table labels (for example, “Amount per Serving”) are set in 6 point Helvetica Black.

Absolute measures of nutrient content (for example, “1g”) and nutrient subgroups are set in 8 points Helvetica Regular with 4 points of leading.

Vitamins and minerals are set in 8 points Helvetica Regular, with 4 points of leading, separated by 10 point bullets.

All type that appears under vitamins and minerals is set in 6 points Helvetica Regular with 1 point of leading.

3. Rule and Box guidelines

A seven-point rule separates large groupings as shown in the example. A 3 point rule separates calorie information from the nutrient information.

A hairline rule or 1/4 point rule separates individual nutrients, as shown in the example. The top half of the label (nutrient information) has 2 points of leading between the type and the rules, the bottom half of the label (footnotes) has 1 point of leading between the type and the rules.

Box: All labels are enclosed by ½ point box rule within 3 points of text measure.

4. Serving guidelines