A Guide to 4 Major Categories of Packaging Symbols

Using the right packaging symbols to inform users and handling staff is essential. Doing so ensures product safety and showcases the exclusivity of your products. But the question is what type of label you should be using on your product packaging.

In this blog, we will dive deep into 4 fundamental categories of packaging symbols. After reading this article, you will be able to make informed decisions about your packaging symbols. Read on!

Significance of Using Packaging Symbols

The importance of packaging symbols can't be overlooked when it comes to ensuring safety, showcasing exclusivity, and displaying information. These symbols help those who interact with the packaging understand the content packed inside.

One of the best things about these symbols on packages is that they are standardized and are used worldwide. Standardization may avoid various risks and hazards associated with packaged products. That’s how they make it easier to ship products across the borders with ultimate safety. 

Another benefit of these packaging signs is that they inform customers about the handling and usage of products. They also develop a sense of trust in buyers, as using these symbols is a sign that items are responsibly packed.

You can use various methods to display these symbols on the packaging of your product. First and foremost, quality printing helps you make such symbols more visible on the packaging. The option of stickers & labels is also available in this regard.

4 Fundamental Categories of Packaging Symbols

Now that we know the importance of packaging symbols, let’s delve into the fundamental packaging symbols. Here are 4 major categories of packaging symbols you should know about:

Symbols for Packaging Safety

Ensuring product safety while keeping the items discreet is essential for various businesses. To do so, you can use safety symbols for product packaging that provide info about the fragility of items and ensure safe product storage. Here are safety symbols on packaging that you can consider:

1.1 Symbols for Fragile Items

When it comes to packing and shipping fragile items, you need to use appropriate fragile symbols. Doing so will inform handling staff and customers about caring for the product. You can go for the following packaging signs in this regard:

• The Side Up:This shipment symbol indicates that the packaging should be kept in an upright position. Changing the position of cush products makes them prone to get damaged. Examples of such products are laboratory instruments and machinery.
• Delicate Products: Some items are so fragile that even a slight bump can damage them. Such products are labeled with “Delicate Product” symbols that instruct handlers to ship them in a well-cushioned environment to avoid damage. You can label glass products with such symbols.
• Don’t Open with a Knife: Most users and retailers use a knife to open boxes, however, this practice can damage some items. If you are shipping pillows, papers, and similar items, paste a label with the symbol “Don’t Open with a Knife”.

• Handle with Care: Some heavy products get damaged if dropped by the handlers. To avoid such incidents, you can label the packaging of these products with a symbol of “Handle with Care”. Television, laptops, etc., are mostly labeled with these symbols.

1.2 Symbols for Safe Storage & Packing

Once the products have been shipped, the safe storage of items is also necessary. To keep your products undamaged, you can use various symbols as per your needs. Some of these symbols are:

• Temperature-sensitive: Medicines, food items, and other products can’t withstand temperatures above a specific range. You need to add a “Temperature-sensitive” label to such products.

• Block Sunlight: Some medicines, book covers, etc. deform if directly exposed to sunlight. These light-sensitive products require a safety symbol of “Avoid Sunlight”.

• Avoid water: numerous electronics and paper products are prone to damage due to water. For such products, add a sign of “Keep Dry” on the packaging.

Symbols for Safety and Health

Ensuring the safety and health of people who interact with the products is essential to avoid legal issues. To comply with the regulations and keep users safe and healthy, you can use these symbols on product packaging:

2.1 Consumable Products

You can showcase the consumability of your products by pasting appropriate food packaging symbols. Some of these signs include:

• CE Label: Conformité Européenne (European conformity) marking certifies that the products packed in the packaging are safe for the health of consumers.

• Food-Safe Sign: You can also use the symbol of “Food Safe” on your product packaging. This sign showcases that your product is safe to be consumed by the users.

2.2 Hazardous Products

If you are dealing with products that can cause potential hazards to those who interact with them, use safety signs. Two of the most common signs are listed here:

• Flammable Sign: Items that can catch fire must be labeled with a flammable sign. Such items include paper, fabric, etc.

• Caution Symbol: Hazardous items that can cause safety issues to users must come with a “caution symbol”. For instance, you can use these symbols for items like chemicals. 

Symbols for Appropriate Handling

Guiding handling staff and users about the handling of packaged products is highly important. Using the right symbols of packaging can help in this regard. Here are some handling signs you should consider:

• Do Not Stack: This sign is suitable for those products that shouldn’t be stacked over one another. The reason is that packaging material is not that durable in such cases. Stacking can damage the packaging as well as the products packed inside.

• Stacking Height: Some durable packaging materials can bear weight to some extent. For such packaging options, you need to label stacking height symbols. Mention the height within the bearable range of packaging material. This sign is used for products like milk cartons.

• Center of Gravity: One of the most important shipping symbols when delivering heavy and irregularly placed products is “center of gravity. This sign is added to the side of the packaging where the most weight of the product is concentrated.

Symbols for Sustainable Packaging

Most customers prefer to buy products packed in sustainable packaging. If you want to showcase that your product packaging is recyclable and biodegradable, you can print symbols on eco-friendly product labels. You can easily paste these labels on your product packaging.

• FSC Symbols: FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification can be shown with an “FSC” symbol on product packaging. This symbol shows that the raw material of packaging is extracted from responsibly managed forests.

• Tidy Man Sign: The “Tidy Man Sign” is also a remarkable symbol that can align with the sustainability goals of your business. This sign encourages your customers to keep the environment clean.

• Symbol of Recyclability: If you are using 100% recyclable packaging material for your product packaging, do add a “Recyclability Sign” on your packaging.

Wrap Up!

The importance of packaging symbols can’t be overstated as far as safety and displaying exclusivity of products are concerned. We hope this guide on the 4 packaging symbol categories will help you make an informed decision about your packaging symbols. If you still have questions or are looking for custom labels to paste on packaging symbols, get in touch with us!