The design of e-cigarette labels is subject to specific requirements. For instance, during the design process, it is essential to ensure that the label aligns with the brand’s tone, and attention must be paid to the design of fonts, colors, and styles.
Requirements in China
Warning Messages: The front side must fixedly use the warning: “Smoking e-cigarettes is harmful to health. Please do not smoke e-cigarettes in non-smoking areas.” The back side should alternately use: “Discourage teenagers from smoking e-cigarettes. Forbid primary and middle school students from smoking e-cigarettes.” The warning area must account for no less than 35% of the surface area. The font height is categorized as ≥4.5mm (for areas ≥48cm²) or ≥2.0mm (for areas <48cm²), with a color difference (△Eab) between the text and background ≥40.
QR Code Traceability: Adopt QR codes (Version 3, Error Correction Level M). The side length for box packaging is 12mm, and for carton packaging, 36mm. Position them at the upper right corner of the back side, with an edge distance of 5-10mm (for boxes) or 20-40mm (for cartons). The precision must be no lower than 600DPI, and no plastic-sealed external pasting is allowed.
Ingredient Labeling: Clearly indicate nicotine concentration (≤20mg/g), total amount (≤200mg), as well as battery capacity (if applicable), production date, validity period, customer service phone number, and other information.
Prohibited Terms: Misleading terms such as “health care,” “curative effect,” “safety,” and “environmental protection” are strictly prohibited.
Requirements in the United States
Warning Messages: The label must include the warning: “WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical,” and the child/pet warning: “Keep this product out of reach of children and pets.” Warning labels must be clearly visible on 2 main display areas of the packaging, covering 30% or more of the display area of a single package. They should be printed in at least 12-point Helvetica bold and Arial bold fonts, with black text on a white background or white text on a black background, and the text must be oriented in the same direction as the main display area.
Ingredient List: An ingredient list must be submitted, with each ingredient individually identifiable. Ingredient types include single chemicals, composite components, etc. For newly launched products, the list must be submitted 90 days before market entry.
Child Protection: Refillable devices must have child-lock functions, and labels should state “Keep out of reach of children.”
Requirements in the European Union
Health Warnings: The main display area should state “This product contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance,” covering ≥30% of the area. The font height is ≥3mm (for main display areas ≥45cm²) or ≥2mm (for 10-45cm²), and must be labeled in both English and the local language.
Ingredient Disclosure: List all ingredients, with nicotine concentration ≤20mg/ml. Independent containers must be child-resistant and labeled with toxicity warnings.
Certification Marks: Compliance with RoHS and EMC directives is required. Products containing batteries must meet the Battery Directive (2006/66/EC) and UN38.3 testing, and bear the CE certification mark.
Requirements in Other Countries and Regions
Canada: Nicotine concentration ≤20mg/ml. Labels must use both English and French, with health warnings covering ≥30% of the main display area. Independent containers of atomized substances with a nicotine concentration of 0.1mg/ml or higher must be child-resistant and display toxicity warnings on the product label; refillable e-atomization devices and their parts must also be child-resistant; all atomized substances must show an ingredient list on the product label.
Japan: The display area for warning statements will be expanded from 30% to at least 50% of the front area, with nicotine and tar contents labeled below the side.
South Korea: The government has proposed multiple bills to strengthen the regulation of heat-not-burn tobacco products, including increasing taxes and requiring health warning labels.
Design, Material, and Printing Requirements for Labels
Design Specifications: In addition to statutory warning messages and other information, the overall label design should be simple and clear, avoiding overly complex patterns or text that may affect the readability of important information. It should also comply with the cultural and aesthetic habits of the target market. For font selection, clear and legible fonts should be used, avoiding fancy or difficult-to-identify fonts. Color matching should be coordinated with sufficient contrast to ensure clear visibility under different lighting conditions.
Material Selection: Label materials should have good durability and stability to withstand various environmental factors (such as temperature, humidity, friction) during transportation, storage, and use. They must also meet relevant safety standards to ensure no harm to human health or the environment. For example, label materials in direct contact with e-cigarette products should comply with food-grade safety standards, while non-contact materials should meet environmental standards such as RoHS.
Printing Processes: Adopt high-precision printing processes to ensure that text, patterns, QR codes, and other information on the labels are clear, accurate, and complete. Printing quality should meet relevant industry standards (e.g., color accuracy, resolution, overprinting precision). Additionally, special printing processes such as anti-counterfeiting printing and embossing can be used as needed to enhance label safety and aesthetics.
Quality Control in the Production Process
Raw Material Inspection: When purchasing label raw materials, strict inspection should be carried out in accordance with quality standards to ensure they meet requirements. Inspection contents include the physical properties, chemical properties, safety, etc., of the materials. Only qualified raw materials can be put into production.
Printing Process Control: During the printing process, strictly control the parameters of printing equipment to ensure stable printing quality. Conduct real-time monitoring of printed products to promptly detect and correct issues such as color deviation, blurred text, or incomplete patterns.
Finished Product Inspection: After label production is completed, conduct comprehensive inspections of finished products, including appearance inspection, size inspection, content accuracy inspection, QR code readability inspection, etc. Only qualified labels can be packaged and stored, proceeding to the next production process or delivered to customers.
