Adobe Illustrator plugin

    Traffic light and RI labelling, with ease.

    LabelKit reads the SKU copy doc nutritional data and applies the values, Reference Intake (RI) percentages and their corresponding traffic light colours to your Illustrator artwork, automatically. Load from a local file (CSV, XLSX, DOCX, PDF copy-brief) or even an online data platform.

    Made for freelance packaging artwork and studio packaging teams. Built and proven on UK FSA Front-of-Pack rules, and ready for food and drink brands worldwide — thresholds and label formats can be tuned to your local market.

    Fat · Saturates · Sugars · Salt · FSA-proven

    How to add traffic light labels in Illustrator

    Three steps from SKU copy doc to print-ready packaging artwork.

    01

    Load your data

    Drop in an Excel or CSV file, load a Word copy pack, paste a Google Docs or Sheets link, or import a PDF copy-brief with your full product nutritional table.

    02

    Auto-calculate

    LabelKit checks the correct nutrition thresholds for your market and assigns the right traffic light colour for every nutrient.

    03

    Apply or batch export

    Update one artwork in a click, or batch export labelled .ai, PDF and PNG for every product at once.

    Traffic light and Reference Intake (RI), handled for you.

    Front-of-Pack labelling uses three colour bands per nutrient — typically Fat, Saturates, Sugars and Salt — alongside Reference Intake (RI) percentages, to communicate nutritional content at a glance.

    LabelKit ships with the UK FSA thresholds it was built and battle-tested against, and can be configured for other markets — with the exact brand colours, RI percentages and label values mapped to your artwork.

    Reference Intake (RI) is the current FSA/GOV.UK term (formerly known as GDA).

    GREEN

    Low — a healthier choice for that nutrient

    AMBER

    Medium — neither high nor low

    RED

    High — eat less often / in smaller amounts

    Everything a packaging artworker needs

    Server-validated licensing

    Secure activation tied to your machine. Studio and Team plans support multiple seats.

    Illustrator panel

    Native CEP panel for macOS, Illustrator 2024 (v28) and above. Windows coming soon.

    Auto folder detection

    Studio and Team plans detect your copy pack automatically from the job folder structure on your file server. Works with Word docs, Google Docs, and Google Sheets.

    Google Docs & Sheets

    Studio and Team plans can load NI data directly from a Google Docs or Google Sheets share link — no download needed.

    PDF copy-brief import

    Reads nutrition data directly from client copy-brief PDFs — no reformatting needed. Handles standard UK nutrition table layouts automatically, with AI-assisted fallback for less common formats.

    PDF copy-brief import

    LabelKit reads standard nutrition tables directly from a PDF copy-brief — no special tag or manual markup required. It sits alongside the existing .docx, CSV, XLSX, and Google Docs/Sheets data sources, so you can use whichever format the client actually sends.

    • No special tag required. Unlike the .docx source, which needs a [LABELKIT-NI-START] tag inserted above the table, PDFs need no manual markup.
    • Two-layer extraction. A deterministic parser handles the vast majority of documents instantly. An AI-assisted fallback fills in genuine gaps only when needed, and never invents or estimates a value — every AI-filled value must literally appear in the source document text, or it's rejected.
    • Flagged for review. Any field that remains genuinely uncertain after both steps is clearly flagged for manual review before it reaches the artwork — never silently guessed.
    • Not a replacement. PDF is an additional option alongside .docx, CSV, XLSX, and Google Docs/Sheets — use the format that matches each job.
    Supported sources
    CSVXLSXDOCXPDFGoogle DocsGoogle Sheets

    LabelKit pays for itself.

    Manual nutrition labelling takes 1–3 minutes per SKU — re-keying values, recolouring artwork elements (amends from incorrect, manual entry). At a typical studio day rate, that time adds up fast.

    50 SKUs
    Manual time
    1–2.5 hours
    Cost at £300/day
    £31–£94
    LabelKit
    LabelKit Solo · £199/year
    Up to £94 of studio time back on one batch
    100 SKUs
    Manual time
    1.7–5 hours
    Cost at £300/day
    £63–£188
    LabelKit
    LabelKit Solo · £199/year
    Up to £188 saved — almost the full licence on one range
    200 SKUs
    Manual time
    3.3–10 hours
    Cost at £300/day
    £125–£375
    LabelKit
    LabelKit Studio · £499/year
    Up to £375 saved — and it's faster

    The Team plan at £1,500/year across 10 seats works out at £150 per person per year. At 2 minutes per SKU and a £300 day rate, it breaks even at around 120 SKUs per user — a couple of ranges for most busy studios.

    LabelKit pricing for professional packaging artwork teams

    The Adobe Illustrator extension that automates label production, reduces manual copy errors, and helps packaging teams create accurate artwork faster.

    Solo

    For independent users and individual packaging projects.

    £199/year
    or £995 one-time perpetual
    1 seat
    • Import existing CSV and Excel copy packs
    • Import Microsoft Word copy documents
    • Generate production-ready PDF and PNG files in batches
    • Automatic UK FSA traffic light nutrition colours
    • Secure licence validation
    Get LabelKit
    Studio

    For packaging agencies and small production teams.

    £499/year
    or £2,495 one-time perpetual
    Up to 3 seats
    Everything in Solo, plus:
    • Visual copy comparison with before/after diff view
    • Automatically locate the correct copy pack from your job folder
    • Import directly from Google Docs and Google Sheets
    • Configure workflows around your existing folder structure
    Get LabelKit
    Team

    For internal artwork departments and larger production workflows.

    £1,500/year
    or £7,500 one-time perpetual
    Up to 10 seats
    Everything in Studio, plus:
    • Complete audit trail of every copy update
    • Choose automatic or manual copy application
    • Automatically update labels when files are opened
    • Priority support with faster response times
    Get LabelKit
    Enterprise

    For manufacturers and organisations with complex packaging operations.

    Contact for pricing
    Unlimited seats
    Everything in Team, plus:
    • Dedicated onboarding and workflow setup
    • Custom licence deployment options
    • Enterprise support agreements
    • Volume licensing
    • Custom integrations and workflow configuration
    Get in Contact

    Choose the plan that matches your production workflow. Whether you are an individual user, packaging agency, or global manufacturer, LabelKit scales with your needs.

    How perpetual licensing works

    Buy once and own LabelKit permanently. Your perpetual licence includes the first year of updates and support at no extra cost. From year 2, an optional annual maintenance fee keeps you on the latest version and gives you access to support. If you choose not to renew maintenance, your licence remains valid — you simply keep the version you have.

    Pricing is per licence, not per seat count shown. A studio with 10 seats on the Team plan pays £1,500/year in total, not per person. All plans include secure licence validation and traffic light colour automation, proven on UK FSA rules and configurable for other markets.

    Manual artwork workflows vs LabelKit

    Traditional
    Manual artwork workflow
    Days
    per launch
    • Copy-pasting values SKU by SKU
    • Redoing the range on every revision
    • Manual before/after eyeballing
    • Typos and colour mismatches slip through
    • Production waits on artwork
    With LabelKit
    Automated artwork workflow
    Minutes
    per launch
    • Data applied to every SKU, automatically
    • One click reruns the entire range
    • Built-in before/after copy comparison
    • Consistent values and FoP colours, every time
    • Artwork ready before production asks

    Traffic light and Reference Intake (RI) labelling: FAQs

    Common questions from freelance packaging artworkers, studios and in-house packaging teams.

    What is traffic light labelling on food packaging?

    +

    Traffic light labelling is the UK Front-of-Pack (FoP) system that colour-codes Fat, Saturates, Sugars and Salt as green (low), amber (medium) or red (high) per 100g or 100ml, shown alongside Reference Intake (RI) percentages so shoppers can compare products at a glance.

    What does Reference Intake (RI) mean on a nutrition label?

    +

    Reference Intake (RI) is the current FSA/GOV.UK term for the percentage of an average adult's daily intake supplied by a portion — 8,400kJ/2,000kcal. It replaced the older GDA wording, and LabelKit calculates and places RI percentages automatically for every SKU.

    What is GDA on a nutrition label?

    +

    GDA (Guideline Daily Amount) was the older UK term for the percentage of an average adult's daily intake a portion provides. It's been officially replaced by Reference Intake (RI) — the current FSA/GOV.UK term — but "GDA" is still widely used out of habit. LabelKit calculates and applies RI percentages automatically; if your copy doc or brief still uses "GDA," it means the same thing.

    Can a freelance packaging artworker use LabelKit?

    +

    Yes. The Solo plan is built for freelance packaging artwork — one seat, the full Illustrator panel, and traffic light plus RI automation for every job you take on. Studio and Team plans add multiple seats, auto folder detection and Google Docs and Sheets loading.

    How do I add traffic light labels to artwork in Adobe Illustrator?

    +

    Install the LabelKit CEP panel, load your SKU copy doc (CSV, XLSX, DOCX, PDF or a Google Docs/Sheets link), and apply. LabelKit reads the nutritional values, works out the correct colour band for each nutrient, and writes values, RI percentages and colours straight into your Illustrator artwork.

    Does LabelKit work outside the UK?

    +

    Yes. It was built and battle-tested on UK FSA Front-of-Pack rules, and thresholds, label formats, units and language can be configured for other markets, so food and drink brands worldwide can use the same automated packaging artwork workflow.

    Is traffic light labelling a legal requirement?

    +

    In the UK, Front-of-Pack traffic light labelling is voluntary but strongly recommended by the FSA and expected by most major retailers. The back-of-pack nutrition declaration itself is mandatory. LabelKit helps you meet either consistently.

    How much time does automated nutrition labelling save per SKU?

    +

    Manual labelling typically takes 1–3 minutes per SKU once you include re-keying values, checking thresholds and recolouring. LabelKit applies a whole range in a single pass, so a launch that took a day of artworking usually lands in minutes.

    Can LabelKit batch export labelled artwork for a whole range?

    +

    Yes. You can update one artwork in a click or batch export labelled .ai, PDF and PNG files for every product in the copy pack at once, which is how most studios handle multi-SKU packaging ranges and reprints.

    What PDF structure does LabelKit support for copy briefs?

    +

    PDF copy-brief import works with text-based (digitally generated) PDFs where the nutrition panel is a real table or a consistently labelled key/value list — not flattened images or scans. Standard UK nutrition table layouts are handled automatically, with AI-assisted fallback for less common formats.

    How does LabelKit extract Reference Intake (RI) values?

    +

    LabelKit reads the per-portion energy and nutrient values from your SKU copy doc and calculates each Reference Intake (RI) percentage against the standard adult reference of 8,400kJ/2,000kcal, plus the reference amounts for fat, saturates, sugars and salt. If your copy doc already states RI percentages, it can use those instead so the artwork matches the signed-off brief exactly.

    What does server-validated licensing mean for a team?

    +

    Every activation is checked against our licence server rather than a local key file, so seats are tied to real machines and can be reassigned when someone changes laptop or leaves. Studio, Team and Enterprise plans share a seat pool, so an admin can see what is in use and keep the whole team on the same version without passing licence files around.

    System requirements for LabelKit, the Illustrator labelling plugin

    • macOS 12 Monterey or later
    • Adobe Illustrator 2024 (v28) or later
    • Active internet connection with outbound HTTPS (port 443) access — for licence validation