Beer labels

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Graham.C
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Beer labels

Post by Graham.C » Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:01 pm

I know many of you just skip the labeling aspect (I mean why bother if your just going to drink it and have to peel it off and redo it) but I like the creative aspect of it. Especially for x-mas gifts when combined with the hardwood six packs in a recent BYO mag. I figured I would start a thread here in case anyone else likes to design their own labels.

Here is one I made, I am not 100% on the brewery name but that seems to be what some of my friends are calling it. So it works for now and its easy enough to change in photoshop at a later date.
genaric label.jpg
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-Graham

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LiverDance
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Re: Beer labels

Post by LiverDance » Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:07 pm

Very cool.
"Twenty years ago — a time, by the way, that hops such as Simcoe and Citra were already being developed, but weren’t about to find immediate popularity — there wasn’t a brewer on earth who would have gone to the annual Hop Growers of American convention and said, “I’m going to have a beer that we make 4,000 barrels of, one time a year. It flies off the shelf at damn near $20 a six-pack, and you know what it smells like? It smells like your cat ate your weed and then pissed in the Christmas tree.” - Bell’s Brewery Director of Operations John Mallet on the scent of their popular Hopslam.

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Re: Beer labels

Post by jeffsmith » Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:48 pm

I've done a few in the past (attached a couple) but as a rule, I usually don't bother. Peeling them off wasn't as much of an issue for me as the cost of ink and fixer to keep the ink from bleeding. The trick that I used to adhere them was a bit of regular milk brushed onto the back of the label and then jam it on the bottle. Worked really well and comes off very easily in hot water.
German-Altbier.png
Grizzly-CDA.png
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Re: Beer labels

Post by akr71 » Thu Nov 17, 2011 4:52 pm

Here are few I've put together. More as ideas for tap handles than bottle labels. Obviously they need some updates once I decide on a new name for the brewery. Mighty Zeus is a work in progress - I was playing with a couple ideas and didn't know which way to go.
mz.JPG
ok.JPG
ww.JPG
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Andy
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Re: Beer labels

Post by derek » Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:32 am

I like to do labels, but I don't often bottle beer. I like the idea, though, of a generic label with spaces for a few details. I could use those for kegs too, or for a growler I'm just filling for a party or tasting. I'll have to try my hand, now...
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Re: Beer labels

Post by Graham.C » Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:38 am

Those look good guys. I like the idea of coating the back with milk to make for easy removal. Do you just paint over the sticky part with milk? I was just going to order 100 labels off a decent label making site, thats why I went with the generic that I can fill in with specs.
derek wrote:I like to do labels, but I don't often bottle beer. I like the idea, though, of a generic label with spaces for a few details. I could use those for kegs too, or for a growler I'm just filling for a party or tasting. I'll have to try my hand, now...
That's what I was thinking. I like kegs, but sometimes there is a time and a place for a bottle and having the specs on the bottle make it easy at tastings to remember what you put in the beer. :D
-Graham

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Re: Beer labels

Post by jeffsmith » Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:28 am

mgc wrote:Those look good guys. I like the idea of coating the back with milk to make for easy removal. Do you just paint over the sticky part with milk? I was just going to order 100 labels off a decent label making site, thats why I went with the generic that I can fill in with specs.
I just used regular old printer paper (well, a little heavier stock than regular), printed out the labels, sprayed them with fixer, chopped up the sheets and then used the milk to adhere them.

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Re: Beer labels

Post by mr x » Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:09 pm

German Altbier label is perfect. :cheers:
At Alexander Keith's we follow the recipes first developed by the great brewmaster to the absolute letter. :wtf:

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Re: Beer labels

Post by KMcK » Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:20 pm

I was working on a label, but my graphics guy moved to the other end of the country. Fortunately, initially but unfortunately, eventually he worked for beer.
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Re: Beer labels

Post by moxie » Sat Nov 19, 2011 10:05 am

Wow, top quality stuff going on in here.

I got a rubber stamp made up with a generic label, for batches that end up in bottles, I just stamp shipping tags and hang them on the bottle necks. Stole the idea from a guy on HBT.

Any photos of these labels ON bottles?

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Re: Beer labels

Post by KMcK » Sun Nov 20, 2011 12:09 am

I just reuse these bottles from Storm. They fool most people initially.
P1030648.jpg
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Re: Beer labels

Post by Graham.C » Sat Nov 26, 2011 4:00 pm

moxie wrote: Any photos of these labels ON bottles?
Not yet, I am still working on the design. Hopefully in a few weeks I can post a pic.

Here is my latest design. I would love some feed back (too cluttered, too ugly, to plain, etc.)
The tree in this one is part of one of my research projects, it is a 800 year old cedar growing off the cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment. I want to acknowledged that, but the text in the bottom left with likely change to be (hopefully) less cheesy. (why don't we have a cheese smiley?)
genaric label with idea.jpg
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-Graham

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Graham.C
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Re: Beer labels

Post by Graham.C » Sat Nov 26, 2011 4:01 pm

KMcK wrote:I just reuse these bottles from Storm. They fool most people initially.
P1030648.jpg
I like em, simple and clean looking. Works great.
-Graham

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Re: Beer labels

Post by moxie » Sat Nov 26, 2011 6:10 pm

That looks really good, I love the style. Have you considered getting that made into a rubber stamp?

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Re: Beer labels

Post by ratchet » Sat Nov 26, 2011 6:35 pm

to be honest, I never bothered to label my bottles... I just stuck vinyl decals on the caps to distinguish the types.

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Re: Beer labels

Post by GuingesRock » Fri Aug 02, 2013 3:13 pm

Does anyone know a program I can use to design and make beer labels on a computer please?
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Re: Beer labels

Post by GuingesRock » Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:05 pm

Just found one. This is neat! http://www.beerlabelizer.com/

$5 by PayPal or visa to upgrade for more label styles, several free ones. Lots of different designs, save it as a jpg or print, and it takes a second to enter the text. You can upload images on to some of the labels.

Also attaching a PDF of a sheet ready for the printer.
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-Mark
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101 awards won for beers designed and brewed.
Cicerone Program - Certified Beer Server

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Re: Beer labels

Post by GuingesRock » Fri Aug 02, 2013 7:03 pm

I wonder if these "removable" and "reusable" labels at Staples would work. http://www.staples.ca/en/Avery-6499-Whi ... CA_1_20001
-Mark
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101 awards won for beers designed and brewed.
Cicerone Program - Certified Beer Server

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Re: Beer labels

Post by GuingesRock » Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:21 pm

OK, I figured out one way to do this:
  • Save the picture from the label making site on the desktop, open it and rotate it 90 degrees.

    Next download MS Word template for Avery 6499 low adhesive removable/reusable labels, from the Avery website.

    Insert the rotated picture in each label space on the template and you are ready to print onto the labels.
I don’t know if I can attach a MS word document, but if I can I will attach the template and one that I have set up.
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-Mark
2nd place, Canadian Brewer of the Year, 2015
101 awards won for beers designed and brewed.
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Re: Beer labels

Post by Tony L » Sat Aug 03, 2013 7:46 am

KMcK wrote:I just reuse these bottles from Storm. They fool most people initially.
P1030648.jpg

I want two of those bottles so much. They have special meaning to me and I haven't been able to source any as Mike changed the labels before I even had known about the brewery.

Any chance I could snag two of them?

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mr x
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Re: Beer labels

Post by mr x » Sat Aug 03, 2013 7:59 am

e-mail kyle, don't use pm
At Alexander Keith's we follow the recipes first developed by the great brewmaster to the absolute letter. :wtf:

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Re: Beer labels

Post by Tony L » Sat Aug 03, 2013 8:21 am

mr x wrote:e-mail kyle, don't use pm
Thanks, X, but I don't have his e-mail address.

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Re: Beer labels

Post by mr x » Sat Aug 03, 2013 8:24 am

Just click on his profile, there's a tag to email. Might even work from the little envelope on this page, under the avatar.
At Alexander Keith's we follow the recipes first developed by the great brewmaster to the absolute letter. :wtf:

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Re: Beer labels

Post by Tony L » Sat Aug 03, 2013 8:27 am

mr x wrote:Just click on his profile, there's a tag to email. Might even work from the little envelope on this page, under the avatar.

Thanks, I'll try that.

Neither works.

Oh well, he hasn't got rid of them in all that time. There is still time to get a hold of him. :lol:

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Re: Beer labels

Post by derek » Sat Aug 03, 2013 10:34 am

jeffsmith wrote:I just used regular old printer paper (well, a little heavier stock than regular), printed out the labels, sprayed them with fixer, chopped up the sheets and then used the milk to adhere them.
Fixer? Bit of a perfectionist, are you? I just let the ink run...
Currently on tap: Nothing!
In keg: Still nothing.
In Primary: Doggone American Rye Pale Ale

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