Printing own labels

[woldsweather]

Any suggestions for way of printing your own bottle labels? The only ones I can find work out as expensive as the bottle.

 

[stamasd]

I'm not fancy. I use mailing labels from Staples and a color laser printer.

 

[Chalkyt]

Ditto. I use Avery or Unistat (or any other brand) sticky labels and MS Word with an el-cheapo Inkjet printer ... plenty of fonts and clipart available (especially apples and other fruit). You can even insert your own photos if you want.

 

[voltron]

same here I dont use anything fancy just mailing lables but you can make some nice lables.

These are lables I made with just regular mailing lables. But I only lable when I give stuff out as gifts. The nice things with mailing lables is you easily change it on demand. That is you theme it say xmas, thanksgiving , birthday and just use the same supplies and print just what you need.

 

[CKuhns]

I use Beer Labelizer... https://www.beerlabelizer.com/

Link Attached - Lifetime premium membership $5 and some free ones if you don't want to spend the $.

Format takes a little bit to figure out but made a template in Word. Print on regular 8.5 x 11 white paper on a Xerox four color laser printer. Work is kind enough not to care and toner does not smudge when wet. Then cut out the labels and stick them to the bottles with kids Elmers glue sticks. Makes removing them really easy as it just takes a little warm water.

Here is an example.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I print on regular paper, cut and use a glue stick to apply to the bottles. Extra steps compared to Avery labels, but a little more flexibility in design.

 

[greywolf]

I use labelizer and plain paper. Spray with polyurethane, let dry and stick on with milk or gelatin. Come off easy with a hot soak.

 

[HopHeavy]

I print on regular paper, cut and use a glue stick to apply to the bottles. Extra steps compared to Avery labels, but a little more flexibility in design.

+1 on this...

Lots of flexibility with stock colors and grades, not just the design aspect. Just the same, I have made a habit of using a beige bond paper from Staples that kinda looks weathered.

Don't use an inkjet printer, though. The ink runs in humid conditions, even just in a fridge for a few days. Laser print or color copier only. I have a Fedex shop a couple miles from me, so I pay and use theirs.

Scissors and a glue stick will let you class up a reused bottle a bit... Won't do well in a cooler, though. There is a thread on here to make a gelatin/glycerin adhesive which holds on better in an ice chest than some commercial label adhesives. And they will come off far easier than the Avery labels once you soak them in some hot water. Just a little too much of a process getting them on for the average brew.

 

[woldsweather]

I don't need a design, my son is a graphics designer and has done them it s just that the only mailing labels I have found are 50 pence each so looking for sources of blank labels to print on.

 

[woldsweather]

I'm not fancy. I use mailing labels from Staples and a color laser printer.

Yes but do you pay 50p per label? That's all I can find, it seems a lot.

 

[stamasd]

Yes but do you pay 50p per label? That's all I can find, it seems a lot.

No, they're about $7 per pack of 100. Have you tried looking online? I see tons of mailing labels on amazon which don't cost nearly as much - but perhaps it's different in your location.

 

[Maylar]

I use a Brother 450 label printer and self-stick rolls of labels. Not fancy, but good enough.
Has anybody used the online labels dot com designer?

 

[mirthfuldragon]

I bought a 100 sheet pack of 2x4 mailing labels (1,000 total) for $9 on Amazon. I use Avery's online tool to build the labels, and then print them on a color printer. Price comes out to less than one cent each plus ink. Results are pretty decent and really only limited by my willingness to spend time on them (and learn graphics design).

 

[Weezy]

I do the print and glue stick thing too. I play with labels in excel:

I've wanted to try painting the printed sheet with clear coat first, to get some water resistance out of it, but have never got around to trying it.

 

[Kharnynb]

I use small 1/2" bottle cap labels for own use, that just get name and date on it.

For gift bottles, I print on the laser printer, plain paper and adhere with milk.

 

[greywolf]

The poly spray keeps the inkjet colors from running. The labels hold up well in a cooler with gelatin as the adhesive. A little gelatin and water. No fuss.

 

[woldsweather]

I bought a 100 sheet pack of 2x4 mailing labels (1,000 total) for $9 on Amazon. I use Avery's online tool to build the labels, and then print them on a color printer. Price comes out to less than one cent each plus ink. Results are pretty decent and really only limited by my willingness to spend time on them (and learn graphics design).

I know you are in US but can you show me where you buy them, I am only finding labels at 50 p each - same price as the bottle.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000I5ZK4I/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

My apologies if the link doesn't work - I am at work and I have to sneak around the filters. You can look for Avery L7160-40 Self-Adhesive Address/Mailing Labels on Amazon as well. £14.86 for 40 sheets of 21 labels comes out to £0.017 per label.

I would expect any office supply store should have them. I like 2" x 4" (~50mm x 101mm) because it has enough space to put a lot of information (OG, FG, ABV, IBU, style, dates, etc) plus some graphics.

I put them vertically (so the 2"/50mm side is horizontal), kinda like a regular label. They come off with a short hot water soak and don't leave a residue.

 

[Drewed]

Just a note with the avery labels:
The print to the edge 3 3/4" x 4 3/4" do not like to come off the bottles when done. I soaked and scrubbed and ended up just tossing the bottles. I have no problems with the smaller 2x4 labels however. Perhaps they use a different glue on the bigger labels?

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I use Beer Labelizer... https://www.beerlabelizer.com/

Link Attached - Lifetime premium membership $5 and some free ones if you don't want to spend the $.

Format takes a little bit to figure out but made a template in Word. Print on regular 8.5 x 11 white paper on a Xerox four color laser printer. Work is kind enough not to care and toner does not smudge when wet. Then cut out the labels and stick them to the bottles with kids Elmers glue sticks. Makes removing them really easy as it just takes a little warm water.

Here is an example.

This. Exactly this, right down to the Elmer's Glue Sticks. Great labels that come off easily, no fuss, no hassle.

 

[stamasd]

Just a note with the avery labels:
The print to the edge 3 3/4" x 4 3/4" do not like to come off the bottles when done. I soaked and scrubbed and ended up just tossing the bottles. I have no problems with the smaller 2x4 labels however. Perhaps they use a different glue on the bigger labels?

To remove mailing labels I use isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Works very well.

 

[danpshack]

This. Exactly this, right down to the Elmer's Glue Sticks. Great labels that come off easily, no fuss, no hassle.

What about the labels getting wet? Have you experienced this? I’m thinking about going this route.

 

[Chalkyt]

This is an old thread that seems to have burst into life again.

Anyhow for what it is worth, I have "upgraded" to using Unistat 38947 (68mmx70mm) which is a good size for 330ml and 500ml bottles and it has rounded rather than square corners. I generally use Labelizer copied to MSWord (or just make something up in Word), and expand the label to fit the Unistat 38947 template then colour fill in the unused white part of the label. Cost is about 3 cents per label (probably even cheaper in the USA) and they come off with hot water.

If you use an Inkjet printer (as I do) the ink can run a bit if they get wet, but by then you have probably drunk the contents so it doesn't matter!!!

 

[danpshack]

Anybody know a site where I can order 1L bottle labels? I'd like to just upload my 3.5x6 design and get nice professional looking labels.

 

[fourfarthing]

Anybody know a site where I can order 1L bottle labels? I'd like to just upload my 3.5x6 design and get nice professional looking labels.

Look for Avery labels. Easy to apply and remove to boot.

 

[Saabmike]

+1 for Avery/Staples labels specifically 5164/8164 mailing labels!!! There a proprietary size which is a little off 3 1/3'x4' in my opinion Perfect for labeling your brew! Just download the templates from Avery.com to word and there you go.

 

[bernardsmith]

Look for Avery labels. Easy to apply and remove to boot.

Never really found Avery labels particularly easy to remove.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

What about the labels getting wet? Have you experienced this? I’m thinking about going this route.

Dan - In my experience, the labels getting wet did not cause the colours to bleed, but of course they do slip off the bottle fairly easily when wet; on the other hand, that's a good thing when it comes time to re-use the bottles.

 

[fourfarthing]

Never really found Avery labels particularly easy to remove.

Make sure they are dry and pull gently and they come right off.

 

[Maylar]

This is an old thread that seems to have burst into life again.

Anyhow for what it is worth, I have "upgraded" to using Unistat 38947 (68mmx70mm) which is a good size for 330ml and 500ml bottles and it has rounded rather than square corners. I generally use Labelizer copied to MSWord (or just make something up in Word), and expand the label to fit the Unistat 38947 template then colour fill in the unused white part of the label. Cost is about 3 cents per label (probably even cheaper in the USA) and they come off with hot water.

If you use an Inkjet printer (as I do) the ink can run a bit if they get wet, but by then you have probably drunk the contents so it doesn't matter!!!

Labelizer outputs a PDF file - can you import that into Word?

 

[Soulshine2]

Any suggestions for way of printing your own bottle labels? The only ones I can find work out as expensive as the bottle.

I design labels ,more or less to put on the boxes .I dont own a laser jet and Im not about to just for beer labels. I don't bother putting any labels on my bottles, since I hate peeling the labels off bottles in the first place.
I just buy different colored caps for each batch so I know whats what .

 

[MarkKF]

Never really found Avery labels particularly easy to remove.

You fill the bottle with hot water in a sink of warm water with Starsan and they come right off. A razor blade makes it even easier.

 

[Chalkyt]

Hi Maylar
My version of Beer Labelizer downloads in JPEG format. The process after that is a bit longwinded (but it doesn't really take much time). I understand that it also downloads in PNG format but I haven't used it.

I open the chosen label template in Word (in my case Unistat 38947 which is 70mmx68mm or about 2.8"x2.7", but I am sure that Avery has similar labels) then copy and paste the downloaded label to the first label space (the template is actually a Word table so the first label space is Cell 1).

You will then need to drag the corners of the downloaded label image to the appropriate size for the template. You can change the height and width of the downloaded label to fit the template space exactly as you would like it since a bit of a distortion in height or width really isn't noticable.

It is then just a matter of customising the appearance. If the chosen label is rectangular, you can just size it to fit the shape of the template label.

If the downloaded label is an irregular image on a rectangular label like the one I have attached, it will initially have a white rectangular boundary. So the trick is to get rid of the white bit. I do this by...

Click on the white bit of the downloaded label that you have copied to the template, and Picture Tools should appear on your Word Toolbar. Select Format then Recolour (or Colour Set) and choose Set Transparent Colour (this will turn the white bit into transparent)

Then, if Table Tools isn't already on the Toolbar, click somewhere in the template to bring it up. Then simply select Design, Shading, and choose a suitable background colour to fill the space between the label and the boundaries of the rectangular label (i.e. it replaces the white bit and fills in the rest of the label).

I will sometimes add some information such as the yeast I used in the area between the downloaded label and the edge of the template label, especially if I have used different apple blends or different yeasts in two different batches and I am doing a "comparison taste"(This is a good excuse for tasting and it lets you waffle on as though you know what you are talking about, without looking up your notes).

Then just fill the remaining template labels on the sheet with the appropriate background colour and copy the label from Cell 1 to the others. I get 12 or 13 bottles (333ml) from a gallon (4.5 litres) after a bit of wastage so I only have to copy a few rows of labels to get a sheet ready to go.

This label is simply one of Beer Labelizer's standard ones with an image from Google inserted. The labels wash off with hot water.

Phew! It sounds a bit complicated but really isn't.

 

[Maylar]

Phew! It sounds a bit complicated but really isn't.

Waaaaay more involved than I wanna get. Thanks anyway.

 

[danpshack]

Hi Maylar
My version of Beer Labelizer downloads in JPEG format. The process after that is a bit longwinded (but it doesn't really take much time). I understand that it also downloads in PNG format but I haven't used it.

I open the chosen label template in Word (in my case Unistat 38947 which is 70mmx68mm or about 2.8"x2.7", but I am sure that Avery has similar labels) then copy and paste the downloaded label to the first label space (the template is actually a Word table so the first label space is Cell 1).

You will then need to drag the corners of the downloaded label image to the appropriate size for the template. You can change the height and width of the downloaded label to fit the template space exactly as you would like it since a bit of a distortion in height or width really isn't noticable.

It is then just a matter of customising the appearance. If the chosen label is rectangular, you can just size it to fit the shape of the template label.

If the downloaded label is an irregular image on a rectangular label like the one I have attached, it will initially have a white rectangular boundary. So the trick is to get rid of the white bit. I do this by...

Click on the white bit of the downloaded label that you have copied to the template, and Picture Tools should appear on your Word Toolbar. Select Format then Recolour (or Colour Set) and choose Set Transparent Colour (this will turn the white bit into transparent)

Then, if Table Tools isn't already on the Toolbar, click somewhere in the template to bring it up. Then simply select Design, Shading, and choose a suitable background colour to fill the space between the label and the boundaries of the rectangular label (i.e. it replaces the white bit and fills in the rest of the label).

I will sometimes add some information such as the yeast I used in the area between the downloaded label and the edge of the template label, especially if I have used different apple blends or different yeasts in two different batches and I am doing a "comparison taste"(This is a good excuse for tasting and it lets you waffle on as though you know what you are talking about, without looking up your notes).

Then just fill the remaining template labels on the sheet with the appropriate background colour and copy the label from Cell 1 to the others. I get 12 or 13 bottles (333ml) from a gallon (4.5 litres) after a bit of wastage so I only have to copy a few rows of labels to get a sheet ready to go.
View attachment 608811
This label is simply one of Beer Labelizer's standard ones with an image from Google inserted. The labels wash off with hot water.

Phew! It sounds a bit complicated but really isn't.

Regular paper? Glue stick adhesive?

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Regular paper? Glue stick adhesive?

Yes, and yes, at least for me.

 

[Pizombie]

Anybody know a site where I can order 1L bottle labels? I'd like to just upload my 3.5x6 design and get nice professional looking labels.

I get my labels done at grogtag.com
They have discounts periodically and a once a year 50%-off day where I'll stock up.