What do you print your labels on?

**9/9** · 01-13-2008, 04:53 AM

We are getting ready to bottle our first batch and have been having fun playing around with logo ideas and names. We don't really know how to go about the labels, though. What do you print them on? Do you get pre-cut stickers (from Avery or something) that you can print on? Do you print and then cut them?

Any advice?

Thanks in advance.

Hopleaf · 01-13-2008, 05:04 AM

I would suggest what was suggested to me.. print them out on your printer, cut them out, brush the back of the label with some milk and apply it to your bottle. It sounds odd but works great.

Bob · 01-13-2008, 11:42 AM

That's one way to go about it. Another is to use dilute Elmer's glue as the adhesive. Both of those methods have the side-effect of being water-soluble, which both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunate in that it requires no work at all to remove your labels from your bottles, unfortunate in that it is impossible to chuck your bottles into a cooler and keep the labels on the bottles!

You can make a quite simple, yet elegant, label using Microsoft Office. First, go to Staples or OfficeMax and buy a package of Avery label #8164 - those labels are 3.33" tall and 4" wide, perfect for bottles.

Next, go home, open MS Office, and click on Tools. Select Letters and Mailings. Select Envelopes and Labels. Click the Labels tab, then click the Options button. Under Label Information, find Label products - select Avery standard from the drop-down menu. Under Product number, select "8164 - Shipping". Click the Ok button. Once that dialog box is gone, click the New Document button.

Now you've got a preformatted Word document perfectly aligned to the Avery labels. You can make some pretty groovy labels in this way, with some neat graphics.

It's quick and easy. Have fun!

Cheers,

Bob

**9/9** · 01-13-2008, 02:07 PM

Thanks for the suggestions!

Grist · 01-15-2008, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobNQ3X

That's one way to go about it. Another is to use dilute Elmer's glue as the adhesive. Both of those methods have the side-effect of being water-soluble, which both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunate in that it requires no work at all to remove your labels from your bottles, unfortunate in that it is impossible to chuck your bottles into a cooler and keep the labels on the bottles!

You can make a quite simple, yet elegant, label using Microsoft Office. First, go to Staples or OfficeMax and buy a package of Avery label #8164 - those labels are 3.33" tall and 4" wide, perfect for bottles.

Next, go home, open MS Office, and click on Tools. Select Letters and Mailings. Select Envelopes and Labels. Click the Labels tab, then click the Options button. Under Label Information, find Label products - select Avery standard from the drop-down menu. Under Product number, select "8164 - Shipping". Click the Ok button. Once that dialog box is gone, click the New Document button.

Now you've got a preformatted Word document perfectly aligned to the Avery labels. You can make some pretty groovy labels in this way, with some neat graphics.

It's quick and easy. Have fun!

Cheers,

Bob

Good stuff, thanks man!

janzik · 01-15-2008, 07:08 PM

I use the Avery 8164s. I picked up some spray lacquer from Lowes and spray the hell out of the labels. I'm not sure if I'm not waiting long enough between coats, but even after a dozen or so passes over, they never get totally shiny, but they prevent general smearing, but are not waterproof. The one problem I do encounter is the labels get thick and stiff if too many coats are put on and sometimes doesn't apply to the bottle to well.

Danek · 01-15-2008, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hopleaf

I would suggest what was suggested to me.. print them out on your printer, cut them out, brush the back of the label with some milk and apply it to your bottle. It sounds odd but works great.

+1. When I saw this suggested for the first time, I thought it was a stupid idea that would never work. How wrong I was - it works great, and this is how I do it every time.

ricrellim · 01-17-2008, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hopleaf
I would suggest what was suggested to me.. print them out on your printer, cut them out, brush the back of the label with some milk and apply it to your bottle. It sounds odd but works great.

Ok So i am a total newbie. Are you printing them on regular old copy paper? And does it have to be whole milk? This just seems wierd.

Hopleaf · 01-17-2008, 08:21 PM

Yah, regular printer paper. I use skim and works fine. Like mentioned above though, they don't hold up to the ice cooler.

ricrellim · 01-17-2008, 08:47 PM

What if I went to my local copy shop and had them printed out on the semi-glossy paper. Do you think the slight slickness of the paper would prevent them from sticking? I am going to try this milk thing as soon as I get home.