Software for labels?

I don't have Photoshop- are there any free or very low cost programs that I could use to make a logo and some labels?

I'm inspired by everyone's cool labels. I need to be able to make a logo, too, incorporating my brewery name. For wine bottles, I use "Broken Leg Cellars" and for beer, "Broken Leg Brewery". I was just making plain labels in Word but I'd like to be a little more creative.

Google the GIMP. It is a very popular and very powerful freeware similar to Photoshop. I have been messing with it for a few weeks. It takes some time to figure out if you are a novice like me, but I have managed to create a great label template.

Not sure if you saw this thread of not, but lots of good info. on page 2 and 3 about free programs. Personally I can't figure out GIMP.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=28022&page=2

I find the graphics stuff in PowerPoint and Word to be adequate for most of the stuff I want to draw. Takes some getting used to but it works eventually.

Beerrific said:

I find the graphics stuff in PowerPoint and Word to be adequate for most of the stuff I want to draw. Takes some getting used to but it works eventually.

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i agree. the graphics are decent and PowerPoint allows you to save as a JPG or GIF...maybe other types of files too. Word has same graphics but cannot save as JPG file.

I can't say this enough here, GET INKSCAPE! It's at Inkscape.org, it's free, it's like Adobe Illustrator. In fact you can use all the online Adobe tutorials pretty easily. It's a drawing program instead of a picture editing program like Gimp/photoshop. The easyist way to use it for people like me who lack drawing talent it to post an image in the background and trace over it. Hide the background and you've got your logo!

Paint.NET is an awesome free Photoshop Alternative for Windows if you don't want to use GIMP.

I just use plain old GIMP myself though since I use Linux, should probably check out Inkscape sometime since it does vectors.

I like to use DesignPro from Avery. The nice thing about it is that it's a program designed specifically for label creation and it's free from the Avery website. You simply select which Avery label you'll be printing on, it automatically formats for that label and you begin designing. I personally like the 6464 label because it removes easily from the bottle.

I use Paint Shop Pro...

I'm apparently too dumb to use GIMP- I can't even figure out how to download it!

I'll try some of those other suggestions, thanks!

you might try paint.net. It's free, open domain, and has a load of tutorials on thier website to help you use it. plus a bunch of plugins for various effects. just a thoiught.

If you buy the NEATO Beer Labels (XLP-192120) you can access a free account on MediaFACEonline (http://www.mediaface.com/) and do your labels there. Not real hard to do.

I'll second the endorsement of Inkscape.org by onecolumbyte. (Inkscape.org). I've successfully been playing around with it for awhile and hope to finalize my own unique label soon.

fluteguy53 said:

If you buy the NEATO Beer Labels (XLP-192120) you can access a free account on MediaFACEonline (http://www.mediaface.com/) and do your labels there. Not real hard to do.

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Wish we sold those at work.. haha. Just snag them off the shelf and print :-D

Yooper, download GIMP for Windows here.

Inkscape sounds like another great app - I might try that one sometime soon, as it's a vector graphics program (just the image format, you don't need to do complex math to use it), and I don't have one of those.

As a linux user I use Inkscape and The Gimp and strongly recommend the Windows versions.

Inkscape is a lot like CorelDraw and fairly simple to use for drawing basic shapes and adding text.



This is the one I did in Inkscape. Might take you a while to learn it but everything takes practice!

Jesterday, would you mind posting the source file for that? I could really use some help learning Inkscape

I will look for it, I recently had my old laptop hard drive crash. I think I may have a backup, if not, I will redraw it sometime this weekend and upload it and link to it for you.

I believe openclipart.org has a ton of free inkscape created clipart to download and play with as well. There are a few really cool beer mug drawings on there if I remember correctly.

Another vote for Inkscape here. Give it a shot, Yooper!

Sorry for the mistake(s), this was a work in progress when I put it on Photobucket.

No Idea about this, but maybe give it a try:
http://www.logoease.com/WhatYouGet.aspx

Another vote for GIMP. It does have a learning curve lag for sure, takes a bit to get used to it. I just play around with it every so often.

Though it is mostly a photo editing and layering programs, so if you want to add drawings get Inkspace or something. I am able to come up with some pretty cool (in my opinion) labels with just powerpoint and GIMP though.

I do alot of art and graphic design in school, and mainly stick to photoshop and illustrator. I've never tried inkscape, but the examples in this thread have got me interested. For those out there that dont want to shell out a huge ammount of money or rip photoshop/illustrator, adobe just recently put out an alternative. Photoshop Express is a new online version of photoshop that has been cut down a little but is still very fuctional, probably easily still better than paintshop by a mile. I havnt had a chance to try it yet but from what ive heard it works well. good luck for anyone that tries it.