what do you use to make labels?

I just built my home made beer gun and will be bottling some brew to take to a party on the weekend.

I'm wondering what software do people use to make the labels and what type of paper or label paper.

I was at Staples and could only find paper labels for office use.

I'm just wondering if I need special software to print labels and what others are using

Ink Jet, Plain 'ol Paper and MILK!
I never get tired of answering this question....I just wish I could remember who to thank for answering it when I asked it.

What do you mean milk or is that a joke

Milk = great label glue.

Yuri_Rage said:

Milk = great label glue.

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That's cool I guess that if the bottles get moist the ink will run all over

brewjunky said:

That's cool I guess that if the bottles get moist the ink will run all over

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It sounds like you already have the answer then! Get a gluestick if you're worried about running ink, but good ol' cow's milk is the best!

I thought this was a joke. So I take it you dunk the label in a saucer of milk and slap it on a bottle and let it dry. Do they seem to stay on fairly well and is whole milk required?

I use photoshop for the artwork, linen paper (any nicely textured paper will do) for the labels, a nice fancy laser printer (at my university) for the printing, a paper cutter, and 3M spray adhesive for the glue. Haven't tried milk yet, I'm a little reluctant to have sour milk smells

BigKahuna said:

Ink Jet, Plain 'ol Paper and MILK!

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+1 on this method - originally. I used to used plain paper and an inkjet but then ran it through a copy machine so the ink wouldn't run. I too used milk applied with a babeque brush. The labels actually stick very solidly to the bottle.

I switched to a glue stick to avoid the mess from the milk. It was less messy, faster, and the labels float right off after a quick soak in hot water.

I now use Avery 5164 mailing labels. I can use color from the printer, I don't have to cut the individual labels from the master sheet and they're even quicker to apply. The downside is that they're also more difficult to remove but still not bad.

slyngshot said:

It sounds like you already have the answer then! Get a gluestick if you're worried about running ink, but good ol' cow's milk is the best!

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Actually I was wondering what paper people are using because with regular paper the ink will run from condensation from the bottle.

Only if you're using an inkjet. There's no magic paper that keeps liquid ink from running, you just need to use a color laser printer. Kinkos prints full color for I think $.16/page which might be an option for you.

I got special label paper from austinhomebrew that requires wetting, but sticks just as well as regular beer labels after that. Since I don't label much of my brew(just stuff that's gifts) it's a perfectly acceptable solution for me. If I labelled a lot of my brew, I'd probably just use regular paper and milk or a flour-water slurry.

brewjunky said:

Actually I was wondering what paper people are using because with regular paper the ink will run from condensation from the bottle.

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Yes, and it doesn't work worth a **** with Ice either. But I almost NEVER drink Homebrew from the bottle, and I rarely ice beer, so it works great for me.

Actually Neato makes a great smudge proof inkjet label that will not run even when the beer sits in a bucket of ice all day long.

Neato - Software

You can also download a template for the neato labels and use whatever software to design you want. I use photoshop because graphics is what I do for work but there are many cheaper and less complicated programs out there.

I thought I heard someone say on here that a sealant can be sprayed onto the label making is water proof.

Also someone used bumper sticker paper from Office depot but I went there and could not find any.

new here but I figure I might chime in
check out a company called Welcome 4th & Vine Labels Online Store > Click CDN or US To Begin Shopping

I've had real good luck with them

I use Illustrator and photoshop to design labels. Haven't planned out printing them but I tried this out.



It's inkjet on semi-gloss paper, prayed with fixative to prevent smearing. I used spray mount to stick to bottle. It's nicely stuck.

It works when I'm in a jam but I'll probably convert to the Kinkos, Laser deal.

Just wanna say thanks for all the info in this thread.

I'm fixing to make my first labels and this has answered some of my questions and given me some ideas.

I posted early on in this thread, but wanted to update. I have labeled three different now by printing my labels on a color laser printer using plain paper, dipping them in a saucer of milk (some whole and some skim = no difference), and slapping them on the bottle. Works perfectly. You can get a bottle out of the fridge and nurse on it on a hot day and the label will remain intact to the last drop. Soak it for a minute or two in your sanitizer solution and the labels will float right off.

We use this on the boat:

Waterproof Laser Paper | The Web's Best Selection of Waterproof Papers

That way when you have your bottle on ice (for a party or whatnot)... the labels won't run.

Many +1s to the Kinkos concept. I made my labels, printed them on the home inkjet, took to Kinko's for the color copier, and about $3.50 later had my labels ready for cutting with colors that wouldn't run.

Many +1s also for the milk-as-glue. I used 1%, just brushed it on the back thoroughly - more or less soaked it down - put label on bottle, smoothed it down, wiped it off, voila! Checked back after they dried and they were on there quite nicely and should come off with just a dunk in water.