beer labels

OK, another newbie question.
How do you prevent th ink from running on your labels when they get wet? I tried hair spray but that didn't work. I thought about trying lacquer but haven't tried it yet. I'm just reaching out to see if anyone else has run into this problem and came up with a solution.
Thanks for all the kind responses on previous post.
I love this forum
Daveaohio

 

hardware store. Krylon paint. It comes in "clear"

works great.

adhesives - some swear by milk - yeah plain ol' milk. I prefer a glue stick from the office supply store.

Paper - labels look really sharp on "presentation" paper, gloss or matte. Thinnest you can find, though. Thicker is hard to wrap around the bottle.

 

Print them on a laser printer. I print mine on my ink jet and then take them to a copy place and have color laser copies printed. Milk works great if you are not putting them in a cooler full of ice.

 

keep them dry or use an ink that wont smear when it gets wet

 

Laser printer works like a charm

 

I use a colour laser printer, works great.
Or don't let it get wet. Or let it get wet, but use a sharpie and write on the lid.

 

I print out a full page of labels at home and take it to Staples to print out on their color laser copier. Works great, inexpensive.

 

Color laser printer FTW

 

Thank You for all the responses

 

Some LHBS sell "sticky paper" for printing labels. I was going to try running them through my ink jet printer,then hit them with some craft spray. It's a sealer that also can keep colors from fading.

 

Forget about the liquid ink and get Solid Ink, nuff said!

http://www.office.xerox.com/printers/color-printers/colorqube-8570/spec-enus.html

 

Will a glue stick still keep it adhered if/when it gets wet? (Pretty much any bottle will get wet with condensation, right, if it is chilled and then taken into room temperature?)

Related question: is there a "standard" size for a beer label? What info do you all typically like to put on the label?

 

When I pop a few bottles in a cooler of ice, the labels stay intact for hours (glue stick, krylon clear, "brochure" paper, inkjet). When the cooler is mostly water, then yes, the labels will come off. But by then, it's just the empties anyway.

 

I make labels that are 7.5 inches long by 3 inches high, this wraps completely (or nearly so) around most 12oz bottles.

I'm a designer so I like to put some graphics and my logo along with the beer name, alcohol % and either a generic blurb about my "brewery" or some information about the beer if I'm feeling more ambitious or if the beer is especially weird and requires some explanation.

 

Would using a laser printer eliminate the need for the Krylon coat? It sounds like your water resistance might be due to the Krylon coat, not the glue stick.... I'd rather avoid the extra step.

Do you spray the Krylon on the label paper before applying to the bottle? Or do you apply the label, and then spray the bottle? The latter seems like it'd leave permanent residue on the bottle (or is it water-soluable?).

 

I'm using the free label maker software on the Cooper's site. You can use some graphics they have,or upload your own. Change colors,styles,etc. Good enough for now. Besides,they had one style of label that's real close to one I saw in a dream after starting my 1st batch in January.
But I am thinking of tinkering with the larger rectangular comp labels. Just design a label to fit them,& the # of'em per sheet.?...

 

yes, laser printer eliminates the need for the krylon coating, it won't bleed. I also stick my labels on with milk and they hold up fairly decently in ice.

 

i don't want to hijack this thread, but what are the best budget printers you use for your labels at home?.

 

keep in mind a home-model laser will eat you up in toner cartridges. One refill across 4 colors and you could have bought a new printer.
It's all about your personal budget - Laser looks great, holds up in water (because laser printing is just melted plastic dust), but relatively expensive. Or a trip to the Kinko's for some color copies on their laser. Ink jet can be had for hundreds less... Ink jet is a water-based ink and it will run. You will have to coat it to prevent it from running. However, I find that it is not hard - I print out labels 4-up or 6-up on a sheet, spray the sheet with the clear Krylon on some newspaper outside, then cut into labels. not hard.

so - best budget printers? question answered with another question - InkJet or Laser?