Homebrew Beer Labels

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ian

ian

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Hey Guys,
I was just curious if anyone gets creative with labeling their beer. I work in the print industry and do a fair amount of graphic design and intend to get creative with beer labels.

Anyone got any pics of good (or bad) labels that they'd be interested in showing off?
 
Here's a pict, shameless promotion really, of my brews, complete with labels. This is the selection we've set out for the last couple parties. Everyone has found at least one style they liked.

bottles.gif
 
I've been playing with labels for my brews. The hardest part so far seems to be finding the right size labels in sheet form to buy. Did a bunch of looking online today for oval and possibly custom shaped labels but found squat. I have my first label, which I'm always playing with and changing, on my blog, a blog just got put up by the way so there's next to nothign on it.
 
andre the giant said:
Here's a pict, shameless promotion really, of my brews, complete with labels. This is the selection we've set out for the last couple parties. Everyone has found at least one style they liked.

bottles.gif
Click to expand...

Andre - Those look great :cool: If my bottles looked so nice I'd be hesitant to open them up to drink which is my primary objective of this hobby ;)
 
soggydog said:
I've been playing with labels for my brews. The hardest part so far seems to be finding the right size labels in sheet form to buy. Did a bunch of looking online today for oval and possibly custom shaped labels but found squat. I have my first label, which I'm always playing with and changing, on my blog, a blog just got put up by the way so there's next to nothign on it.
Click to expand...


Try Avery Label #5164 perfect size for a 12 or 22 oz'er. Most Publishing softwares support this size. Microsoft Publishing has a template for it.
 
IMO, presentation IS part of the drinking experience.

Whether you bottle, or have a kegging setup, do you pour into a cruddy dinner glass? Probably not, you probably have a nice pub glass, pilsner glass, or some other glassware that is appropriate for drinking beer.

Labeling the bottles is just another touch. Besides, it saves me from having to tell people which beer is which. (and my wife loves making the labels. She gets to exercise some creativity that she's missed since leaving the graphic design profession.)
 
andre the giant said:
IMO, presentation IS part of the drinking experience.

Whether you bottle, or have a kegging setup, do you pour into a cruddy dinner glass? Probably not, you probably have a nice pub glass, pilsner glass, or some other glassware that is appropriate for drinking beer.

Labeling the bottles is just another touch. Besides, it saves me from having to tell people which beer is which. (and my wife loves making the labels. She gets to exercise some creativity that she's missed since leaving the graphic design profession.)
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong I think it is awesome. I attempted once and although I am a techie I am not a graphics artist which is my 1st bump in the road. I think what is more in question is the added labor to do the labels that turns me off. That and the removal of labels etc. Perhaps your wife can outsource her services for a modest fee :cool: .

Appropriate drinking glasses a must to show off the brewski.
 
Andre dude,

Yes, I too dig labels.
And I was impressed with your custom labels.
I don't have a camera which is capable of taking a photo closer than 4'.
So I can't post a picture.
Now for all you brewers out there, my Dad who was a printer,
had this paper out back in the printshop.
Bright pale green was the color, and you could peel off the back, cut it to any size you wanted, and it would adhear to about anything,
Including bottles. I use it out in the old fur shed to mark scents, and lures.
I have used it on bottles full of bobcat urine I 'put up' 19 years ago.
And it is still on there!
Its good stuff, but a little too good.

Homebrew lables must be easily removable.
I brew a different brew every time, and easy off and on is what I want in a label. Mine are not so much works of art, like yours, but a listing of whats in there. A strip on notebook paper stuck on with a small piece of scotch tape. ie.

3lb dark...
6lbs pale...
hoped up to 10 H.B.U.
Bottleing date...


Of course I draw a big short handled sledge hammer with 9lb
7 1/2lb or however much syrup is in there, and the word...


Big, dramatic and noticable...

and very artistically...


'Nine Pound
Hammer'



Knife
 
homebrewer_99 said:
Overnight soak in bleach water always worked for me. :D
Click to expand...

I always like this, I get the added bonus of cleaning my tub. Hell, it's the only time it gets cleaned, when I need to remove labels. (good thing I drink alot, right?)
 
My labels are printed on plain paper, then glue-sticked on. It is a lot of extra work to cut (a paper cutter is a must) and stick the labels on the brew, but when it's done, it sure gets a "wow" from your guests. And if I wash the bottles with a little hot water, the labels slip off very, VERY easily. The downside is, if I put a bunch of brew in a cooler of ice, the labels eventually get wet and come off.

With that said, I went for several years without labels. I just didn't like the effort it took to clean the bottles up. This is a nice comprimise. If I suddenly couldn't label the beer anymore, I wouldn't lose sleep over having plain bottles.

It's all about the BEER! :D
 
Cool design Attym! You can't go wrong with a picture of a dog on your label. The next couple labels will have pictures of our pooches on them.

Dogs and beer... Man's best friend, and man's OTHER best friend. :D
 
Thanks guys. I will try and move the dog up and work into the logo. I actually made the labels too big. I made them 3.73x3.75 and it takes up too much of the bottle. I think I'll go with 3x3 and see how that works. Is there a good size you've settled on?
 
attym said:
Thanks guys. I will try and move the dog up and work into the logo. I actually made the labels too big. I made them 3.73x3.75 and it takes up too much of the bottle. I think I'll go with 3x3 and see how that works. Is there a good size you've settled on?
Click to expand...


Dude those are awesome. What program do you use?
Mine look like crap compared to what you guys are doing!
 
Well, to be fair, I've been a graphic designer for the past 7 years. I use a combination of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

When i went home last night to put some labels on, I realized I had about 8 more brown ales from my first batch than i thought I had, that was a good feeling!
 
Attym, those are really, really nice!

I do some graphic design myself - I work in the printing industry - Its a byproduct of that. . .

Anyway, I had thought about naming my "brewery" Ruff Haus as my last name is Ruff (pronounced roof). But since I'm brewing with a buddy I think we'll have to come up with something a little less specific to me.

But, here was the beginning label/logo that I had. Its an ambigram, for those of you who have read "Angels and Demons". This ambigram is rotationally symmetrical, which is a fancy way to say that it reads the same upside down as right side up.

Here's the link
 
ian said:
Attym, those are really, really nice!

I do some graphic design myself - I work in the printing industry - Its a byproduct of that. . .

Anyway, I had thought about naming my "brewery" Ruff Haus as my last name is Ruff (pronounced roof). But since I'm brewing with a buddy I think we'll have to come up with something a little less specific to me.

But, here was the beginning label/logo that I had. Its an ambigram, for those of you who have read "Angels and Demons". This ambigram is rotationally symmetrical, which is a fancy way to say that it reads the same upside down as right side up.

Here's the link
Click to expand...


WOW, that is pretty cool. I say screw your friend, the logo is too good to scrap.
 
Hey thanks!

I won't scrap it, I'm sure at some point I will be doing the brewing mostly myself or at least on occasion. . . I don't know we'll see.
 
ian said:
Hey thanks!

I won't scrap it, I'm sure at some point I will be doing the brewing mostly myself or at least on occasion. . . I don't know we'll see.
Click to expand...

Don't think I could coax you into making something for me could I?
 
I'd love to!

I can't guarantee that I can come up with a solution, sometimes it just doesn't work. . . other times it takes only minutes.
 
ian said:
I'd love to!

I can't guarantee that I can come up with a solution, sometimes it just doesn't work. . . other times it takes only minutes.
Click to expand...

Awesome! Let me know if "Hops Brau" is possible. If not, o well.
 
Thats nice, I like that look and feel. It really has an authentic feel to it!
 
ian said:
hmmm, that one doesn't have an obvious combination.

But, I'll keep thinking about it.
Click to expand...


Man that rocks....

Can you do Regal Lager for me?

BTW...Angels and Demons was bette than the DaVinci code I thought....and I love the ambigrams...always have....
 
ORRELSE said:
Man that rocks....

Can you do Regal Lager for me?

BTW...Angels and Demons was bette than the DaVinci code I thought....and I love the ambigrams...always have....
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll take a look and see if "Regal Lager" would work too.

I thought that Angels and Demons was better too! Well except for the end, the guy falls out of a helicopter that was how high? and is not hurt?

Anyway, I've got more if you want to see them.

http://ten28design.com/ambigrams/

Not much yet for presentation but I'll get around to it someday. . .
 
Wait a minute! was that a joke?

Regal Lager? you were kidding right? Its a palindrome!

I'm a little slow on the draw. . . :)
 
ian said:
Wait a minute! was that a joke?

Regal Lager? you were kidding right? Its a palindrome!

I'm a little slow on the draw. . . :)
Click to expand...


It is a palindrome as well....but I'd like to see if you could do an ambigram with it. I have a friend (art major) working on doing something with it and he's stumped.... :D
 
ian said:
Thanks, I'll take a look and see if "Regal Lager" would work too.

I thought that Angels and Demons was better too! Well except for the end, the guy falls out of a helicopter that was how high? and is not hurt?

Anyway, I've got more if you want to see them.

http://ten28design.com/ambigrams/

Not much yet for presentation but I'll get around to it someday. . .
Click to expand...

definately impressed with what you got.
 
Shmohel said:
definately impressed with what you got.
Click to expand...

Thanks again!

Orrelse, I don't think that Regal Lager would be that hard. I quick sketched it out but don't have a scanner handy.
 
Ian, you are the MAN! Your ambigrams are awesome! Looks like something I'd get tattooed on my arm... if I was into tattoos... and my name was ian.... Well, you get the point.

I agree, screw your brewing buddy. (I don't have one, I brew alone) Your ambigram logo is too cool to wait.
 
andre the giant said:
I don't have one, I brew alone
Click to expand...

Much better that way. I invite different friends over to help (they like feeling involved), but it is just me brewing, then I get to use all my own ideas and cater to my tastes, friends just sit there and say "oooooo..... watch the beer boil"
 
Thanks guys! I'm feelin the love :)

andre the giant said:
Looks like something I'd get tattooed on my arm... if I was into tattoos... and my name was ian....
Click to expand...
They do look like tatoos don't they? I was trying to come up with one that said "Homebrew" one way and "Real Beer" when you rotate it. But, that one is eluding me right now.

I was thinking that when one brew sticks out and I think its one that will be my regular "stock" beer I'll just call it the "Ruff Haus" beer and make up the appropriate labels.
 

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