How to Make Beer Labels

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posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Brewing your own beer can be a surprisingly simple and satisfying hobby. It can also be less expensive than purchasing beer from the store, and it allows you to share your handcrafted beer with your friends and neighbors. Keeping all your different brews identified in their ubiquitous brown bottles can be a challenge, however. To help in this identification and to add a bit of creative flair to your bottled brew, consider learning how to make beer labels for affixing to your bottles.

Steps

Decide on a name for each of your beers. Rather than simply identifying your beers by style, brew date, or other prosaic details, consider giving them each creative names. Browse the craft beer selection at your favorite stores to get ideas for beer names. Remember that some beer styles tend to follow specific naming conventions. Doppelbocks, for example, traditionally have names ending in "-ator" - Optimator, Maximator, and Triumphator, for instance.Make Beer Labels Step 1Bullet1.jpg

Decide on the size of your beer labels. Labels on beer bottles can vary widely in size. Some are wide, horizontal bands that wrap all the way around the bottle, while others are small oval-shaped badges. To decide on a size, it is easiest to measure the dimensions of an existing beer label that you admire.

Create an appropriately sized document in an image editing program. Open your favorite image editing software and create a new file with the dimensions that you measured from an existing label. Set the resolution to 200 points per inch (80 per cm) or above, as this will ensure adequate print quality. If you do not have any image editing software on your computer, you can download an open source piece of software called GIMP - the GNU Image Manipulation Program.Make Beer Labels Step 3Bullet1.jpg

Add the desired text and images to the file. Make sure to add your beer's name and style somewhere on the label. Additional information to consider including might be the brew date, specific gravity or alcohol by volume, and of course, the brewmaster's name. If your graphic design skills leave something to be desired, you can find free clip art on the Internet for use on your beer labels.

Print the beer labels onto sticker paper. When you are finished designing your beer labels, you are ready to print them. The most straightforward approach is to load your printer with 8.5x11" (22x28 cm) adhesive-backed paper. This way, you can simply cut the labels out of the paper with scissors.

Affix the beer labels to each bottle. After cutting the labels from the sheet of sticker paper, remove the backing and position them carefully onto each bottle. This step is best done after the bottle has been filled and capped so that errant drips of water, beer, or sanitizer solution do not mar the label's appearance. Wiping the bottle clean of dust and moisture before affixing the label will ensure a good seal.Make Beer Labels Step 6Bullet1.jpg