Archives for April 2009

The Pros and Cons of DIY Labels

April 30, 2009 by Erika Leave a Comment

[singlepic id=116 w=240 h=240 float=center]We get asked a lot whether we provide blank labels that customers can print on at home. Some people are looking for increased design flexibility, but most of the people who ask us this are trying to cut back on cost and hope printing the labels at home will save them money. Printing your labels at home sounds like a great way to save some money but it comes with a lot of unexpected costs. Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re considering printing your labels yourself.

Label material. There is waterproof paper available that you can print on at home. The label stock we use, a synthetic waterproof material, will only work with a professional digital print press, but you can find other materials online that will work on your printer at home. The thing to watch out for with these labels is durability. They’re usually made from what is essentially paper with an adhesive backing and waterproof coating. As such, they tear easily which can lead to a lot of ruined labels and not an insignificant amount of frustration on your part.
Mistakes: Waterproof paper labels are usually impossible to reposition should you apply them crooked. This leads to many ruined labels and bottles. Our labels are easy to reposition if you apply them crooked and won’t fall apart or leave adhesive on the bottles. Even though we’ve all mastered the fine art of bottle labeling by hand, we still mess up on occasion. Believe us when we say you’ll be grateful for the ability to lift up the label and try again if you mess up!
The cost of ink. If you’re printing a few hundred labels, chances are excellent you’re going to have to replace your ink at least once. Especially if your label has a background color! Weigh the cost of this new ink cartridge against the cost of buying your labels from us and see which option gives you the best deal.
Your printer itself. Unless you’re fortunate enough to own a top-of-the-line printer with perfectly aligned heads, you’ll probably need to give your printer a little tune-up to ensure that it prints the way you want it to. If your printer has any eccentricities or maintenance issues, you could wind up feeling frustrated and annoyed with a piece of machinery that normally works just fine. An ink splotch or mysterious spot may be unnoticeable on an essay, but those unsightly little quirks could ruin your entire set of labels!

When you order labels from us, they’re delivered to you quickly and ready and to go. They’re already cut into individual labels, they’re printed, and they’re completely self-adhesive. We do all the work for you so that when they arrive all you have to do is stick them to the bottles. If you want to design your own label, all you have to do is email the artwork to us and we’ll print the labels for you. It’s quick, easy, and completely frustration-free.

If you have any questions about our labels or would like to see a sample just let us know. We’ll be happy to provide you with whatever information you need to make an informed decision about your labels.

Wedding Calligraphy

April 22, 2009 by Erika 2 Comments

[singlepic id=114 w=320 h=240 float=center]There are few things in the world more beautiful than professional calligraphy. The style, the skill, and precision; it’s incredible to watch how simple words and letters can be transformed into beautiful works of art. Wedding invitations are a popular place for calligraphy, and deservedly so. A wedding invitation, or save the date, is one of the first impressions most people will have of your wedding. How you address the envelopes, meaning the wording you choose and the way you write the words, will prepare everyone who attends for the event you’re planning.

If you can, we highly recommend hiring a professional calligrapher to help set the right tone for your celebration. A professional calligrapher can do a variety of things that will help unify and coordinate the many aspects of your wedding. He or she can write your invitations, design a custom monogram, craft a wedding logo, and even beautify your wedding menu. There’s literally no limit to the services a calligrapher can provide.

When selecting a calligrapher, it’s important to do your homework. Look at his or her portfolio, verify that he or she has done work for weddings before, and try to find out how respected the calligrapher is. Do other vendors speak highly of that person? Have other brides shared positive or negative experiences? Investigating prospective calligraphers beforehand will save you a ton of frustration later.

In our opinion, one of the most talented and respected professional calligraphers is Laura Hooper. She has done work for more weddings than we can list, and has such a talent for creating beautiful things. She is well-respected in the wedding industry and has the portfolio to prove it. She’s also a genuinely nice person, so working with her is a pleasure. If you’re interested in doing calligraphy for your wedding, her website is a treasure-trove of information and inspiration and it would be well worth your while to spend some time there.

We recently turned some of Laura’s gorgeous work into custom labels and the results are lovely:

[singlepic id=110 w=240 h=240 float=center]This custom save the date map is one of Laura’s specialties. She draws a map of the city your wedding will be in, and highlights points of interest with adorable illustrations. These are as custom as it gets, and they look great on custom beer labels. The shape is perfect, and even though we call them beer labels they would look perfect on wine or soda bottles as well. These save the date beer labels would be adorable additions to bridal showers or engagement parties!

[singlepic id=111 w=240 h=160 float=center]We love custom monograms. You can insert them throughout your wedding to tie everything together. We’ve seen monograms set into ballroom floors, carved into ice sculptures, printed on favor tags, on menus, wedding programs, and wedding cakes. Laura has an incredible ability to turn letters into art, so if you commission your monogram from her, you can count on it looking stunning. Monograms are a natural for water labels, and are a classy and unobtrusive way to include your monogram at the reception.

[singlepic id=112 w=160 h=240 float=center]Wedding logos might sound unfamiliar but are actually a really neat way to tie all the elements of your wedding together with a single design. Much like with a monogram, you can include your wedding logo throughout your wedding. This logo looks incredible on a wine label.

It’s not difficult to imagine how custom calligraphy and labels can add a lot of style to your wedding. We’re happy to work with artwork from other vendors, and will happily turn your custom calligraphy into labels. Planning a wedding is stressful enough. This is why we work hard to ensure that ordering labels is as easy as possible. If you have any questions about using custom calligraphy on your labels just let us know and we’ll be happy to help!

Make Your Life Easier with Beer Labels

April 15, 2009 by Erika Leave a Comment

[singlepic id=107 w=160 h=240 float=center]One of our customers emailed a picture to us and we thought we’d share this neat idea here on the blog. He used custom beer labels to label his kegs! If you’re like most of the beer lovers and homebrewers we know, you’ve always got a variety of beer on tap; stored away, down in the basement, chilling in the fridge. People know that when they come over they can expect to enjoy good beer.

The problem is, if you’re storing multiple kegs at your place, how do you tell one kind of beer from another? Heaven forbid you confuse a lager for a stout! Likewise, if you brew your own beer, how do you tell all your carboys and bottles apart? Sure, you probably know your own brews as well as the back of your hand, but it would be a shame for others to confuse your varieties.

The solution is simple, colorful, and completely custom: personalized beer labels. Our beer labels are completely self-adhesive, so you don’t have to worry about gluing or taping anything, and they’re waterproof so if you spill anything there’s no need to panic. The best part is that they’re printed on a durable synthetic material, so if you need to peel them off in order to re-use the bottles, you can do so without a fuss.

If you’re looking for an easy way to keep your brews labeled and organized, custom beer labels are an easy and inexpensive solution! If you’d like a sample just let us know and we’ll send one out to you!

Ideas for Family Reunions

April 8, 2009 by Erika Leave a Comment

[singlepic id=106 w=160 h=240 float=center]Family reunions are a lot of work! Between the coordination, the planning, and the logistics, pulling a family reunion together could become a full time job! Many people find the endeavor worthwhile, though, because watching people reconnect and helping others rediscover relatives they’ve lost touch with can be heartwarming. Even if the family gathering isn’t filled with sentimental poignant moments, at the very least you’ve got a weekend solely devoted to relaxing and having fun.

Sounds like a win-win situation, doesn’t it?

A fun way to take care of a vital necessity (plenty of clean drinking water) while reinforcing the togetherness aspect of the reunion is to use customized bottled water. We’ve seen hundreds of customers order personalized water labels for family reunions and we love the idea. It’s a really neat way to identify the people at the reunion (if the venue is a large, crowded space like a park) and a cute way to put a personalized spin on something you’ll need to have plenty of anyway (bottled water).

A very popular family reunion water label design is “America Bottle Label.” The water droplet background is refreshing and there’s plenty of space on the label for reunion information. If your reunion is around the 4th of July, “Bold Stripes Label” is also a popular selection. We have so many designs to choose from that no matter what the style or theme of your reunion is going to be you’ll have plenty of design options to choose from.

The great thing about personalizing your water is that it opens up a ton of great opportunities to customize your event. You could design a logo for this particular reunion year that incorporates the venue, or you could proudly feature your family crest on t-shirts and water labels. The options are endless, and we’re more than happy to help you design a label that will look great at your reunion.

For some excellent family reunion planning tips, these websites are extremely helpful:

Family reunion games
Family reunion planning
Family reunion health and safety

We offer private label bottled water, so your water bottles arrive labeled and ready to go. This is perfect for someone who has a lot to do to prepare for the reunion and wants to have one less thing to take care of. We also offer labels only: waterproof, self-adhesive labels that you can apply to the bottles yourself. These are less expensive to ship but take time to apply.

If you have any questions or would like to see samples just let us know. We’d be happy to help make your family reunion special!

4 New Designs Just in Time for Summer!

April 2, 2009 by Erika Leave a Comment

We are so excited to debut even more brand-new designs just in time for the summer wedding season! Inspired by the warmth and vivacity of the season, these designs are flirty, feminine, and absolutely perfect for stylish weddings. Without any more ado, let’s get into the good stuff!

[singlepic id=105 w=240 h=160 float=center]”Butterfly” is a contemporary adaptation of the whimsical butterfly wedding theme. The stark black and white colors are infused with life by a shock of color from the butterfly’s wings. The color of the butterfly’s wings can be changed to match wedding colors.

[singlepic id=102 w=240 h=160 float=center]”Apply Sauce Food Label” is bright, cheerful, and has all the casual elegance of a summer family picnic. The graceful poppies silhouetted against the bright red backdrop conjure images of gentle breezes, warm sunshine, and easy laughter. The colors on this design can be changed.

[singlepic id=103 w=240 h=160 float=center]”Heart Nouveau” is dramatic, a stylish statement replete with the kind of effortless chic that has characterized style icons for centuries. The colors can be changed on this label to suit your theme and palette.

[singlepic id=104 w=240 h=160 float=center]”Flourish” is a sophisticated design that blends contemporary and traditional elements to beautiful effect. The black swirls are showcased beautifully against the white background, making this design versatile and perfect for many wedding styles. The colors on this design can be changed.

Archives for April 2009

POPULAR POSTS