Until we started offering photo wine labels we had no idea the extent Americans adore their dogs. Not a day goes by without someone creating a custom wine label with their pet’s photo. Americans love their dogs so much that dogs seem to out number children as a favorite theme on homemade beer and wine labels, (if the orders in our queue are any indication.) We love pets here at BYB, as many of you who follow us on Instagram know. Coco our resident office mini poodle and Sadie, the mixed breed rescue dog, aka our back-up office dog, appear in our social media from time to time.
Last year Americans spent more than $60 billion, that’s right, BILLION, on their pets. So it’s not surprising that custom labels for wine and beer have the family dog included in the design. The proliferation of smart phone cameras has been a big contributor to the custom label craze as it’s easy to capture Fido at his finest then upload the photo to make a custom label.
Dog Photos Add the Cuteness Factor to Home Brew Labels
Dogs are lovable and naturally make appealing subjects for labels on any wine or beer batches you might have brewing. Since they are a big part of our daily living experience we naturally incorporate them into our hobbies. If you would like to learn how to make your own photo wine label or beer label featuring your pet read further to see the tutorial. In the meantime, animal lovers, please enjoy these examples of dogs on custom wine and beer labels. Maybe you’ll get inspired to label your home brew with a beloved pet’s photo.
This wine label with a Boston terrier wearing a top hat and monocle was so cute we had to share.
Even if your dog is a mutt her photo adds some character to a bottle neck label.
Puppies and beer; it doesn’t get much more American than that, especially a Labrador retriever pup.
You’re not limited by just photos. Upload digitized portraits to make a personalized wine label.
Clip art or illustrations make great label artwork as well. Make sure the artwork is high resolution for best results.
This custom label for home distilled liquor features a bull dog. This customer created his design in a graphics program and uploaded it to our online designer.
Holiday Pet Photos Make Great Wine Labels
Every year we get to see what lengths Americans go to to dress up their pooches for a holiday photo. We’ve seen dogs with reindeer antlers, Santa hats, elf outfits and more. The holiday wine labels below were created by customers using our templates.
Six Tips for Getting the Best Looking Photo Labels
- The most common mistake that will make your photo label look bad is poor resolution. Avoid using photos that are thumbnails from online photo sharing sites. Use the full size photo off your phone or digital camera. The resolution will be high and the photo will not look blurry.
- Check the orientation of the photo. Don’t try to put a large portrait size photo on a landscape oriented label and vice-versa.
- Check for the proper exposure. Photos that are dark will print even darker.
- If you must scan a photo, scan it at the highest resolution you can. At minimum 300 dpi.
- Crop the photo properly if possible, before you upload it. Although the online designer does have a cropping feature. It’s sometimes easier to crop the photo before you upload it. That way you get the right amount of background vs. subject in the photo.
- Keep the design simple. Use one of our templates to be certain you get a good balance, but if you create your own design from scratch, don’t try to add too many clip art elements or too much text. Clutter distracts from the photo and is hard on the eyes.
Step-by-Step Guide to Make Your Own Photo Label
Our website is set up for customers to upload their own graphics and create their own label using our online design studio. Remember, it’s important your photo is at least 300 pixels per inch resolution to print clearly.
Start from Scratch – Do the Following:
- Save your photo to a place on your device where you can easily locate the file.
- If you’re making your label from scratch: Start at MAKE YOUR OWN on the website header and from the drop down choose the product you wish to customize.
- On the next page is where you select your size and quantity. You’ll see pricing here based on the amount you choose.
- Next click the Customize It! button.
- You are now presented with a blank label canvas. Review the tools for your design options to the left of the canvas.
- The ADD IMAGE tool will browse your files for your artwork or logo.
- Type in text and adjust the font style, color and size.
Edit a Pre-Made Design – Do the Following:
- Save your photo to a place on your device where you can easily locate the file.
- Browse the templates. Choose the label you like best and click on it.
- There are two ways to edit it. Use the Image and Text fields on the landing page to change the image (photo) and text. OR click the Customize It More button below the text fields. This will take you into the design studio.
- Click Add Image to browse your files and upload your chosen photo.
- Click on the existing text to edit it. Editing allows for text size change, text color change and font style changes.
TIP: Create an account. When you do this you are allowed to save as many designs as you like. You’ll find your saved labels in your account under My Saved Designs. Share your log in with a family member or friend to get input. Pick the one(s) you like best to order. Order as little as six labels in each design. They’re fully waterproof, self-adhesive and made with a strong synthetic material.
If you have questions about ordering a custom label we’re available weekdays via online Live Chat or email: [email protected].
