In the last 10-or-so years, the craft brewing industry has experienced exponential growth – the opportunity to try a vast range of beer styles and flavours being the obvious attraction for drinkers. But how do you draw a person’s eye to your beer in the first place? How can you inform them of what they’ll experience when they take their first sip? This is where great-quality beer labels come in.
As we’re leading specialists in beer labelling here at PeterLynn, we have put together a helpful guide to assist you in creating the perfect label that your great brew deserves.
Creating Attractive Beer Labels
Regardless of whether you’re new to producing your own beer or you’re a seasoned brewing veteran, a one-person operation or a representative of a well-established brand – digitally printed labels will help to get you noticed on the shelf. Able to be printed on a wide array of materials and embellished with numerous finishes, digital labels can present artwork and colours in clear, well-defined detail – ideal to use to connect to an audience.
Here is our guide on creating those attractive labels for your beers:
The Size and Design of the Beer Label
If this is your first time thinking about creating labels, you should start by obtaining samples of the sorts of labels, materials, sizes and shapes you would like. Any respectable printing service would only be too happy to supply you with free samples of beer labels for you to get a better understanding of what would be the best option for your brand.
If you’re creating your own artwork, it’s worth noting that most printers will have requirements concerning file formats, so always ask them to confirm what they need before getting started with your design. If you’re not creating your own design (and don’t have access to a Graphic Designer), a printing service will be able to recommend someone – tell them your budget and let them take your ideas to create a great beer label.
Great quality artwork will always achieve a great quality print result so it’s definitely worth investing in high-quality artwork to help your beers stand out. In terms of the label’s size, you should avoid expensive tooling costs by sticking with your printer’s nearest cutter options. A simple way to test out the right size is by cutting a piece of paper to size, and trying it out on the bottle.
Choosing The Right Beer Labelling Material
There is a wide range of beer labelling materials to choose from, including:
Standard paper. If you’re using the standard paper option for your labels, you should insist your printer uses a wet strength paper that is suitable for beer bottles. It will help the label to resist wrinkling or peeling if it gets damp or cold.
Polypropylene (PP). PP is a waterproof material that is ideal to use for beers that need to be kept chilled.
Kraft, laid or textured paper – Used to add an extra dimension to the look and feel of packaging, these beer labels are a great choice to help your product to stand out from the crowd. There is a huge range of materials available, but printers may only stock a select few – so always be sure to check.
Metallic embellishments. Gold or silver materials can be included on labels to create metallic shades and effects without the need for expensive foiling plates.
It should also be noted that beer labelling materials can be subjected to different finish options, such as gloss or matt varnishes, high-quality over-laminates and special textured finishes. Metallic foil details and special shape label cutters can also help to create a unique label, reflecting the identity of your brand in a better, more-defined way.
Obtaining The Best Price For Your Beer Labels
With most things you buy in bulk, the more you order, the lower the unit price will be. You should use this to your advantage by bulking together your print runs – even if that means thinking about what you will produce over the next 3-6 months and ordering them at the same time.
Any digital printer will be happy to accept a run of multiple designs if they are all the same size – you will be able to obtain a price based on the total volume and as a result, you can save a lot of money. Your printer will also be happy to give you a quote showing multiple price breaks so you can make an affordable and cost-effective decision on the quantity you order.
Proof Your Labels Carefully
Your printer will send you a PDF proof of your artwork before they go ahead and print the labels – always make sure to check it carefully to pick up on design errors, mistakes or anything else that you don’t think looks like right.
If you’re making your first order, be sure to ask your printer for a ‘press proof’ – this is a physical printout on the label material; giving you the perfect opportunity to see what your design will look like on a label. You’ll be able to check the actual colour outcome, which an electronic proof cannot reproduce – some printers do charge for this but others (like us!) will be happy to produce this sample at no extra cost; offering you the reassurance that you can reach the result that you’re expecting.
And that’s it – you can now go ahead and approach your chosen printer with the confidence that you know what it takes to make great beer labels. Cheers!
Choose PeterLynn For High-Quality Beer Labels
If you would like any further advice on how you can create your ideal drink labels, our seasoned experts are on hand to help. As a vastly experienced printer of beer bottle, can and keg labels, our digital labels can be created in a fast, efficient and skilful manner – providing the perfect balance of high-quality design and practically.
For advice on creating great beer labels, give us a call on 01536 400 344 or send an e-mail to sales@peterlynn4labels.co.uk and we’ll get in touch as soon as possible.