Pages: 1 2
Silk-screened labels
I've been thinking of a tricky way to label some bottles. I've been wondering, is anyone doing any silkscreening? Literally painting a label right on the bottle...like Corona or Rolling Rock, etc. The other idea I have is a cut decal. I just think that a 'printed' label is just too...normal. What's everyone else doing?
I use imaginary labels. Really saves a lot of time. I just tell people to hold up the bottle and imagine a label they would like to see. Gets pretty interesting after about 3 beers.
DC
I just label my caps, throw the bottles in a cooler and let my drunk-*ss friends guess as to what they will be drinking! 
Aparently I'm "too normal" wow never been called that before.
I use a normal printed label. Decal's and screening seem like they would get expensive.
I don't label either. But, I keep the 6 pack cardboard holders and try and match the styles. I do have to admit that every once in a while, someone who does not know my system re-arranges bottles. But no problem. Homebrew is good any way you can get it and a surprise once in a while reminds us to enjoy whatever life throws at you.
I'm sorry, didn't want to indicate that others were (ab)normal...I just prefer to be 'different'
I have a 24" vinyl decal cutter/plotter, I can whip out 50 decals in nothing flat, but the concept of silkscreening was very interesting to me. Just some random thoughts. I was also looking at those heat shrink tubes, too.
I try to use different color caps for different beers, I keep track of colors and which beer they go with, that way I allways know what I am getting. As far as labels, I took so much time getting rid of em, I don't want to go through that again.
Is silk screening what they do for Rogue bottles? If so, I'd like to check in to that as well.
Don't know about Rogue, but it's like Corona and Rolling Rock, painted right on the bottle.
yeah, rogue does the same thing.
unless you just came up with a screen for your "brewery" you would be stuck with whatever label you screened on your bottle first, no matter what beer you put in it. like a holiday porter in a bottle that says raspberry lambic. unless you intend to keep buying new bottles for each batch. which along with the silk screening would get $$$$$!
i don't label, i agree with im4fishnak: too much time spent scraping labels and glue. heck, i think cleaning the damn bottles and sanitizing already takes too much damn time. there is no way i am adding another step to the process.
now, screening on a keg? that's an option.
I was thinking that you could make the same batch once a year and re-use the same bottles every time (minus a few given away to friends). That might be nice.
When I was in high-school (many moons ago) we made a project where we used plastic peel and stick contact paper to cut out a design with an exacto knife (like a stencil) then we peeled the thing and stuck it to our glass jar (I think it was for candy) then smeared on glass etching acid (you can get it in craft stores)... after the correct time, we rinsed the acid off, peeled off the label and had etched glass.. those vinyl lables were re-useable too..... I think it would be an enormous use of time to do by hand but if you had a die cutter or similar, I think it could be done...
operating under that premise, I suppose you could etch just your general all purpose lable and border on, then write the name on the cap....
Or maybe it wouldnt be too awful for holiday gifts etc (Made especially for you by Bob Jones, Christmas 2007 or something similar)
Yeah, exactly, Jen. Some of the things I was wanting to acheive with a more 'non-temporary' labeling was being able to label my bottles to offer a bit of a conversation piece, as well as good beer inside. Second, I want to be able to give a 'six' to a friend or relative, and tell them to just get the bottles back to me...the labeling would help encourage that.
As I said in an earlier post, I have a 24" decal cutter. I can make decals as well as stencils...i like the glass etch idea.
Santoken -
Awesome! When we did the acid thing we used that peel and stick vinyl paper that comes in rolls for lining kitchen drawers etc... I remember it so well because mine was this blinding white with little pink and blue flowers all over it and I about lost my eyesight trying to cut where I was supposed to cut with all those dratted little flowers floating all over the place.
I do remember that we had to be real careful to avoid bubbles, wrinkles etc in the contact paper when we applied it but it worked really well.
What about sandblasting bottles? I am pretty certain it doesn't compromise the integrity of the glass...I have seen it done to bongs, although they are pyrex and not soft glass. My concern is that it would open up a can of worms for sanitizing with such rough surfaces. But it would look all sorts of classy.
Pages: 1 2
Search Home Brewing Knowledge Base
Custom Search
|