Homebrew labels

The only labeling I normally put on my homebrews is a couple initials on the caps so I can tell them apart.  It makes it a bit tough when folks come over and can’t figure out what’s what, but it’s not usually too much trouble get them what they want.  When giving homebrew as gifts, though, an actual label really improves their presentation.

In years past, I’ve mocked up pretty simple labels in a word processing program; for a background I’ve used an uncomplicated graphic (too much going on and it doesn’t really work) that I faded in a photo editing program.  Application with a washable glue stick makes it easy to reuse the bottles down the road.

This holiday season, though, I came across Andy Biggs’s Beer Labelizer website, which allows you to input your beer’s information into several really nice looking label designs.  It’s also extremely easy to use, which is a big bonus.  You don’t have total control over all of the variables (font, position, etc.), but it’s turned out the best-looking homebrew labels I’ve seen outside of some heavy Photoshop work (to which I’m not prepared to devote the time to really get into at this point).

I’m sure there are other sites and tools available for just this application; in fact, here’s another site I found sometime in the past year that I just haven’t spent as much time playing with.  I think I’ll be able to get a lot of mileage out of the Beer Labelizer site.  Fellow homebrewers, how long what do you do for label design?

- Br. Absalom