How to Make Beer Labels for Free

By using some simple graphics software and following these step by step directions you'll be making your own labels in no time!

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Milk
• Computer
• Printer
• Graphic software

Instructions

1. Labels can be created in any program that can handle graphics manipulation. I use Gimp, an open source program that allows me to make the various parts of the label as layers. Using layers makes it possible to add or change elements of the label without requiring reworking the entire label. Many people design labels for their homebrew beer using the very simple Paint program included in Microsoft Windows. Many others use Powerpoint, and other presentation programs.

2. 

   The image I selected for this sample article is a public domain photo. A web search will yield a great many pictures to choose from, or you could use a photograph of your own. You might even have a favorite drawing that could be scanned and saved as a .jpg file to use.

3. 

   The first step is loading your chosen image in your graphics program. Save it as layer1.

4. 

   Next, select "Add a layer." This layer will be the top text on your label. Have fun with this; create a name for your "brewery" that relates to something in your life, even if it is as simple as the name of your street or if it makes no sense to anyone but you. Save this layer as "top text."

5. 

   Create another new layer. This is the layer that will have the name of the particular beer you're labeling. I place the beer name near the bottom of the label. Save this as "name layer."

6. 

   The next layer will contain the information concerning bottle size and alcohol content. Save this layer as "size layer."

7. 

   As quickly as that, your label will now look like this. Resize it to about 5 inches wide. Allowing it to remain proportional when resizing will keep the label from having a distorted look.

8. The final step is attaching your new label to the bottle. This is where the milk comes in. Simply dampen the back of the label with some milk and place it on the bottle, when it dries it will be firmly stuck in place. However, because the milk is not a glue, the label can be easily removed with water when the time has come to reuse the empty bottle again.

Tips & Warnings

• If you use Gimp to make your label, use "save a copy as" to save the various layers.

Resources

• This site is all about beer and has a section on making labels.