Labelling bottles

[enitharmon]

What do others use to label their bottles?

I shall be bottling at the weekend, I think. I'd like to put a good-looking computer-printed label (incorporating a scan of my own watercolour design) on the bottles. Obviously one requirement is that it won't be too difficult to remove the labels when the beer has been drunk and I want to reuse the bottle for another brew.

 

[RokDok]

Stick the label on with either Pritt Stick or even easier to remove- milk.
Just brush the back of the label with the milk and stick on amazingly it doesn't smell and the label is easy to remove.

RD

 

[BrotherMalice]

If you print them on standard printer paper rather than labels you can stick the paper labels on with milk, just wet the back of the label with the milk and apply the label to the bottle, once dry you have a label securely attached to the bottle that is really easy to remove :)

If you print with an inkjet printer it may cause issues with the ink running though (I am not sure as I print all mine in the office on their colour laser printer )

 

[dennisdk2000]

Or you can print on gummed paper, spray bottle with water and stick on - should stop the issue of running if using ink printer.

Dennis

 

[Pipey]

All I do is use an acronym of what beer it is ie coopers english bitter CEB and write on the crown caps with a permanent marker as I re use that many bottles

 

[fbsf]

Laser-printed labels and milk are my favoured method - works perfectly (I was amazed how well in fact) and the labels come off without any stickiness being left behind.

As for BrotherMalice's comments re the office printer, I don't know what you mean... :whistle:

 

[Duncs]

If you print with an inkjet printer it may cause issues with the ink running though (I am not sure as I print all mine in the office on their colour laser printer )

If you're using an ink-jet printer, spray the labels with hairspray after you print them, then the ink won't run

 

[alanywiseman.]

I am lazy so use liquid chalk pens. If i plan on giviong some away then i will label them but if it is just for me then i cant be bothered

 

[enitharmon]

Some great suggestions there, I'd never have thought of milk. Or hairspray, not something that I tend to use on my hair but when living in Manhattan it proved effective against cockroaches.

 

[Dave1970]

I use pre gummed printer labels (cheapo e-bay ones) and a colour laser in work. They are harder to get off but I think the time saved putting them on compared to cutting out/milk/hairspray makes up for this. If I fill the bottle with really hot tapwater and leave them for a minute the glue seems to soften and the label then peels ok.

 

[boozy_shoes]

I use the chalk pens like alanwiseyman but I just write on the bottle cap (once its been bottled) a couple of letters so I know which beer is in which bottles e.g SM on the smoky maple etc. Different coloured bottle caps help with this too and because its usually drunk at home I can get my recipe book out if anyone's over and whats to know the strength or ingredients of any of them.

 

[Plumpy]

Using milk works well on normal paper for me, thought it wont work on plastic bottles, labled 40 odd bottles only to find they all fell off.

Jason

 

[lambert]

Internet company Labelplanet (google them) do "Removable" labels. I print on them with my inkjet and it works fine.