# Help With Labels?



## mhopkins (Jul 17, 2019)

I have a LaserJet printer (but access to InkJet). Have used: (1) Avery #6464 3.33" X 4" which is removable, but does not hold up well to moisture, and (2) Avery #5524 3.33" X 4" which is WeatherProof and holds up well, but is very difficult to remove.

Any counsel on label options about this size that are both durable in moist situations and easy to remove?

Thanks for recommendations!
Mark


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## Jal5 (Jul 17, 2019)

I use Avery 8163 or 8164 which is a little bigger 3 1/3 x 4. I like the 8164 better. I bring a thumb drive with the label to officemax and they print it on color laser. Looks good and holds up to a little moisture like bottle sweating ok. Cheap for the 4-5 sheets they print.


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## wpt-me (Jul 17, 2019)

I like the Avery 22827 label, then do the same as Jal5. Remove nicely.

Bill


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## VinoKS (Jul 17, 2019)

I have been buying my labels from onlinelabels.com. I buy the OL150 (3.33x4") in weatherproof (pvc) for use with laser printers. I use their online label designer (Maestro), which is super easy to use. You get a one year subscription to the label designer for free if you order more than 10 bucks of product. Then you download the .PDF of the label sheet that is ready for printing. I have a color laser printer that I bought refurbished a few years ago for 100 bucks.


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## salcoco (Jul 17, 2019)

I also use Onlinelabels.com. great service.


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## mhopkins (Jul 17, 2019)

Jal5 said:


> I use Avery 8163 or 8164 which is a little bigger 3 1/3 x 4. I like the 8164 better. I bring a thumb drive with the label to officemax and they print it on color laser. Looks good and holds up to a little moisture like bottle sweating ok. Cheap for the 4-5 sheets they print.



Thanks. The 8164 description reads: "Permanent Adhesive." Can these be removed easily for recycling bottles?


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## Johnd (Jul 17, 2019)

Been using the Avery 22827 labels for many years, they're the perfect size for a 750 ml bottle, they will not come off, run or fade in water or any kind of moisture, are easily removed in seconds with almost no effort, and don't leave any glue or residue behind.


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## mhopkins (Jul 17, 2019)

VinoKS said:


> I have been buying my labels from onlinelabels.com. I buy the OL150 (3.33x4") in weatherproof (pvc) for use with laser printers. I use their online label designer (Maestro), which is super easy to use. You get a one year subscription to the label designer for free if you order more than 10 bucks of product. Then you download the .PDF of the label sheet that is ready for printing. I have a color laser printer that I bought refurbished a few years ago for 100 bucks.



Thanks, @VinoKS. Can these be removed easily for recycling bottles?


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## mhopkins (Jul 17, 2019)

Johnd said:


> Been using the Avery 22827 labels for many years, they're the perfect size for a 750 ml bottle, they will not come off, run or fade in water or any kind of moisture, are easily removed in seconds with almost no effort, and don't leave any glue or residue behind.



Thanks, @Johnd


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## Kantuckid (Jul 18, 2019)

Is there an online free source for label designs? Kids white glue is best?


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## montanarick (Jul 18, 2019)

sheetlabels.com product RXW, size SL571 are 3.75"x4.75" - four to a sheet polyester weatherproof labels that can simply be pealed off. bets thing since sliced bread. these are for laser printers so i just take them to staples to be printed


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## VinoKS (Jul 18, 2019)

@mhopkins - I just soak them in warm water for several minutes in batches, then use one of those paint scrapers with a razor blade. The glue turns to rubber and is easily removed. They are FAR easier than cleaning labels off of commercial bottles.


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## mhopkins (Jul 19, 2019)

montanarick said:


> sheetlabels.com product RXW, size SL571 are 3.75"x4.75" - four to a sheet polyester weatherproof labels that can simply be pealed off. bets thing since sliced bread. these are for laser printers so i just take them to staples to be printed



Thanks, @montanarick


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## Wayne Freeman (Jul 20, 2019)

montanarick said:


> sheetlabels.com product RXW, size SL571 are 3.75"x4.75" - four to a sheet polyester weatherproof labels that can simply be pealed off. bets thing since sliced bread. these are for laser printers so i just take them to staples to be printed



The "Details" on that label, which the description says is "for laser printers", say "You can also print on this with a laser printer, although testing is always recommended." What do you suppose they mean by that? One way or the other, it's a typo: Either that sentence shouldn't be there at all (redundancy), or they mean that you can also print on this with an ink jet printer but said "laser printer" instead.


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## Wayne Freeman (Jul 20, 2019)

Lately I've been printing on standard 20-lb printer paper, cutting with my wife's paper cutter and gluing them on with milk. It's certainly not waterproof, but they're sure easy to get off.

Could be a problem for white wines in some regions of the country but not for us here in the Pacific Northwest where ice buckets aren't necessary nor do you have to chill wine much below the dew point.


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## montanarick (Jul 21, 2019)

Wayne Freeman said:


> The "Details" on that label, which the description says is "for laser printers", say "You can also print on this with a laser printer, although testing is always recommended."  What do you suppose they mean by that? One way or the other, it's a typo: Either that sentence shouldn't be there at all (redundancy), or they mean that you can also print on this with an ink jet printer but said "laser printer" instead.


definitely works with laser printer - that's what i always use. i wouldn't use ink jet simply because it's possible for ink to run if it gets wet


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## jgmann67 (Jul 22, 2019)

Laser jet color printer and labels from OnlineLabels.com. 

It doesn’t run and the labels come off fairly easily.


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## mhopkins (Jul 22, 2019)

@jgmann67 Thanks!


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## Mountainjack (Jul 22, 2019)

If you only have an ink jet printer. After printing, spray your labels a couple of times lightly with a clear acrylic sealer to keep the ink from running. It does a very good job and you can use labels that state they are for laser printers.


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## sour_grapes (Jul 22, 2019)

Mountainjack said:


> spray your labels a couple of times lightly with a clear acrylic sealer



Or hair spray.


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## Jal5 (Aug 2, 2019)

For 8164 label i just heat the label with the heat gun and it peels off. A small glue residue washes off. Much easier than commercial label removal.


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## montanarick (Aug 2, 2019)

the labels i use from sheetlabels.com come right off without any external manipulation. they can even be re-positioned easily if you don't apply them right the first, second....times.


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## RonObvious (Oct 12, 2019)

Just wondering if anyone has anything else to add with regard to Onlinelabels.com when paired with a decent color laser jet? I'm getting sick of paying big bucks to buy finished labels online. I'm super close to putting in an order on Amazon for a Canon Color imageCLASS LBP622Cdw, but I could use some words of reassurance that a printer like this, when paired with onlinelabels.com will yield professional looking results. Any words of advice would be appreciated.


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## jgmann67 (Oct 13, 2019)

RonObvious said:


> Just wondering if anyone has anything else to add with regard to Onlinelabels.com when paired with a decent color laser jet? I'm getting sick of paying big bucks to buy finished labels online. I'm super close to putting in an order on Amazon for a Canon Color imageCLASS LBP622Cdw, but I could use some words of reassurance that a printer like this, when paired with onlinelabels.com will yield professional looking results. Any words of advice would be appreciated.



I can’t speak to the Canon. Mine is an HP. So, I can’t tell you what your cost per label will ultimately be. But a) it’s got to be cheaper that ordering finished labels; and b) you can be as creative as you like with making your finished labels. 

I’m one of those winemakers that believes in presentation. 

Personally, I’m very happy with mine. The print doesn’t run; the labels stay on till I was then off; I think my cost is about as low as I can get it; and the quality is excellent (at least I think so).


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## RonObvious (Oct 13, 2019)

That's awesome, thanks Jim. This is what I needed - some reassuring feedback from someone who has gone that route. Can I infer that you're doing this professionally, and that you feel the quality of the labels you're producing is up to retail/restaurant quality? Also, do you ever have any problems with alignment? In other words, the label image doesn't print dead center on the label? Thanks again.


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## RonObvious (Oct 13, 2019)

As a side note, just a bit of a rant about how expensive it is to buy finished labels online. Sure, they get cheaper when you buy in larger quantity, but we're still very small and all our batches are small. I had about 12 gallons of Marquette that finally finished aging and came out beautiful by the time we bottled it a couple months ago. 12 gallons only yields 4 cases after we reserve a few bottles for long term aging etc. I have already spoken to a couple liquor store clients of ours and they said they'd be happy to take it all. So OK, fine, we got the label approved with no problem by the TTB, then I go to order labels from PrintRunner. I've used them in the past and the labels came out nice. They are the cheapest I've found online for finished labels, but when I went to put in the order for a grand total of 50 labels (well, actually, 100: 50 front and 50 back), it came to a whopping $80! That's not cheap anymore! Which is what drove me to this thread and has me inquiring about printing my own. I'd be happy to cough up the money for a decent printer and happy to put in the extra work of DIY. I just needed some reassurance that the quality will be good enough for store shelves.


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## mhopkins (Oct 13, 2019)

I used Avery removable labels when I started (both inkjet and laserjet printers) to make reusing bottles easier. They looked nice, but did not hold up when damp - the ink ran and the labels kinda disintegrated a bit. So, I went with Avery weatherproof labels. Gorgeous. And they held up. But, they were incredibly hard to get off the empties for reuse.

Went to SheetLabels.com and found a label that is both gorgeous and very easily removable (no paint scrapers required). In case you are interested, I use the SL103-RXW Removable White Polyester Weatherproof - 3.33" x 4" Labels with a HP laserjet. Cost ends up at 17¢ a label. Like @gmann67, presentation is important so it's worth it (to me ).


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## jgmann67 (Oct 13, 2019)

RonObvious said:


> That's awesome, thanks Jim. This is what I needed - some reassuring feedback from someone who has gone that route. Can I infer that you're doing this professionally, and that you feel the quality of the labels you're producing is up to retail/restaurant quality? Also, do you ever have any problems with alignment? In other words, the label image doesn't print dead center on the label? Thanks again.



No. I’m a lawyer and home wine maker. [emoji16]

I wouldn’t say that my labels are up to retail/commercial quality, either. They’re good. If I spent more money on labels and more time doing design, yes, I could get there. I would say that I’m very happy with my labels and the path I’ve chosen. 

I’ve never had an alignment issue. When you design your labels, use the template and stay away from the very edges, you’ll be fine.

View attachment 56932


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## cmason1957 (Oct 13, 2019)

I used to spend a great deal of time and money on Priddy high quality, near commercial labels. I discovered that the folks I am giving wine away to don't care and now, it's a simple Avery label, often without a picture. They like the price either way.


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## montanarick (Oct 13, 2019)

sheetlabels.com Removable White Polyester Weatherproof labels "RXW" size SL571 - four 3.75x4.75 labels per sheet. can't beat these. I've been using them for couple of years and I'm very happy with them. They're easy to apply and remove - just peel off with no fuss or muss and can be repositioned too


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## 1d10t (Oct 13, 2019)

cmason1957 said:


> I used to spend a great deal of time and money on Priddy high quality, near commercial labels. I discovered that the folks I am giving wine away to don't care and now, it's a simple Avery label, often without a picture. They like the price either way.


Yeah. I've come to the conclusion most of my bottles need nothing other than a small label to ID the contents as they are just going to sit in my basement till I drink them. I'll do a sheet of 4 labels per batch up front and I can always do more if I need them later. No more large label on EVERY bottle I do.


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## Scooter68 (Oct 13, 2019)

I went with a brother Color laser. ($180.00) Certainly not "Photo Quality" but then I use removable Avery labels so that's one part of the reason. The other is that a color laser is just not going to yield photo quality. I sold enough printers in my years as Computer geek to realize that unless you are prepared to spend HUGE dollars for a professional label printing machine that your options for home printing are a bit limited.

Ink jet printers are capable of photo quality and you might even get one with inks that don't run when they get wet but the issue then is cost and the simple fact that unless you are using that printer at least once a week or more, the ink jets are going to dry up and cause missed spots OR you are going to have to do a cleaning process with the printer before using and THAT eat ink VERY quickly. Even with the Tank type ink jets, the jets can clog and the cleaning routine get expensive an old.
For Color Laser printers the toner is much slower to 'go bad.' Toner is expensive but there are some good 3rd party suppliers out there.
There are some other printer types out there including 'film' printers and the like but then you get roped into a single source for supplies.

You just have to figure out what you "need" or "want" and what that's going to cost and that can be time and money.

The only other option I can think of is having a large quantity of pre-printed Labels with only a type and specifics of that batch not printed then printing that part yourself. Still paying for that professional printing but at least you could go into a larger quantity order and save some money there.

This is the layout I have settled on for my labels.


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## RonObvious (Oct 13, 2019)

Thanks for the input, all. Scooter68, fortunately our label does not contain any actual photographs. It's just a fairly simple drawing and text. See attached. Do you think a color laser printer would be able to render this nicely?


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## Scooter68 (Oct 13, 2019)

I believe a laser could get that for you. Key is to get that 'delicate' shading rendered correctly and a good laser printer should do that nicely. Obviously making some paper prints first is a wise move before going onto labels. Your label looks good too by the way.


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## RonObvious (Oct 14, 2019)

Many thanks, Scooter68 and everyone else. I guess I'm going to go ahead and order the printer. I'll let you know how it goes.


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## kevinlfifer (Oct 14, 2019)

I use scrap paper from my business, ink jet and glue sticks for the reds, this is cheap and labels just rinse off. 
Whites are a different story, I have, in the past, sprayed my labels with lacquer and it worked fairly well. I am going to try the Avery 22827 labels.


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## Scooter68 (Oct 14, 2019)

Just did a chat with Avery Customer Support and they have better pricing on a slightly larger label at this link:

https://www.avery.com/blank/labels/94254

You need to select the paper type *" Surface Safe™ White Film for Signs"
*
Pricing is much better if you order 10 sheets (40 label) for $16.00 and of course much better at larger quantities. ($.70 / sheet when you order 100 sheets)

That label is a little larger but should work 4 3/4" x 3 3/4"

*Here is the chat response from the Avery site:*

how can i help
Alisha C - 13:45

Looking at the label product 22827 and trying to find out if that same material/adhesive is available in this product: https://www.avery.com/blank/labels/94254
me - 13:45

okay let me take a look
Alisha C - 13:45

that exact option is not available but the best option would be the removable surface safe film. that would basically be the same 
Alisha C - 13:46

Hmm trying to figure out which one that is in the list of material options
me - 13:47

you should see surface safe as a option
Alisha C - 13:48

OK "Surface Safe™ White Film for Signs"
me - 13:49

correct that is the only removable film we offer
Alisha C - 13:49

Thanks. I post and communicate with a sizable group of folks on winemaking web site. Someone was looking for that type material and had found the 22827 label. I figured it would be more economical to order the slightly larger label 94254
me 13:51

yes that should work in your case. 
Alisha C - 13:51


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## Shehanie Collette Silva (Oct 16, 2019)

I just use the same (free) version of the software that my local winery uses with their label printer and pre imaged roll labels. Labels for case of 24 bottles costs less than $5 CDN without the hassle of buying printers, ink or toner, plus paper. I design the label at home, take it to the winery on a flash drive, chat with the girls and owner while they sample and critique my newest wine  while the labels print. It's more of a gag label to give the gift receivers a chuckle or two.  BTW, the print isn't ink, it prints off a sheet of foil, so it doesn't run. The background is pre printed and comes on a roll. They are pretty easy to remove as well. Looks professional (at least to me, better than writing on a sticky note with a sharpie


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## Shehanie Collette Silva (Oct 16, 2019)




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## Chuck E (Oct 16, 2019)

Very nice!


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## Jal5 (Oct 16, 2019)

I wish my winery had that service!


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