Welcome! We ask all new members to have a read through these important threads with our rules and FAQs so they know a bit about how the place works.

Check with some of the local printers in your area. They should be able to help you. If they can't, they can direct you to someone who can.

As for your budget, there are too many unknowns (colors of ink, type of paper, size, quantity, etc.) to know if you can get them done for that price. Not to mention that each printer will charge for their work differently, so if you take a job to ten different printers, you will get ten different prices.

Thank you, I'll be sure to do so.

I apologize, I should clarify: I am not looking for professional printers to do this for me. I want to print these labels myself. I am curious what label paper and printer I should be using, to gain a professional look in my prints.

That's really a job you need to send to a professional printer, if you want them to look professional. Just call a few to ask about label prices. You'll be saving $$ already having the artwork done.

If this is the absolutely last resort, I may end up doing so. However, I'm willing to risk the $1,000 and try to do this myself - that is where I want to be with this.

The problem is that you aren't going to be able to print them onto any kind of material that will hold up to the demands that are going to be placed on your labels.

I'm assuming you're printing these on an inkjet, right? If so, the first time something leaks out of one of those bottles and runs down the side, there goes all your printing. Or if someone's hands are wet when they pick it up, or if they bump against something else, or whatever.

I guess you could get slightly better durability with laser, but I still think it's a losing battle.

There are printers out there that will print on the type of material needed and will be sufficiently durable. But, you aren't going to do it for $1000. Maybe if you added a zero to that. Maybe.

You'll probably spend $1200 or more on a lower-end color label printer alone. Nevermind the labels themselves or ink/toner, and the learning curve involved.

I'm not pushing to establish an industry leader, or even a competitor. Consider this, more of a hobby. Durability of the labels is hardly a concern. The only concerns I have are printing a picture that looks clear and nice, on a piece of precut sticker that I can place upon the bottles.

Perhaps "professional" was the wrong verbiage.

Why would you want to put out something with your name on it that won't hold up to general every day use of the product?

If you really don't care what happens to the label after you stick it on the bottle, then any decent inkjet will do what you want. But I highly advise against it.

Wow, this is a frustrating thread. Why ask professionals for help when you really don't care about the job "being" professional? *le sigh*

Personally I think your throwing good money after bad, but hey, it might work the way your doing it who knows.

The problem is probably that Illustrator works on vectors - and these are in postscript - you probably don't have a postscript printer - or ps driver for your printer.

Save the file as a PDF using High Quality or something similar and then print from Acrobat.

The PDF should be a nice postscript "wrapper" and print just fine.

It has nothing to do with vectors and postscript. Most avery sticker label stuff is for your office envelope, not a niche product. They print passably but not professionally.
My office epson isn't a postscript printer and it prints vectors fine from Illustrator (and gradients and transparency etc.)
It's the materials and method.

To the OP, find a local sign company with a small ecosol printer that also cuts. The prints would be done on vinyl then cut to size all on the same machine. Small stickers and limited runs are no problem. They may even have choices of metallized vinyls to print on. The cost shouldn't be that much if you aren't crazy about matching PMS colors and don't need a white underspot. The inks are solvent based so won't run.

If you want to do this on your own, good luck with that product line. Water base inkjet or laser isn't going to be the direction you want to go. Buyers are going to pass you right by.

Ok, this is from one hobbyist to another, who has also worked pro in graphic design and a print shop.

For the genre of fairs and boutiques - handmade labels with some imperfections seem preferable than something that looks mass produced. I get it.

Still the requirements are this: you want to print a photo and you want the ink semi-impervious to running, and you want to use precut labels.

Lets talk desktop printers. Most inkjets do not have impervious inks --- but I do know of one HP line that does. I have an HP8500 all in one. I can print on my fabric based sticker material and literally drop it into a glass of water with no problem what-so-ever. The sticker material adhesive will still stick, and the HP inks will not run.

I use this setup for selling stickers on etsy without going through our commercial plant at work.

1) HP 8500 inkject all-in-one office printer $250 to $300 depending on where you buy it. (current model is an 8600 I believe) You have to set the print on "best" to not have it streak on photos.

2) A Silhouette SD cutter - which is actually made by graphtec for the hobby use. There is a 8.5"w and the Cameo which can to 12"w and costs about $300

3) Material. You can cut just about anything with the Silhouette: Vinyl, paper, or fabric. I used photo-tex for my printed stickers. It does have a bit of texture to it so actual photo prints may vary on quality. You can then use any avery sheet stock to create custom labels.

Although precut labels are an option, you may want to rethink your packaging strategy. Some of the attractiveness to your products is going to be creative packaging. A sticker onto a jar or package isn't necessarily the best to sell your product.

You want your packaging to stand out. If you google "homemade soap packaging", you can get a sense of what I am talking about. Most consumers do not buy the product, they buy into the packaging for the product. The more attractive the packaging the more sales you will get. Especially since you are getting into the second most competitive hobby market, the first being jewelry.

I wouldn't worry so much about longevity in your packaging. It's not like you are packaging thousands to put on a shelf in a store. You have to think about what will set you apart from the others in your fair or craft show. If you have attractive packaging with that personal touch, it will go a lot further than your idea of a pre-cut photo label.

Lastly on design advice, don't use a photo. You want to be able to read you label at-a-glance. Use nice clean vector art, clear words and nice colors.

Look at what your competitors are doing, and try to do one better.


Jade