I was curious, it seems as far as artwork goes, you can do whatever you want for your label. I was curious about the actual name of the mead though? Are there any unwritten rules in place? If you use someone elses recipe, is it considered rude to use any name other than the one they gave it? How's all that work?
Mead labels
- Thread starter Echostatic
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Your mead is your mead. You made it, you name it.
Now, most of us will give a nod to a mead which follows or is directly inspired by another person's recipe. A good example is Oskaar's "Mutiny on the Bounty Cyser", which you might consider a descendant of Ken Schramm's "Fall's Bounty Cyser". You're not contractually obligated to do something like that, but it is nice to give credit where credit is due. Extra points for clever riffs and awful puns. Other times folks will just say "So-and-so's XYZ Mead" such as "Yo's Strawberry Pizazz" whereas Yo just called it "Strawberry Pizazz". The most obvious one there is Joe's Ancient Orange. Typically this happens when you're following a recipe exactly, and the similar-sounding names are more common when you personalize the recipe but follow the basic outline.
Now, most of us will give a nod to a mead which follows or is directly inspired by another person's recipe. A good example is Oskaar's "Mutiny on the Bounty Cyser", which you might consider a descendant of Ken Schramm's "Fall's Bounty Cyser". You're not contractually obligated to do something like that, but it is nice to give credit where credit is due. Extra points for clever riffs and awful puns. Other times folks will just say "So-and-so's XYZ Mead" such as "Yo's Strawberry Pizazz" whereas Yo just called it "Strawberry Pizazz". The most obvious one there is Joe's Ancient Orange. Typically this happens when you're following a recipe exactly, and the similar-sounding names are more common when you personalize the recipe but follow the basic outline.
Ah, okay. Good to hear there's some room to stretch, creatively. I was trying to come up with a label for my overly sweet JAO which is finished at 1.043 and won't go farther. I think my pun for this insolent, super sweet mead is plenty awful.
If you haven't printed those yet I'd replace the "-" with a ' would be my humble advice.
The - makes it look like the T should be pronounced "tee" to me, usually something that's meant to be pronounced more like a contraction would use the ' instead.
On the topic, when I made Wayneb's Braggot-docio, I called it just that, "wayneb's braggot-docio" even though I made some modifications, it really was his recipe. Anything that pays homage in some way to the creator, or inspirating meadmaker is nice I think.
The - makes it look like the T should be pronounced "tee" to me, usually something that's meant to be pronounced more like a contraction would use the ' instead.
On the topic, when I made Wayneb's Braggot-docio, I called it just that, "wayneb's braggot-docio" even though I made some modifications, it really was his recipe. Anything that pays homage in some way to the creator, or inspirating meadmaker is nice I think.
I label JAOs like JAO is the grape. So a 'blah blah JAO 2011'
I was trying to work out whether YSP would work for my current batch of "Yo's Strawberry Pizzaz"
Which I followed to the letter, barring the use of a fruit bag and the somewhat excessive appearing sterilisation at the start.
So, will ppl be making YSPs in the near future?
I was trying to work out whether YSP would work for my current batch of "Yo's Strawberry Pizzaz"
Which I followed to the letter, barring the use of a fruit bag and the somewhat excessive appearing sterilisation at the start.
So, will ppl be making YSPs in the near future?
i'm naming all my meads after norse gods, godesses and/or other elements from norse mythology. JAO was renamed Yggdrasil, but on the back label it states "originally known as Joe's Authentic Original...."
i have another question while we are on this subject. How do you all feel about using "public domain" artwork on your labels?
i have another question while we are on this subject. How do you all feel about using "public domain" artwork on your labels?
Unless you are an artist or have access to one, it would seem to be preferred to stealing coyprighted ones. ;D
while not actually having bottled a mead yet (or started one for that mater..stupid work)
i would concur. public domain is for well... uses like that. so long as you follow whatever type of restrictions are placed on it, then by all means, go for it.
i know i can't draw a straight line with a ruler so i'm all for using media in the public domain.
I agree. (But I CAN draw a perfectly straight line with AutoCAD.) I would venture to guess that the overwhelming majority of the avatars used here come from public domain art.
Good thinking, haven't printed these yet. Took some things into consideration and I like the way it sounds now better.
Although, the more I look at it, the less I like the background. It just doesn't fit anymore. Time for a(nother) redesign!
I'm trying to come up with labels as well, however I found on one of the homebrew sites a template for just hanging around the neck of the bottle instead of buying expensive stickers.
One more thing I can't find and didn't bookmark... darn, it seemed a super easy way to go.
One more thing I can't find and didn't bookmark... darn, it seemed a super easy way to go.
Guess I'm lucky to work in a print shop. I just print mine on 12"x18" sticker sheets and cut 'em out.
My avatar comes my label, Chateau Chevette... I just use packing labels and I don't get creative with the names or else I'll forget what the heck's in it
Exceptions are Joe's Ancient Orange (I do call many variations "Ancient" as my nod to Joe though) and when I manage to get a patronship, I will try Yo's Strawberry Pizazz and label it as such. I've been experimenting with tags for hanging around the neck of a bottle but they're too hard to cut out when you're talking about a couple hundred bottles, I just write a code on the corks so I can figure out what's in it without pulling it out of the rack. I used to hang stuff around the airlock to ID my carboys but now I use lick & stick labels from a wine kit and just write the info after some tags fell off and I had to go and ID a few carboys...
Mine certainly is.
I've found some not-so-public domain images I'd like to use for my labels, but I'm yeat to hear back from my permission requests.
On a completely different tangent,
I'm looking into this product for etching labels onto the bottles.
Any thoughts?
Yeah, I've done a fair bit of glass etching with an etching compound, although I've done lots of wine glasses, never bothered with a wine bottle because I re-use mine and who knows what will go in it next... The stencilling is the hard part, I always masked with clear hockey tape and an X-acto knife, if you don't press the tape too firmly at first, you can trace out designs on paper over top of the tape and then still see them when it's time to go over it with the knife, then you peel out the bits you want to etch, press the remaining tape down nice and hard, apply the paste (I use a cotton swab that I just leave in the bottle), wait 5 min, rinse it off and peel off the tape. Etching compound available at craft stores $8, clear hockey tape $2, X-acto knife $5. I think the rest of what you're paying for there is their stencilling plans and the bright light ofr tracing things onto your masking apparently a 30 second etching paste, not sure if it's worth the extra $$ but then I'm generally too cheap to do it the easy way ;D
Yeah I sort of sneered at the UV developer, but then thought: I'll never build one, so I might as well buy thios overpriced one ;0)
It is definitely the stencils I'd be paying for, to be able to print then just what em on... that's nice.
I would not be etching the vintage (or is it Meadage) or the style, just the logo and stuff to personalise my bottles (I also feel it will help them return to me)
For the vintage and name I was thinking a clear sticky lable would suffice, but I'm only just contemplating this, now... more thought will be invested.
You know, that is a good idea... If I could get precut stencils I'd even do it... lettering is such a pain. Maybe just a Chevette thumbnail, that wouldn't be too hard to come up with a Chevette silhouette...
hee hee, what safe place did I hide my etching compound in, I bet it'd look awesome on a dark bottle.
