by admin | Nov 2, 2017 | Beer Wine Spirits, Technical
We are TTB Label Submission Experts
Government label approvals are never much fun, but we are TTB Label Submission Experts so we can help demystify the process. We won’t make it fun, or even easy, but we can help you know what to expect and take away some of the confusion. This is a general overview that is subject to change with regulations and personnel changes, but as of today, the label approval atmosphere is about as good as it has been recently.
Do Your Homework
Your wine is your passion – sharing it with the world excites you. Whether this is your first bottling year or your 20th, it pays to learn (or review) the rules. TTB has made it easier than ever with these online resources. Do your homework, know the rules, and work with TTB Wine Label Submission Experts.
- With a bit more time, you can dig into the 20+ resource links offered on the TTB’s own website. The site has specific sections about flavorings, sulfites, organic claims and more. Click here to go to their site TTB Wine Label Resource website
- One of the best features on the TTB site is a real-time processing backlog. As of today, the backlog for labels is only 4 days for wine labels! This obviously changes throughout the season, but it is worth checking from time to time. Please, be mindful of this and don’t ask your label company to make up for all the time lost waiting in line at TTB for COLA (certificate of label approval). Click here for the real time updates – Current Label Processing Times (updated daily)
Work with a qualified Label Designer
Consider all the blood, sweat and tears you have put into your amazing wine. The hours and agony to get the blending just right. Lots of time, effort and money, right? Then please, don’t go cheap on the wine label designer! This is some of the best money you will spend and it is worth every penny. Many consumer studies show that wine is among the most ‘label influenced’ of all retail purchase categories. Use a seasoned professional, not an intern or a relative in design school. We only do basic changes and typesetting internally, but we have an excellent list of top notch wine label designers. Use a professional and your results will be amazing.
What to Expect from Us
Because we are the TTB Label Submission Experts, we have developed a very specific work flow to make sure your job gets printed right the first time. We don’t vary from this proven process because it works. Here is the work flow:
- Adobe Illustrator (AI) files submitted by you our your designer – Your professional designer will know why we need Vector format art – read more in this PDF – File formats and color models explained You don’t really need to know this stuff because a solid designer will provide an excellent file with all fonts, placed images, links, and color call outs. Emboss areas and foil areas will be clearly identified and die cut lines will be separated from the main artwork. This is why you work with a professional.
- PDF proof back from us to you for final approval – We are very good, but we do make mistakes and files get lost in translation. For this reason, we ALWAYS send a PDF proof back just to make sure that we got what you intended. PDF is our file format of choice because at this point it is still editable. If we do need to change an alcohol percentage or fix a typo in your back label story, we can do that very easily in the PDF format. We don’ change format until the PDF is approved.
- JPG files sent to you for TTB submission – when you LOVE the PDF, you give a conditional approval and request JPG files for TTB submission. We know these have to be actual size, 300 dpi, with front and back labels in separate files, and no additional notations on the files. We know this because we are TTB Label Submission Experts!
- Your Final Approval – once the TTB gives their blessing, you contact us with final approval to run the job. At this point the job is released to production.
- Print, Die Cut, Foil Stamp, Emboss, QC, and deliver! – depending on the complexity, the job may run through 2, 3, 4 or more machines before it arrives to you.
Bottling day!
Finally, if you have done all your homework, selected a great designer, and partnered closely with us, you will be thrilled on bottling day. Your labels will look great on the bottle – what a wonderful feeling!
Summary and Conclusion
Thank you for trusting us and letting us be a part of this amazing process. Your trust is why we are TTB Label Submission Experts. We have been writing about this topic since 2010 in these two posts – click here to see that old post. Please contact us early in the process so we can make sure your jobs run properly the first time. We have connections to designers, mobile bottlers, glass suppliers, label approval lawyers and other great professionals to make the experience as painless as possible.
by admin | Oct 18, 2017 | Beer Wine Spirits, Customers/Examples
Oregon Breweries Win Big!
Oregon breweries claimed a total of 17 medals at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) held October 5-7, 2017 in Denver, Colorado.
Nearly every one of the winners is (or has been) a customer of Rose City Label!
Oregon Breweries brought home 7 gold medals, 3 silver medals and 7 bronze medals. The Portland Metro area won 8 medals, Central Oregon won 4 medals, the Willamette Valley won 3 medals and Mt. Hood/The Gorge won 2 medals.
The GABF is the world’s largest beer competition and recognizes the most outstanding beers that were entered into the competition from the United States. The top three medalists in each of the competition’s 99 beer-style categories were announced October 7th at the 31st GABF Awards Ceremony held at the Colorado Convention Center.
The 2017 GABF Competition winners were selected by an international panel of 276 beer experts from an impressive field of 8,041 competition entries, including 118 entries in the Pro-Am category (an 11 percent increase from 2016) received from 2,217 U.S. breweries.
Congratulations Winners!
Nearly every one of the winners is (or has been) a customer of Rose City Label – it is wonderful to see our customers winning on the biggest stage in beer. We have always known that the beers were good in Oregon, but it is nice to get validation from the best beer experts in the world.
Oregon Breweries Win Big – All Over The State!
As of December 31, 2016 the state had 230 brewing companies operating 261 brewing facilities in 73 cities across the state, an increase of 15 brewing facilities in 2016.
Brewery count by city and region:
26 in Bend — 36 in Central Oregon
2 in Baker City + Ontario — 12 in Eastern Oregon
5 in Hood River — 12 in Mt. Hood/The Gorge
70 in Portland — 105 in the Portland Metro Area
6 in Medford — 24 in Southern Oregon
6 in Astoria — 27 on The Coast
14 in Eugene — 45 in the Willamette Valley
Learn more by visiting the Oregon Brewers Guild Website by clicking here.
Cheers to All Our Great Customers!
If your food, beverage, or consumer products company wants to work with a label company like ours, please call us today. We can help with anything in a BAG, BOX, or BOTTLE. Let us show you the Rose City Label difference.
by admin | Aug 25, 2017 | Beer Wine Spirits
Varied and Creative Wine Label Designs
Forbes magazine recently selected a list of their favorite wine labels. Read the full article and see all the labels by clicking here. Rose City Label didn’t print any of these, but they are good examples of beautiful, simple design. We hope they will give some inspiration to our designers and customers and help us keep a pulse on the ever changing wine label market. We have previously written about authentic design in this post – please read it again to get a general overview of label design basics.
Clare’s Tips – Be Authentic
Clare Carver also placed great emphasis on authenticity during her talk at the wine symposium this year in Portland. Read about her tips by clicking here. In her second of five tips, she says to ‘be yourself and make authentic connections with customers’. This is critical if we want our story to be true and lasting – it must be authentic and not waver over time.
Black is Back and it is Clean
This label is particularly attractive for what it does not have. It isn’t crowded or overly stylized. The ‘white space’ (which happens to be black on this label) makes the few design elements really stand out. The simple logo and bold type stand out and make a statement. They aren’t fighting with other elements for attention. This is clean, simple and effective.
Mt. Beautiful Is (Beautiful)
This label shows off crisp type on a bright white background. The other great design feature is a combination of formal (square/rigid) elements in the type and grid at the bottom with the bold script type in the headline. It is never good to mix too many typefaces on one design, but this stark contrast makes each element stand out. Finally, the very little splash of color in the type (Pinot Noir) and the small gold logo element at the bottom right also stand out. They aren’t screaming for attention, but they are a subtle touch to give a little ‘pop’ to an otherwise stark design.
Spaghetti Already
Unlike the other two examples, this is more of a traditional, warm design. The cream, eggshell paper gives a warm feeling like a spaghetti dinner. The vertical lines look a bit like spaghetti noodles – they are not perfectly parallel so they soften the effect a bit, but still give the design some whimsical feel. Finally, the hand-written script on the title reinforce the approachable, family feeling to this label. It seems like a low-key, informal wine you would enjoy with family or close friends on a weeknight.
We Have People for This!
We don’t do much creative design at Rose City Label. Rather, we partner with an excellent group of smart, creative, independent people that can really bring your brand to life. As our wine label production as grown, we have been in closer contact with these professionals and we would be happy to refer you to an appropriate designer. If you are just starting out, or if your brand needs a refresh, please contact us. We can help.
by admin | Jun 28, 2017 | Beer Wine Spirits, Technical
Premium Wine Label Papers are the starting point for distinctive labels that help your product get noticed. The wine market is very crowded and you need an edge to stand out on the retail shelf. Premium Wine Label Papers make a difference – here is what you need to know about them.
Call us for free samples of our Wine Label Materials.
Face Material Thickness
This is what you see on the bottle, and probably the most important part of your label stock selection. The thickness is measured in basis weight – the actual weight in pounds of 500 sheets of paper (typically 19″ x 25″ sheets). Our thinner face materials are 60# and our most popular is 70# Bright White Felt. We even have a 90# (Ever Opaque) material in white and cream – this material feels thick and elegant on the bottle.
Face Material Texture and Color
Besides thickness, many people want a texture on their Premium Wine Label Papers. We have that, too! Besides the texture, we offer bright white and eggshell (cream) colored stocks. Color can always be printed onto the label, but having a nice, rich color and texture to begin with is very important.
Moisture Barrier
A new winery client – Blakeslee Vineyards – and his designer – Chris Noud from NowDesign – recently introduced us
to Ever Opaque wine label stocks. These two materials have a thin polyester backing behind the label face. This barrier significantly improves performance in an ice bucket. We highly recommend these materials for white, rose’ and sparkling wines. The material costs a bit more, but the performance in an ice bucket is unmatched by any other material. Call us for samples.
Adhesive
The label isn’t much good to you if it doesn’t stay on the bottle. Having a proper adhesive for glass bottle application is critical. Our wine label business continues to grow and we have the proper adhesives to go through your label application system correctly.
Backing Paper (Liner)
This isn’t the most exciting part of a Premium Wine Label Paper, but it is critical to performance. We offer both 44# brown Kraft backing and 1.2mil Clear PET backing. Please discuss this with your equipment supplier or mobile bottler. Each machine seems to work best with one type of label stock – it is always better to check up front rather than dealing with problems on the bottling line.
by admin | Apr 28, 2017 | Beer Wine Spirits
Your Labels Have to Be Right – The Government is Watching!
As label producers, we are always working hard to make our labels attractive to consumers. We want our products to pop off the shelf into the consumer’s shopping cart. Noticing our products is nice, but purchasing is better – great labels help! But, besides shelf appeal, we also need to follow correct regulatory guidelines.
For regulated products like alcohol, cannabis, food and nutraceuticals, following the correct regulatory guidelines is almost as important as having shelf appeal – if we want our business to be viable in the long run.
The Government is Here to Help
The Tax and Trade Bureau really is out to help people follow correct regulatory guidelines. Earlier this year, Demaris Brown came to the Oregon Wine Symposium and offered a great technical presentation. Learn more about her presentation – by clicking here. Besides travelling presentations like that, the government also does random sampling to ensure that labels are compliant. According to a recent article on the legal blog lexology, the findings of a recent audit weren’t great:
The TTB sampled 450 products and found that 152 of those products were non-compliant. The most common deficiency for malt beverages and wine was that the information on the label did not match the approved COLA due to changes that were not allowable revisions.
This isn’t a very good statement about our industry if over 33% of labels aren’t correct – we can help!
Click here to see the full article on Lexology for more details.
Correct Regulatory Guidelines – This Information is Mandatory
Besides the mismatch with the COLA (certificate of label approval) the next most common error was actually failing to put an element of mandatory information on the label. This varies by product – see the slides in the link above for a very good breakdown of requirements for wine labels. If any of these items are missing, your labels are out of compliance. This is bad news for the producer, the distributor, and the consumer that could be prevented from drinking your great products.
Work with Experts – Trust but Verify
Working with experts is smart. Rose City Label prints for nearly 150 different alcoholic beverage producers – we can provide experience and examples to help. Your winemaker, graphic designer, business advisors, and attorney should also be able to advise with parts of the process. You, however, ultimately have to double check all the facts. If you are the owner of a bonded facility making an alcoholic beverage, the buck stops with you. In many cases your name is on the product, so your personal reputation is on the line. Take the time to do it right.
Don’t Rush It – Get References – Enjoy the Journey
Being in a rush is a bad thing for many reasons. Launching a new business or a new product is always exciting and stressful, but make it better for yourself by taking the time to do it right. Talk to your peers to get references to reputable service providers. Interview people and get a feel for the people you will be working with. Make sure you enjoy the journey! Hopefully this new product is a passion – something special that you were called to put into the world. Take the time to do it right, call us for help, and enjoy the process.
by admin | Apr 22, 2017 | Beer Wine Spirits, Customers/Examples
The Oregon Brewers Guild released their data for 2016 and the Craft Beer Industry is very strong in Oregon.
For Immediate Release:
Media Contact:
Lisa Donoughe, Watershed Communications
lisa@watershedcom.com ; 503-827-6564
Oregon Craft Beer by the Numbers
In a Changing Craft Beer Climate, Oregon Drinkers Continue to Support Their Local Brewers
PORTLAND, Ore. (April 19, 2017) — Today, the Oregon Brewers Guild released their annual numbers report for 2016. Overall, Oregon is seeing strong growth in employment and brewing company numbers, while production numbers and sales continue to hold strong and steady. Oregonians are drinking more Oregon beer. Beer consumption increased in 2016, with 23.3 percent of the 3.04 million barrels of all beer (both bottled and draft) consumed in the state were made in Oregon. 707,000 barrels of beer consumed by Oregonians in 2016 were made by an Oregon brewery, an 8.7 percent increase from 2015.
Oregon draft beer consumption stole an even larger market share, with Oregon breweries producing an estimated 64.9 percent of all draft beer consumed in the state. Barrel production in the state increased by 4.8 percent in 2016, coming in at a grand total of 1,782,000 barrels. More beer meant more people, with approximately 369,000 people visiting an Oregon brewery, pub, or tasting room on a weekly basis, or approximately 19,000,000 total visitors in 2016.
The Oregon brewing industry continues to support job growth in the state, employing roughly 31,000 Oregonians directly and indirectly, and contributing $4.49 billion to the state’s economy. Oregon’s brewing establishments employed 9,453 people in 2016 according to Damon Runberg, Economist with the Oregon Employment Department. Runberg says:
“The job growth rate of 8.3 percent over the past the year is really impressive given that statewide total nonfarm growth during the same period was only 2.5 percent. The craft beer industry added around 1,340 jobs over the past two years, a growth of nearly 22 percent, which compares to a growth of 6.3 percent for total nonfarm growth during the same period. The count of jobs is an underestimate of the total employment impact, as newer brewing establishments and small owner-operated breweries are not included in the total count. The 2016 numbers are provided by the Oregon Employment Department using payroll tax records.”
Hops also contribute largely to the Oregon economy. As the second largest hop growing state in the country, Oregon had a 2016 crop value of $34,564,000. Oregon’s 230 breweries continue to support their local economies and communities donating an estimated $3,000,000 to non-profits in 2016.
“Oregon is a consistent leader in the U.S. for craft beer whether it’s the number of breweries per capita, the percentage of dollars spent on craft beer, or the economic impact per capita by Oregon’s breweries,” says Brian Butenschoen, executive director of the Oregon Brewers Guild. “We continue to see an increase in the amount of manufacturing and service jobs added in the state and we saw Oregon breweries increase their export sales by 25.6 percent (650,000 case equivalents) in 2016. Oregon’s craft brewers sold a total of 1.075 million barrels in the U.S. and around the world last year, including barrels shipped to five Canadian provinces and 37 different countries.
As of December 31, 2016 the state had 230 brewing companies operating 261 brewing facilities in 73 cities across the state, an increase of 15 brewing facilities in 2016.
Brewery count by city and region:
26 in Bend — 36 in Central Oregon
2 in Baker City + Ontario — 12 in Eastern Oregon
5 in Hood River — 12 in Mt. Hood/The Gorge
70 in Portland — 105 in the Portland Metro Area
6 in Medford — 24 in Southern Oregon
6 in Astoria — 27 on The Coast
14 in Eugene — 45 in the Willamette Valley
About The Oregon Brewers Guild
The Oregon Brewers Guild is Oregon’s non-profit trade association for the state’s independent breweries. The Guild, which receives no state funding, comprises 160 brewing companies, 125 associate or supplier members and nearly 4,000 enthusiast members or S.N.O.B.s (Supporters of Native Oregon Beer). For more information, see http://oregoncraftbeer.org/.
