by Scott Pillsbury | Nov 23, 2024 | Label Design
At Rose City Label, we believe a wine label does more than identify the bottle—it tells a story, draws the eye, and helps your wine stand out on the shelf. The 2022 Oak Knoll Winery Pinot Gris label, designed for the Portland Rose Festival 2023 Collectors Series, is the perfect example of how great design and precision printing combine to create something unforgettable.
A Collector’s Edition Worth Celebrating
This isn’t just a wine label—it’s a piece of history. Commemorating the iconic Portland Rose Festival, this collector’s edition label celebrates one of the city’s most beloved events. With its bold design and shimmering foil embellishments, it captures the vibrancy of the festival while making the bottle a keepsake for wine lovers and event enthusiasts alike.
Special event labels like this one add a deeper connection to the bottle. They evoke memories, celebrate milestones, and create an emotional tie between the product and its audience. By pairing great wine with a standout collector’s label, Oak Knoll ensures its customers are buying more than wine—they’re buying an experience.
A Label That Pops
This label radiates the vibrant energy of the Portland Rose Festival. The striking design features:
- A glass of Pinot Gris is front and center, with Portland’s iconic skyline in the background.
- Bold, celebratory patterns and vivid colors capture the festive spirit of the event.
- A clear holographic foil embellishment that gives it a sophisticated shimmer, catching light and drawing attention from every angle.
These elements don’t just make the label attractive—they make it unmissable.
How We Brought It to Life
Creating this label took expertise and care. Here’s what went into it:
- Material: Printed on HP006 Bright White Felt for a textured, premium feel that reflects the quality of the wine inside.
- Presses: These are produced using the HP6900 Indigo digital press, Delta, and hot stamping techniques, ensuring vibrant colors and precise finishes.
- Embellishments: The transparent holographic foil adds that wow factor, making the label shine and reinforcing its collectible appeal.
Why Collector’s Edition Labels Matter
Labels like this are more than functional—they’re a way to honor special moments. A collector’s edition label ties your wine to an unforgettable occasion, symbolizing celebration and pride. Customers are drawn to the exclusivity, making your product both desirable and memorable.
Oak Knoll’s Pinot Gris label perfectly encapsulates the essence of the Portland Rose Festival. It’s a testament to their brand, wine, and the Portland Rose Festival.
Let’s create your next showstopper and turn your product into a cherished memory. Whether you’re commemorating a special event or looking to make your wine stand out on the shelf, Rose City Label is here to make it happen! Reach out today!
by Scott Pillsbury | Nov 11, 2024 | Label Design
Here at Rose City Label, we’re always thrilled when a label tells a story, and Rogue’s Morimoto Single Malt Whiskey label does just that. This isn’t just ink on paper; it’s artistry meeting craftsmanship, wrapped around a bottle of world-class whiskey.
Let’s dive into what makes this label so captivating and why we’re proud to have brought it to life!
A Collaboration of Bold Ideas
First off, the client, Rogue Ales & Spirits, teamed up with the brilliant Hagen Moore, their Marketing/Creative Director, to craft a design that reflects the sophistication and spirit of their Morimoto Single Malt Whiskey. This label is a testament to their dedication to quality, from the whiskey to the packaging. When we got the ticket for this project, we knew we were in for something special.
Material and Technology: It’s All in the Details
Rogue’s label is printed on HP022 Everopaque Bright White Felt, a material that gives the bottle a sturdy, luxurious feel the moment you pick it up. This paper choice wasn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about texture. It feels rich, inviting you to savor every detail before opening the bottle. The Everopaque material stands out for its brightness and opacity, ensuring every ink drop and foil application is as vibrant as possible.
Embellishments That Dazzle
Now, let’s talk about the embellishments. This label runs through a hot stamp twice to add stunning black and red foil accents. Why go through the hot stamp twice? Because quality demands extra steps! The black foil gives the label depth and contrast, making the bold “Morimoto” name pop. The red foil, meanwhile, adds a layer of elegance, perfectly placed in the Japanese calligraphy and seal. These touches aren’t just decorative—they create a memorable impression, making the label as unique as the whiskey itself.
Presses That Mean Business
For those who love to geek out over print technology (we do!), this label was printed on our HP6900 and Delta presses, plus an additional hot stamp. The HP6900 handles digital printing with sharp precision, while the Delta press is versatile enough to handle multiple materials and finishes. Together, they create a crisp, durable, and visually arresting label. The numerous press processes allow us to combine intricate details with long-lasting quality, which is perfect for a high-end product like Morimoto Single Malt Whiskey.
Aesthetics That Tell a Story
The label design itself is a work of art. At the top, the iconic Rogue logo instantly commands attention. Below it, the name “Morimoto” stands in bold, crisp typography, with “Single Malt Whiskey” elegantly understated. But the real magic happens with the striking Japanese calligraphy that spans the label, a nod to the heritage and artistry infused in every bottle. The calligraphy, accented with a vibrant red seal, brings authenticity and respect for tradition, fitting for a single malt with character.
Why This Label Stands Out
This label isn’t just any whiskey label; it’s a masterclass in using materials, technology, and design to create something unforgettable. Rogue’s Morimoto Single Malt Whiskey label demonstrates what happens when a brand pushes for excellence in every detail. Every aspect of this label is thoughtfully chosen to enhance the product inside, from the choice of premium materials to the double hot stamp embellishments.
At Rose City Label, we take immense pride in helping brands like Rogue Ales & Spirits realize their vision. When you hold a bottle of Morimoto Single Malt Whiskey, you’re not just looking at a label—you’re experiencing the story of craftsmanship, dedication, and bold choices that make a product exceptional. And that’s what we’re here for, to bring those stories to life, one label at a time.
So, next time you’re looking to make your product stand out, remember that the details matter, and we’re ready to make those details shine.
by Scott Pillsbury | Jan 23, 2023 | Label Design
In today’s crowded marketplace, making sure your product stands out on store shelves is more important than ever. With so many options vying for consumers’ attention, you only have a few seconds to capture their interest. But did you know that packaging plays a huge role in catching consumers’ eyes? According to Ipsos research, 72% of consumers are influenced by product packaging, and 67% say the materials used in the packaging matter.
One of the biggest trends in packaging today is sustainability. According to Ipsos, 85% of consumers consider sustainability when purchasing. This is especially true for younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z. Brands that prioritize eco-friendly packaging are more likely to win over these consumers.
Personalization is also becoming more important in packaging. It’s estimated that personalized packaging will double in the next decade, thanks to advances in digital printing. But it’s important to strike a balance between personalization and brand recognition. Your packaging should be visually appealing and instantly recognizable as your brand.
As an SGP-certified, eco-friendly print partner, we have the skills and expertise to help you navigate these challenges. We can provide digital labels with vast personalization options, while also ensuring that your packaging is sustainable and visually appealing. We are ideally positioned to help you soar in 2023. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you create packaging that will stand out on store shelves.
by Scott Pillsbury | Jul 13, 2021 | Beer Wine Spirits, Customers/Examples, Label Design, Technical
Consistent Color Over Time – RRWC
In our business, many of or new label print jobs are considered ‘RRWC’ – Re-Run With Change. This is not a NEW item (something we have never printed) and not an exact reprint – it is somewhere in the middle. The most common example in our business is wine labels. If we printed 2018 Chardonnay last year, and then this year you want another run – 2019 Chardonnay – then this item is RRWC. We have printed Chardonnay before, but we are updating (changing) to the new vintage and often a new alcohol percentage.
Revising the Current File – Best Option
When we get an order for Rerun with Change, the BEST option is for Rose City Label to revise our current file and send a proof for approval. This is the best way to ensure a color match with the existing item. This is the best way to have consistent color printing. Providing a new file is not required – and can be detrimental – on RRWC jobs. Letting us make the file changes per your specification is the best option for the most consistent color printing.
Fine Tuning After the File is Submitted
Part of the difficulty with the submission of new files on RRWC jobs is that internally we do several additional processes to your submitted files after the proof is signed. There is considerable calibration, setup for die cutting and potential foil stamping, and several other steps before the file is ready to print. And, then we color correct the output to match the desired end sample. All of this work has to be redone from scratch when you submit a new file. This is a huge additional task that adds no value to your label production and actually slows down delivery of your labels.
Unintentional Changes = Big Time Wasters
Finally, sometimes when a new file is submitted for a RRWC job, there can be very small, unintended changes that throw off the color match to the previous label. One small change in how a logo was built, one small change in a background image… Any of these changes can make a big difference and add hours to the label production. Because we don’t generally know what has been changed, we end up spending extra time playing detective to find the correct formula to match the prior label. This is wasteful in time and material, and adds no value to the final label.
RRWC – Don’t Submit a File, Just Submit your Edits
For best results, trust the experts at Rose City Label to make your edits and send corrected proofs for approval. Don’t waste time and energy sending new files unless you want a different look! If you want consistent color printing, let us use the existing file as the base to work from, and edit from there. Together, this will allow us to get the best results with the fastest turn around time.
Thank you for partnering with us and trusting our 94 years of label experience work for you. Questions? Call us today!
by Scott Pillsbury | Apr 20, 2021 | Label Design
Vector File Format, please!
As we noted in a previous post, all great labels start with great design. But besides great creative design, the next most important thing is digital file format. File format is the package or language that your amazing design is sent to the printer. In many cases, a designer can save your label design file in many different formats. In order to get the best possible printed labels, we must have Vector File Format.
What is the Difference?
This image from Vector Magic shows the major difference between raster (bitmap) and vector file format. Basically, a bitmap file format is like a digital photo – it is a grid with a certain number of dots per inch (DPI) in each direction. Once that image is sized, it can’t be changed without hurting the quality. Especially when trying to enlarge an image, the stretched image will never look right. Depending on the specific file, it can look jagged, distorted, or just generally fuzzy.
With VECTOR FILE FORMAT, rather than a grid of dots, the file has specific instructions:
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- Start 1/4″ from the left edge
- Draw a circle
- 2″ below the circle, draw a box
- etc.
These instructions are not specific to an output size – they can be resized, stretched, or changed without losing print quality.
What do I need to know?
The most important thing to know about Vector File Format, is that you have to specificially ask your designer for this file. Vector Files are also known as Adobe Illustrator (AI) files, or PDF files, or EPS files. Any of these are basically interchangable. The specific names are based on the software used to create the files, but in the end they are interchangable to us for printing high quality labels.
Besides sending files in Vector File Format, the next most important thing is to supply all the component parts. If your design includes specialized fonts, placed images, or logos, please include those and send them as separate files along with your main design file.
Confused? We Can Help – Call us Today!
We do our best to provide tools and tips for our customers that want to be deeply involved in the process. But, we realize that for many people, labels are just a necessary evil – or something handled by another person in your organization. That is fine. We are happy to train you as much or as little as you would like. We are happy to chat directly with your graphic designer if that is more useful. Regardless of the situation, we can help. Please call us today.
by Scott Pillsbury | Mar 24, 2021 | Label Design, Technical, Uncategorized
Certified Professionals
Our success at Rose City Label is due to the quality of our people. The people that do the work in our business every day are dedicated, experienced, and committed to our customers. Our job – as a business – is to provide them the tools, training, and motivation to be excellent at their jobs. Part of that effort includes ongoing training and certifications. In the last year, our prepress graphics team was Level 3 certified by FIRST – the leading authority in our type of long run, traditional press printing. This certification was largely a review, but also had good reminders about the basic principles of printing, ink, dot gain, and other factors. All these play into our ability to create beautiful labels for our customers.
Top Graphics Errors
- Fonts not included or Outlined. The font used in a label is actually a separate file that must be delivered with the label art file. We have many, many fonts on our system, but if you have a very specific font you need on your label, please include it. Or, as an alternative, you can outline your text. This basically turns the text into a graphic element so spell check won’t work and we don’t have any way to edit the file.
- Images missing or incorrect. If your design includes a placed photograph or other image, please include the original image. Again, like the fonts above, this is generally a separate raster image file (not vector). Also, make sure the resolution is sufficient for a clean, crisp printed label. 300dpi or higher resolution is preferred.
- Asking for Edits when No Fonts Provided. This is related to #1 above. If you send your wine label without fonts, and outline the text, then we will have no trouble printing your label this year. But, for next year when we have to update the vintage and alcohol percentage, we won’t be able to since we don’t have the required fonts.
More Advanced Errors
- White Ink Layer. If you are printing on clear or metallic label stock, you may want a white layer beneath some of the graphics. This has to be a specifically named layer in the file. If it is not clearly labeled and called out in the design, the layer can easily be missed. Depending on the press platform, white layers can be omitted if not properly formatted.
- Overprint layers incorrect. In printing, the inks can often only be laid down in one order. This is usually lightest color to darkest, but if you are using layers or special effects of one color on top of another, please contact us to discuss. This is especially true with foil stamping and embossing – it is always down last, so no ink can print over those effects.
- Legacy File Formats in Adobe Illustrator. We are on a subscription program with Adobe so we always have the latest versions of Adobe Illustrator and other front end software. However, the back end RIP and imposition software that does the heavy lifting is not updated as regularly as Adobe Illustrator so please save your files in Legacy format so they are backward compatible.
Your Artwork Matters
We have talked about quality design previously in this post, but by working with our team and following these tips, we can bring your beautiful creation to life. The design, the prepress, and the printing press all have to work together to get the desired results. Thank you for partnering with us and allowing us to print beautiful labels for your products. We appreciate you and the faith you put in our team.
