As many of you are canning and making jams and jelly’s as I have been, how about a canning or mason jar label round up. As a graphic designer, I still have to design my labels, but designing for myself is difficult – I am not that easy to design for! I am thinking about transparent labels with white paint marker, but concerned about the adhesive – it can be difficult to remove. Personally, there are very few labels that I like, that are available on-line. Most downloadable pdfs are so poorly designed, or over-designed. Sometimes, digital technology in the hands of someone who is Photoshop proficient provides too many choices for some ‘designers’. Just because you can add a photo of red apples into a document is not a reason to use it on a label for home-made preserves, and just because you have fonts that are not default, is not a reason to use them all, and just because you can use the bevel and emboss effect definitely is not a reason why you should allow your graphic designer friend at work to help you ‘design’ some labels.
Think, my friends…think about the purpose, the emotional connection with your carefully crafted jars, and try to capture this very personal tone and pass it on to your labels. Canning jars need not feel like default store brands, they already are so much more. Here are a few of my favorites this season, as I start to design mine.
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My most recent method of marking the jars was to wipe off the lid or the jar immediately after they come out of the canner and to write across the surface in crayon. The wax liquifies immediately on the boiling hot jar and makes writing much easier. The wax then melts off the jars in the dishwasher.
Amazing variety…so good to see more design on garden blogs than just plant combinations! I think every LA or designer needs to refresh their mind with all kinds of great design…music to food to details like graphics. And more food…
Fall hit Abq to El Paso and points east yesterday evening…ahhh!
Thanks! Hey, that crayon idea is a brilliant idea, I don't know how you ever thought of it? reminds me of drawing on hot Easter Eggs.
I agree that love is with the beholder, and it is well worth reflecting this with the presentation, as I usually give my closest friends hand made hampers with my homemade food items.
I recently made a wild rose petal jam and pained a jar with a strip of blackboard paint and then chalked a label on to it. Thanks for sharing your ideas Matt.
If any of my friends had chalk labels in their pantry, well you just know I'd have to mess with them…