Labels

[fatshark]

Surprised that I couldn't find any threads discussing honey jar labels …

I'm running out of honey labels and will need to order more. I've used www.honeyjarlabels.co.uk (http://www.honeyjarlabels.co.uk) before and been pleased with the speed and quality of the service from Phil. However, the labels are not inexpensive … about £95 for 1000 [front, back and tamper-seal] for the 'off the shelf' designs, but a lot more for printing the customer's artwork. Smaller runs get appreciably more expensive per label.

For small orders and custom stuff - like polish, marmalade etc. I make my own and print them on Avery removable labels and have been very pleased with them … these work out at 2-3p / label. Avery have some slightly shonky web-based software that allows you to design/upload your own label, even allowing several different designs to be printed on a single sheet.

However, I've recently discovered AAlabels as a source for a very wide range of blank labels … and found they also offer a printing service. Has anyone used AAlabels (http://www.aalabels.com/printing) for printed labels, when you upload the artwork to them? Their prices seem pretty competitive (at least, they quote from 15p/sheet printed) but the custom labels they show are a bit uninspiring.

[crabbitdave]

Hi there fatshark,
as a beginner of only 3 years I bought a lot of my stuff from thornes, they were doing 1000 front labels and tamper ones for £44,57 which I thought was not a bad deal when trying to keep costs down I also stamp the date on the tamper label so I can use any left over labels the following year. I do like the idea of the back label, so I could give more information about the honey.

[gavin]

Surprised that I couldn't find any threads discussing honey jar labels …

Thanks for starting one! I think that many of us are less focused on honey production and sale than bee improvement and management.

Last year was the first season I sold honey. These pre-printed labels might be a good way to start but it isn't difficult to make something more individual. My first attempt used clear Avery labels, thinking they could be used to seal across the join of Thorne's new style cut comb boxes. It didn't work too well as they peel off too easily. However they did look reasonable if a bit hard to read on a 1lb jar. I'll not give up on transparent labels for clear cut comb boxes (maybe bigger ones), but should probably use something else for jars.

Anyway, it was simple to design a basic label using a template (did I get that from Avery?) and MS Word. A semi-decent domestic printer was fine and then you get that flexibility for lot numbers and use-by dates (and addresses for that matter).

[snimmo243]

I use the bees for development tamper labels available from Thornes, which means 10p from every jar goes to charity. I thought the articles in BeeCraft back in September (I think) on marketing Honey were really interesting.

Dave I'm not sure if you still qualify as a beginner ;)

[Black Comb]

I print my own on a standard office laser printer.
Black/white with a skep image filched of tinternet.
The honey sells just as well as jars with fancy ones.
Means I can easily control my batch numbers.

Colour is provided by the tamper proof labels bought in Thornes sale.

[fatshark]

I think that many of us are less focused on honey production and sale than bee improvement and management.

I'd describe myself in the same way. However my son repeatedly claims that my honey costs about £1200 a pound to produce … based on what he thinks my costs are. Clearly utter rubbish (honestly m'lud) … but very damaging when mentioned in front of my good lady ;). If I manage to recoup just a few quid I'll be slightly less unpopular.

Even when giving jars away I think a smart label enhances what should already be perceived as a quality product (but isn't necessarily, perhaps due to the scrawled HONEY sticker on the front of the jar).

A friend is getting some sample labels from AAlabels to see what their quality is like. I'll report back in due course. I'll also post something on my experience with the Avery online software. It appears to butcher colours on uploaded images. It does do Lot Numbers quite nicely though.

[The Drone Ranger]

I had them printed locally on what they called crackback they cost 10p each all guillotined down to individual labels