How to Label Lotion

In this final installment of her labelling series, Anne Marie (aka The Soap Queen) has posted to her blog Soap and The Finer Things in Life her article on How to Label Lotion. In this article, Anne Marie how labelling your lotion is way different than labelling your lip balm or soap. She even discusses warning labels. But that is not all! She also shares a lotion recipe which was originally posted in 2008.

Labeling Your Products : Lip Balm

Once you have completed your lip balm project and are wondering how to label each tube? May I suggest reading the article, Labeling Your Products : Lip Balm by The Soap Queen herself, Anne-Marie. In this post, Anne-Marie will be touching the tip of the iceberg on this important subject.

Creating Your Own Labels

Are you stumped with making your own labels for your bath and body products? Debbie from Go Planet Earth has posted a article on her blog Denise's Yadda Yadda on how to that very thing. Creating Your Own Labels gives you some simple suggestions on how to do the very thing.

Debbie has kindly given a link to Forsoapmakers.com which sells Marie Gale's book "Soap and Cosemetic Labeling". But if would would like to have a class on the subject, you might want to check out The Nova Studio. In February 2011, Marie Gale will be presenting a class on the very subject which will cover the topic from her book.

How to Make Soap Labels

Do you make your own soaps by are dumbfound on how to label it? If you are wanting to sell your soap to make a little extra cash then check out this article titled "How to Make Soap Labels" by Ryn Gargulinski, eHow Contributing Writer. Ryn will help you make labels for your soaps that will make them stand out from all the others.

As Spongebob would ask, "Are you ready?" I say, let's get started today!

How to use Avery Design Pro to create labels

Avery Design Pro is great for creating soap cigar bands and other labels that are compatible with Avery's design templates. Avery design template can even be used to create labels that are not in their design roster with a few tweaks. The software is a free download and it accepts different types of graphic formats, including JPG, TIFF and PNG formats.

In order to use Avery Design Pro to print labels that are not in their design roster you will have to think outside the box. I use Avery Design Pro to print regular sized labels such as a 2.5 inch circle and the 5x3 inch rectangle. These standard label sizes are typical Avery compatible label sizes. But what do you do to create soap cigar bands that are approximately 3 inches x 8 inches?

See below for instructions for creating soap cigar bands in Avery design Pro.

The software takes up from total of 200MB but it recommended that you have at least 800MB free on your hard drive. The program is compatable with Windows 7, XP, 95, 97, ME and Vista.

Pros:

•The software is easy to use

•Its free, which is great for those who do not have expensive software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create labels

•Labels print to any Avery compatible type label. Avery labels are the standard for home printing label needs for the novice at home printer. In addition, Avery pro is great for designing basic graphic layouts for such items as product hang tags and gift tags --- all of which can be printed on card stock or other stiff material and then cut out.

This software has all the nuts and bolts to make designing a breeze, with features such as:

•insert shapes and boxes
•insert text on top of graphics and shapes
•rounded corners and line fills
•text on a rounded path (text in a circle)
•graphics that stretch and can be resized
•design possibilities that the very makers of the software have no clue to-;

Cons:

•There are not many tutorials available to help figure out the software so you are on your own.
•The program is fairly easy to use but has many functions that you just have to play with to understand.
•Some folks claim that the software does not recognize the file types that it claims. That is a easy fix as you have to specify the file types in the file import dialog box so it will look for that file type.

Directions for using Program to create soap cigar bands

1.Download Avery Pro from website (It is a free program)

2.Check your Avery label and make a note of the label number, you will need this to find the particular label template you will working on - For these examples we will use the full sheet label template to create soap cigar bands - the Avery label you would use is Avery® 6465™.(however when printing, print on regular paper or card stock)

3.Create a new document in Avery Pro:

DESIGN FROM SCRATCH --------- scroll to find 8 1/2 x 11 full page ------ click OKAY

4.click zoom button to zoom into the page 100 -200%

5.insert image onto template ----GOTO ---- INSERT ------ IMAGE FROM FILE

6.make sure "all files" option is selected so that you can see all the file types in your folder. The program has several glitches, one of which is that it opens files such as PNG files, even though it is not listed as a supported file type.

7.Resize image to fit the space. Typically, three cigar bands can hold on a 8 1/2 x 11 inch page.

8.alternately if you do not have a high resolution image or a cigar band template, you can still create a soap cigar band in this program.

9.to add three cigar bands ------ RIGHT CLICK ON FIRST CIGAR BAND IMAGE AND COPY AND PASTE ----- IMAGE ----- ARRANGE the three labels on the 8 1/2 x 11 space.

10.If you do not have an image, you can still create a simple cigar band. To do so, start a new file and choose DESIGN FROM SCRATCH -------choose a 8 1/2 x 11 template.

11.To create the shape of the cigar band select DRAWING -------- RECTANGLE----- use the rectangle drawing tool to draw a rectangle on the page --- a good size for each cigar band is 3inches x 8 inches.

12.To customize each cigar band right click on the edge of the line to add a fill color, fill pattern, line thickness, or to create a box with rounded corners, etc.

13.To insert text ------GOTO INSERT TEXT------- explore the options to create a text on a rounded path, to customize font type, colors, etc.

To download Avery Design Pro, visit Avery Dennison

Reprinted with permission from Winsome Tapper, Soapmaking Editor,www.Bellaonline.com/site/soapmaking

Labelling Your Soaps for Resale

If you are interested in selling your soaps and you want to know how to label your creations, here is an informative article from Denise's Yadda Yadda Blog:

http://goplanetearth.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-label-your-soaps-for-resale.html

Tub Soap Labels (Free Download)

If you would like to download free labels for your crayon style soaps, Wholesales Supplies Plus has kindly provided 18 different colors for you for FREE! And all of the colors of the rainbow are available.

To download your favorite colors, please visit their blog @ http://wholesalesuppliesplus.blogspot.com/2009/05/tub-soap-labels-free-download.html.

Note: These are large files that may take 15-30 seconds to download.

Wrap soap in airtight plastic wrap (such as Reynolds Wrap). Using a color printer, these out on standard 8 1/2' x 11' paper. Cut and apply to soap package. They work great and are tons of fun for kids!

Hope you will have fun adding these to your crayon soaps!

Purchasing Individual Sheets of Labels

I recently found that Element Bath and B0dy (http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/) carries sheets of waterproof labels that you can purchase in individual sheets. And they also conveniently have a MS Word Template that you can use to make your labels on your computer.

Element Bath and Body carries the most common sizes from 1" circle to 2"x 2" square.

Lip Balm Recipes from Martha Stewart

In the December 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living there are some body product recipes that appear on pages 118 - 122. There are recipes for lip balms, body scrubs, bath fizzies, and holiday balls.

If you are interested in the Martha Stewart Lip balm Recipe, then check out the link. Martha's recipe is very simple and includes only a few tools and materials which include beeswax pellets, carrier oils, essentials and a few tools that you need. In her recipe she also includes lipstick shavings in case you would like to add a slight tint to your product.

She has has included packaging ideas which includes links to clip art labels for your products. Some of the one she lists are Small Retangular #1, Small Retangular #2 , Small Round #1 , Small Round #2 , Large Retangular #1 , Large Retangular #2 , Large Retangular Blank #1 , Large Retangular Blank #2 , Large Round #1 and Large Round #2. But I think my favorite is for the lip balm tubes.

Salt and Sugar Scrub Recipes from Martha Stewart

In the December 2008, Martha Stewart Living there are some body product recipes that appear on pages 118 - 122. There are recipes for lip balms, body scrubs, bath fizzies, and holiday balls.

Here is the recipe for the Body Scrubs:
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/natural-beauties-body-scrub

Clip-Art Labels

If you need more information on printing these labels, you may want to look at the above link for more information.

On the website also includes labels which the above link has instruction in addition to the labels. But I decided to provide the labels for those who do not want the recipes:

Blank Body Scrub Labels 1:
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2008Q4/msl_1208_scrub_blank_labels_1.pdf

Blank Body Scrub Labels 2:
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2008Q4/msl_1208_scrub_blank_labels_2.pdf

Salt Scrub # 1 Labels:
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2008Q4/msl_1208_scrub_salt_labels_1a.pdf

Salt Scrub #2 Labels:
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2008Q4/msl_1208_scrub_salt_labels_1b.pdf

Sugar Scrub #1 Labels:
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2008Q4/msl_1208_scrub_sugar_labels_1a.pdf

Sugar Scrub #2 Labels:
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2008Q4/msl_1208_scrub_sugar_labels_1b.pdf

Waterproof Labels

Are you looking for waterproof labels for your products? Here are a few suggestions from the posters at the Soap Making Forum:

http://www.hyaz.com/inkjet%20waterproof%20vinyl.html

http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/

If anyone has ordered these particular labels, will you please let everyone know what you thought about them. It is nice to hear from people who have actually used this particular product, holds up, etc. Any feedback would help.

Lip Balm Tube Labels

I was scanning the Wholesale Supplies Forum and I found some label information that maybe helpful. If you go to Online Labels (http://www.onlinelabels.com/) and order the 2.5 x 1.563 clear/matte for laser printers. The labels overlap a bit, they work perfect for lip balm tubes.

Labeling Melt & Pour Soaps

There many questions about labeling soap especially melt and pour soap. In this article, Labeling Melt & Pour Soaps by Debbie May of Wholesale Supplies Plus states:

"Melt and Pour Soap (MP Soap) is a commercially produced compound formulated for the purpose of cleansing the body. Natural vegetable oils are saponified and used as a base for the MP Soap. Additives are commonly added to the base to improve clarity, lather and craftability.

The Food and Drug Association (FDA) states that if a product is predominately comprised of fatty acids and alkalis for the purpose of cleansing the body, it does not meet the requirement of a cosmetic and does not need to be labeled as a cosmetic.

This means that instead of the FDA soap falls under the watch of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. They require the following on the label:

Identifying statement indicating the word "Soap"
Net Weight of Product
Name and Place of Business

If you make the claim that your MP Soap has special moisturizing properties or has specific benefits such as exfoliating, then it does fall in the FDA definition of a cosmetic and must be labeled as a cosmetic. In this case they require the following on the label:

Identifying statement indicating the word "Soap"
Net Weight of Product
Name and Place of Business
Directions for Safe Use
Warning and Caution Statements
Ingredients

The FDA Cosmetic Website has additional information for your reference."

Another great reference would be Marie Gale's book about labeling.

Photoshop Help For Soap Labels

Soap labels can be pretty daunting to make. First, the graphics have to be obtained then they have to edited in a program that most of us do not have such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. These programs are costly and require a lot of time to understand.

So, what do you do to solve the label problem?

One answer to that is to invest a few hundred dolllars in a good logo. Once you have a good logo, then it becomes easier to get good labels. A good place to find great designers to design labels is Elance. Elance represents hundreds of skilled designers worldwide. One set of labels for all your products can end up costing much less than what you think. So, have a look at their designers portfolios and remember it never costs you anything to get a quote.

In the meantime, how do you solve the problem of labels that are not professional enough.

Here is an idea.

Try to make labels from products that are sold for scrapbooking. That includes papers, stamps, embossing inks and powders, embellishments, aging inks and acid dyes. The more handcrafted your labels appear, the more imperfect they are allowed to be.

In addition scrapbooking supply stores offer great embellishment classes. Last time I checked, one class, which lasted two hours was less than $60.00, supplies not included.

(To start learning how to use Adobe Photoshop)
But in the meantime, it would be well worth your time to try to understand Adobe Photoshop to create basic labels. First download the trial software from Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Adobe Photoshop creates images that are pixelated - which means that there is a certain amount of dots per inch each inch of the design. This is much like bed linen that is 180 thread count versus 400 thread count - there is a big difference between the two. Therefore, a picture that is say 300 DPI's (dots per inch) will have a different resolution (clarity of detail) than an image that is say 72 DPI's per inch. The image which is 300 DPI's will be a larger file and be more detailed (because of the fine resolution) than the image that is 72 DPI's. So, it is impotant when setting the resolution of the image to create it at a higher DPI, say 300-600, for print. Usually an image taken from the internet will be of of low resolution and will not be good for printing labels. Reason for this is that typical website graphics usually are only 72 DPI's.

So the first rule of creating labels is that all images created have to be set to have a resolution of 300 DPI's or more. Anything less would be poorly defined. Remember, the quality can be scaled down, but not up, so it is important to start with a high resolution file.

So to start creating a soap cigar label create a new document in Photoshop. Even if you do not have any designs in mind still try to create a label in Photoshop. You would be surprised at how beautiful plain words by themselves without any pictures look.

GOTO FILE NEW - name the document and set the size. Set the document size at 2.5-3 inches in length x 8 inches wide(It may be set the other way around, but for the time being, this way is easier to edit). This is a standard size of most soap cigar bands, plus you are making use of all of the width of a regular 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper.

Make sure in this same box that color is set to RGB and resolution is 300. Also, make sure, the background contents are set to TRANSPARENT.

Set the label so that the view you have of it is a realistic one. GOTO - VIEW -ZOOM OUT. Zoom out until the image bar says 33% which is the size at which the document will print at. If the image were zoomed in at 100% then the image would be bigger than the the computer screen. This is because the 300 DPI's image takes up more real estate on a computer screen that is set for web graphics that have DPI's of 72.

FYI: The print standard for professionally worked labels is usually 300-600 DPI's per inch.

Next, set the colors. If the color palette is not floating around in the workspace then GOTO Windows and check - SWATCHES. The color palette has different colors to choose from for the foreground colors and background colors. For the meantime, lets try one of the colors. Click on one of the colors. This first color chosen is the foreground color.

In Photoshop, everything has to have layers. So make a layer. GOTO - LAYERS - NEW. The box that opens up gives you the chance to name your layer - make sure the name is significant like - 'LOGO LEAF' or something that will help you to distinguish the contents of the different layers.

Select the type tool(T) and type the name of the company or soap. Create another layer and put graphics on that layer. Then a third or fourth till the label is complete.

To get graphics onto a layer. GOTO FILE - OPEN - and find the graphic file. Open it in Photoshop. Position that file on its separate page near your open label file by minimizing both boxes by dragging the cprners till both fit in the workspace, then select the picture and drag it onto your workspace. Remember that the layer that was last selected before the drag is the layer the graphics file will be positioned on.

Click on each layer and move the contents around. Get familiar with what this means.

Having different layers means that:

*Text can be superimposed on graphics
*That graphics can be layered for effects
*That editing one layer to change the name of one product would mean that the other information in the label would remain intact.
*That once you have your labels designed in Photoshop, you would be able to update the ingredients or other info on the label without having to get a designer to do this.
*And much more.

(Stay tuned for more on working on a label template to finish the soap labels)

Source: Permission to reprint by Winsome Tapper, Soapmaking Editor, www.bellaonline.com/site/soapmaking.