“Just make my label TTB compliant, that’s all I need.”

You can save some money by designing your own wine label, but be sure to hire a professional designer to actually create the final.

If you already have a label or logo design in mind, you can draw up a rough sketch or maybe describe it in words and give that to your designer. Some people try to save money by designing their own label on their computer, using programs that are not made for a finished design, like the word of them all, Microsoft Word. All these are just fine for a designer to start with and can save you money by reducing rounds of concept designs.

Ack! Never design with fonts that come preinstalled on your computer:

Not everyone has a design in mind, but if you do, it is never a good idea to require the designer use your exact fonts you used that came supplied on your computer and the exact placement of the artwork without any tweaks, thinking you’ll be saving yourself some money. Surprisingly, this will NOT save you money. The reason being, the designer has to balance their design sense with a font they would never have chosen and art that is not the right style, thus taking longer to make it look professional and balanced. Your layout should be really be used as a guideline only.

Before and After:

The above graphic is an example of before and after. In the beginning, my client, Rio Claro Wines, sent me the sketch on the left. Without having to go back to the drawing board, since he liked his initial design, I kept their main idea intact. Making it look warmer, sleeker, and more inviting to the consumer was far easier than if they required me to use their exact fonts and exact design and just make it look better. I was able to use the pencil drawing the owner sketched of his vineyard, apply some filters and switched out their busy

Small Tweaks to Client’s art keeps it personal:

I was able to use the pencil drawing the owner sketched of his vineyard, apply some filters and switched out their busy clipart wine with hearts for a simplified version of stock art that didn’t clutter up their label but still got the vision across. When finished, not only did I supply them with their labels, but also their new logo in a variety of formats, that they could use however they pleased.

To be sure you will be using a top notch graphic designer who has many years of experience, knows the rules of printing, and keeps up with the modern trends, please contact me at ginny@westcottdesign.com or click this link. Check out my designs here. I include testimonial pages where my clients express their experiences working with me. I offer unique designs to get your product label, brochures, and ads looking professional and sell. I design personally with you on each project so you get 25+ years experience behind each creation. Striving to save you money in the design process, I use stock images and manipulate stock illustrations when the budget calls for it. I can guide you through the TTB approval process for your label and help find the right printer for your project. My design studio is located right in the heart of wine country, in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, Northern California.