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Different printers handle paper differently. Even a slight shift when feeding the paper into the printer can cause the designs to not print exactly in the center of the label. I can’t promise that you will ever be able to perfectly center the design on the label stock.

I have made some design choices to facilitate the printing process. I recommend some test prints.

I offer something I called the “messy” templates. If you specify the label stock you will be using, I can create digital files delivered with your personalized label that stretch the backgrounds to cover the space between the die-cut labels.

If you happen to order label stock from me, I will include 1 extra “test sheet” for each 10 ordered and 2 printed paper templates for registration tests.

Or you can always order printed labels from me.

Q. I want my bottle labels to be waterproof. What kind of labels should I use?

Waterproof is hard to guarantee but you can certainly create water resistant labels using the right combination of label stock and printer.

If in doubt of which label stock to use, consider ordering a sample pack of Labels-by-the-sheet’s excellent selection of White Photo Gloss Labels, White Matte Water-Resistant Vinyl Inkjet Labels, among others.

I am in no way associated with Labels-by-the-sheet or Online Labels but I purchased from these companies a number of times and they have yet to let us down.

Q: What are the differences between copier, inkjet and laser printers?

In a nutshell, laser printers use a powder pigment activated by heat or light. They tend to be water-resistant by nature of the process. Many plain paper copiers and fax machines use this type of ink as well. Inkjet printers use liquid ink.

For more information about the difference, read this excellent post at Yahoo answers or The Office Guide’s quick primer on printers, copiers and paper.

Q. What kind of printer do I have? Is it waterproof?

A. I can’t answer that easily but, more than likely, you have an inkjet printer. If you have any doubt, google the model name on the front of your printer to be sure. Check the manufacturer’s Ibsite for that information. If the site doesn’t say one way or the other, call the manufacturer’s 1-800 support number to make sure.

OR print an image on decent paper. Wait til it dries then hold it for a 15 seconds under a running faucet. Its a quick and messy test.

I have an Epson R1900 Large Format Photo Printer and HP Photosmart Pro B9180 Photo Printer, both of which are great printers with waterproof inks. I have been told that not all Epson UltraChrome Printers are water-resistant but I haven’t run into this problem.

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10 sheets or less

$ 3.59 each
Priority Mail shipping is $4.95 within the US
First Class Mail (no insurance)  $2.90

10- 100 sheets

$ 3.54 each
Priority Mail shipping is free within the US

101- 200 sheets

$ 3.45 each
Priority Mail shipping is free within the US

For example:

You need 150 labels for your reception. You choose a 6 per page design.

150÷ 6 = 25 sheets

25 × $3.45 = $86.25

$86.25
+ $  7.50 [the cost of customizing the label design]
+  free shipping
= ¢63 per label

I started thinking of the importance of place cards. While I knew my client and his wife quite well, I knew absolutely no one at this dinner party. Luckily, Mrs. Client was the quintessential hostess- she carefully considered the seating arrangement and I found myself sitting next to 2 actual rocket scientists and much of the evening was spent talking about supernovas and funding for NASA.

The evening got me thinking about seating arrangements- in theory I would prefer to pick my own seat but I can understand how that might not necessarily be the best way to arrange a dinner party or wedding reception. High school lunch drama came to mind: people milling around looking for their clique, food getting cold, couples being separated by chance. Worse yet imagine ending up next to your idea of a jerk? I know I was glad not to be sitting next to the Super Conservative Republican Nutjob and I am sure he must have felt the same way. Thank God for the seating arrangement.

It turns out that wedding guests prefer assigned seating too

Eli Zabar’s Shortbread Place Cards

If you are too busy to make your own shortbread cookies, you can order them from elizabar.com
The order form seems a little confusing- some weird instructions about treating “each one as a separate transaction, proceed to checkout, and give each recipient’s address”- and this option seem a little pricey at 6/$24 but I think we could consider buying un-frosted cookies from the best bakery in your town and personalizing them yourself.

Dinner Icebreaker: Nickname Placecards By Finestationery

Finestationary suggests that guests be invited to write down a nickname or pet-name for their significant other which will be collected while they mingle over cocktails.

Pewter Chair Place Card Holders By Beau Coup

I think these pewter period chairs from Beaucoup.com are intricately detailed (and they should be priced at $2.50 each) and make exquisite party favors

Engraved glass gem in organza- by sjengraving

Each glass gem, hand-engraved with the individual guest name , comes with a high quality white organza bag. I think these would make just place cards. Set of 50 are priced at $250

Grow your own placecards by Revision

These lovely porcelain eggs growing wheatgrass can be used as a table decoration or place card holder. The actual placecard is embedded into the dirt with toothpicks.

Love Bird Place cards By Timeless Paper

As a cheaper alternative, TimelessPaper.etsy.com offers a wide variety of interesting paper placecards. Whether you choose the peacocks or lovebirds, at $1 per placecard, these are affordable and incredibly elegant. Can you imagine how impressive your table will be with these sweet love birds perched on the lip of the champagne or water glass at every place setting?

Visit TimelessPaper’s website Check out he wonderful post about Paper Garlands

Bubbly Heart Place Cards by CuddleCreature

If you prefer scalloped hearts, you might choice these offered by CuddleCreature is comparable in price and just as sweet.

Genuine Beachstone and Seaglass PLACE SETS – PHOTO HOLDER – CARD HOLDER by Stepping Stones

Probably too expensive for individual placecard, but certainly affordable for table cards, these lovely holders are made of beach glass, with an long furrow cut to fit a photo or card.

Custom Bud Vases Great Wedding or Party Favor by LamaWorks

These cheerful bud vases can have double duty- seat assignments and party favor At a $1/per vase, these cheerful vases would add a great touch to any spring table design. Have the names and table assignments printed on these lovely Bud vases place cards for an additional 15¢.

On the other hand, there is me. I went to art school. I finished up heavily in debt, working as a graphics designer and, later, as a wordpress designer. I want to paint. I want to paint huge canvasses but time and space and accounts payable demand I work. SO I work. Almost all the time. It’s the life of a freelancer, afraid to turn down work because you never know when the next job will be.

I chose this route instead of another because I know too many fine artists, working in restaurants and bars and retail shops, who struggle to find time to BE artists. I thought my way was at least somewhat creative some of the time.

Since I left school, many art schools have started to teach their students about finding creative solutions to their own tough economies. Stock images, tshirts, postcards, etc.

Pursuing these options became less challenging once broadband became the norm.

Find your niche, then spread it around.

Do your designs apply to coffee cups and t-shirts? Then you might consider creating a shop at Cafepress.  Start with the free one and see how it goes.

Then mosey on over to Prinfection and open another free store.

Then do it again at Zazzle. Store set-up is free. (Zazzle lets you customized each tshirt on top of any given design. Brilliant.)

Maybe do it again at Spreadshirt.

Why go through all this? Exposure is one reason. The other is, well, imitation is the best form of flattery unless someone else is profiting by stealing your Cafepress designs and selling them on Zazzle. Luckily in these stores, you don’t have to relist an item after it sells, so you only do the hard work once.

Selling on Etsy?

You might consider exploring the extensive list of alternative seller’s sites  found here and picking a couple more sites.

I visited some of the Etsy alternative sites on the list and intend to look into these further:

• http://www.1000markets.com/
• http://www.artfire.com/
• https://www.artfulhome.com/
• http://www.buyitsellit.com/
• http://www.blujay.com/
• http://www.ecrater.com/
• http://www.redbubble.com/
• http://www.shophandmade.com/
• http://www.elsewares.com/
• http://www.stylefeeder.com/
• http://www.iliketotallyloveit.com/
• http://en.dawanda.com/

My criteria? They had to be live and operational, be well designed, and have a decent Alexa rank and or Compete rank.

And then I’ll be rich and free to be creative, right?

Probably not. Most of these websites don’t promote your stuff. Not even Etsy does, not really. It promotes itself. So start planning on getting some promotion in place. A website, the right keywords, and SEO. But that’s for another article.

The irony? i haven’t even finished uploading my existing designs on Etsy and I am already expanding in my head.

Time for me to get to work.

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