Category Archives: Label Design

Covering label design from making labels, software reviews and more!

Adding Graphics to Labels Using Libreoffice

Adding Graphics to Your Labels

When people think of labels, the first thing that comes to mind is lines of text like addresses or tab markers. But these are just the simplest uses for labels. Photos, greeting cards, business cards, inserts for CD jewel cases — all of these can be created with a color printer and a package of labels. And with thermal transfer technologies, the possibilities expand to include everything from printed T-shirts to buttons for political campaigns and causes. All of these and more can be created using LibreOffice to create your own graphics.

LibreOffice is a complete office suite that is free for the download on Linux, MacOS, and Windows. You can create designs to add to any label in LibreOffice Draw application. You can edit images in LibreOffice’s Draw application, or create your own using Draw’s “primitives” — basic shapes ranging from circles and squares to stars and crosses. Another useful tool is Insert| Fontworks, in which you can arrange text in creative ways, substituting your letters for those in the templates:

A painless way to learn how to design your images is Robin William’s The Non-Designer’s Design Book. Williams (No, not that one) suggests keeping in mind four basic principles for arranging different aspects of your design: alignment, contrast, proximity, and repetition. More than one of these principles can be used at the same time. For example, in the business card below, the lines with contact information are all right aligned, while the company logo and the contact information have contrasting backgrounds:

If your design skills are not up to the task, you can download royalty free images and free fonts from hundreds of Internet sites. Another useful tool to download are dingbat fonts — fonts in which typing a character prints an image instead of a letter or symbol. For example, here is a small image created with a dingbat that consists of whimsical, nursery rhyme characters use with Fontworks:

 

 

 

When you design the images for labels, keep in mind the size of the labels. While it is easier to design at a much larger size than the label itself will use, if you have to shrink down an image, it is going to lose much of the detail. In addition, too much color could reduce the image to a few blobs of color. You should always experiment, but when working with smaller labels, think in terms of simple designs and a few bold colors.

Similarly, remember the background on which the image will be displayed — either its own, or the color of the label. The basic rule for legibility is light colors on a dark background, and dark colors on a background. Most of the time, a background of many different colors will be confusing.

 

Preparing the Label Sheet

In LibreOffice, a label sheet is created by producing a file for the Writer application with outlines that are equal to the dimension of the label. If your label is a thermal transfer or an unusual size, you will need to measure the size of the label carefully, and then select File | New | Writer Document. Set the page to the same size as the label sheet using Insert | Page. Then add Insert | Frame | Frame and set the frame so that it is the same size as your label(s), and positioned in the same way on the page.

With any luck, LibreOffice may support the manufacturer and type of label you are using. To check, To start preparing labels, start LibreOffice’s Writer word processor and select File | New | Labels. From this window, you can select the label type and how it is fed into your printer. You can also enter any text for your labels, either manual in the empty pane provided, or else from a database (check the online help for how to create and connect to a database.) You do not need to add text, and images will have to be added later, when the label sheet is prepared.

 

If your label sheet is not supported, you can set Writer to use it on the Options page, where you can enter the size of each label (if each page has more than one) and the spaces between the labels. You can also create a custom label sheet manually from an empty Writer document by measuring the label sheet and by using Insert | Frame | Frame and setting frames so that each the same size as your label(s), and positioned in the same way on the page. Probably, too, you will want to select the frame and right-click on it to make the borders of each frame invisible when you print.

The last step in preparing the label is to select Synchronize contents on the window’s Option tag. This feature sets the resulting file you create so that all changes to the first label on a page can be duplicated on the other labels with a single click.

When you are ready, click the New Document button. Writer will open a new file, showing frames for each label on the sheet and a floating Synchronize Contents button. This button is especially useful for adding images.

 

Adding Images to Your Labels

If your label is big enough, you can create your image using the Draw toolbar in the file created for printing by LibreOffice. Even then, though, you may find using Draw easier.

If you are using Draw, your last step should be to select all the separate elements by running the mouse cursor around all of them so that their frames and selective points show. By selecting Shape | Group, you can move and resize all the elements as if they were only one.

Then click on the grouped elements and select Position and Size from the right-click menu to reduce the size of the image so that it fits on the label. This step is necessary because if the image is too large for the label, adjusting it can be difficult. When you are ready, you copy and paste the image to the first label on the page. Clicking Synchronize Contents will replicate the first label on all the other labels. You are then ready to print.

A Matter of Practice

Adding images to a label may seem awkward at first, but it is really a matter of practice. After a few tries, you will start to see that LibreOffice’s tools are actually designed to save you effort and frustration. Once you are comfortable with the steps, you will find that, when you go beyond text, labels actually have more possibilities than you originally suspected.

By Bruce Byfield, author of Designing with LibreOffice.org – visit and download the book here

Printable Refrigerator Organizing Labels By Lia Griffith

Our friends over at Lia Griffith Media designed a gorgeous new set of printable food labels for us. They are excellent for organizing your Refrigerator or Freezer. These labels are as pretty as they are practical… and so easy to make! Especially surrounding the holiday season, labeling your frozen and/or refrigerated goods is a life-saving trick. With the editable Mellony Dry Brush font, personalize your labels accordingly. Lia’s team created three sizes of title labels and a sheet of detail labels for noting the contents and dates. They used our 8.5×11″ frosted clear matte labels. If printing on a laser printer, the material item number of these labels is full sheet labels WL-175CX. If printing on an inkjet — WL-175CJ. To download your own personal set of labels, see the download link below!

Also included are white freezer storage labels to help you keep track of when and what is in the freezer.

Download Your Free Freezer and Fridge label Template


Connect with LiaGriffith.com – sign up for membership to start crafting with her and her team. Follow Lia Griffith on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Free Festive Holiday Label Kits by Cathe Holden

Download these festive patterns, borders and label designs by Cathe Holden of InspiredBarn.com and print to WorldLabel.com label stock for decorating and labeling handmade and all holiday gifts! Customize smaller labels with your own text, handwritten or typed into the PDF files prior to printing. Round labels can be printed to WL-350 sheets or cut out with a 2.5” circle craft punch. We suggest printing on our one page sheet label.

These Festive Holiday PDF Templates are editable: To Change Font: Make sure you download the Calendar to your computer, then open it in Adobe Reader. On a PC press Control + E and on a Mac Command + E  > a font properties window will open up

Enjoy, Happy Festive Holidays 🙂

 

KIT A

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KIT B

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In the Label Kits plus paper textures:

Handdrawn Jam Styled Labels by Valerie McKeehan of Lily & Val

handdrawn jam labels
This adorable set of 2.5″ round jam labels has been hand-drawn by Valerie of Lilly and Val includes an array of fruit preserves plus apple and pumpkin butter. Each one was drawn with black pen and ink lettering and illustrations for a clean, modern, simple look, but still with a hint of rustic charm.
jam labels printed on label sheets
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These labels are sure to make your homemade gifts just a little more special. Simply download the PDFs onto your desktop and print!

DOWNLOAD PDFs:

Peach Jam_

Pumpkin Butter

Raspberry Jam

Apple Butter_

Strawberry Jam

Grape Jam

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Thanksgiving Leftover Labels By Valerie McKeehan

Thanksgiving Labels

 

What’s better than Thanksgiving dinner? Answer: Thanksgiving Leftovers! This adorable set of chalk art labels has been hand-drawn by Valerie of Lily And Val! Your Thanksgiving guests will feel extra special leaving with leftovers wrapped with a pretty touch. The set includes “thankful for leftover” seals, 2.5 inch rounds to mark what’s inside the box, and of course, labels for pie! Simply download the PDFs onto your desktop and print! Enjoy!

hand-drawn thanksgiving labels

 

DOWNLOAD FILES:

WL-150_leftovers_download – same size as Avery 5164

 WL-375_Morepieplease – 3.33″ circle or use full sheet and cut out

Worldlabel_leftovers – 2.5 circle or use full sheet and cut out

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Bath and Body Organizing Labels

bathroom labels

These beautiful labels are to help you organize your bath and body products in your bathroom are designed by Ana of Falala Designs. Label designs are in editable PDF templates and are ready to personalize. To download the font used to customize each label: http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/frente-h1

To print, we recommend printing on our full sheet labels and cutting out the design. For round labels a hole punch can be used. To protect the labels from water and other liquids, there are a couple of options. One is our waterproof / weatherproof labels for laser and inkjet printing. If you are choosing to print your own waterproof labels, then you must select a material either for polyester for laser printing (LP) or vinyl for inkjet printing, our WJ material. Or you can use our standard white matte material and laminate with clear label material. Another option is printing on our white matte material with either a laser or inkjet printer and spraying it with Krylon® Preserve It 

bath-and-body-labels bathroom organizing labels

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Easy Labels in the iCloud with Pages

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With the addition of iWork for iCloud, Apple has made it possible to use pre-made label templates with the web-based word processor. This process is relatively straightforward, so you’ll be printing labels from the cloud in no time.

Before starting, make sure to download a free label template that fits your needs. Any template will work, but we highly recommend WorldLabel’s selection of free Pages labels. There is a ton available for download, including standard Avery labels, CD labels, and others.

label templates for mac

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Valentine’s Day Labels for Your Sweet Treats

World_Label_Valentines_Day_PrintablesWe all love that surprise treat and what perfect day to spread the joy. With this set of labels you can add a special touch on a treat for your friends, co-workers and the love of your life. Designed by the team at liagriffith.com, these labels come in a playful polka dot kraft paper set or a pretty blush watercolor set. There are labels for coffee or hot cocoa cups, chocolate bars and to add to bags of goodies. Simply download the PDF and print onto a full sheet label paper. You can then easily trim with  a craft knife, scissors or circle punch. These labels are sure to bring a smile.

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Valentines Day Labels by Emily McDowell

Worldlabel Valentines day

Add some extra love to your Valentine packages and envelopes with these printable labels and stickers, written and illustrated by Emily McDowell for WorldLabel. Each sheet of 2” round labels includes 2 each of 10 different designs, perfect for sealing envelopes, decorating packages, or creating your own cards or gift tags. Each label sheet of rectangular labels includes 2 each of 3 different designs; use them as a fun and festive way to address packages or label gifts. Printables are for personal, non-commercial use only.

labels for valentines day

hand drawn round valentines day labelsDOWNLOAD ROUND WL-5375

valentines-day-printableDOWNLOAD RECTANGULAR WL-150

Classroom Valentine’s Day labels/printables

Classroom Valentine's Preview

Love is in the air!! Get ready for your kid’s Classroom Valentine’s Day Parties with these fun printable cards!! Print them out on cardstock for passing out on Valentine’s Day,  attach to treats or gifts with ribbon, or print them on either a full sheet label (or WL-675 label) and stick them on instead. Designed with lots of love by Catherine of pumpkinsandposies.com. Enjoy!

love labels for kids

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