What is the Badass Bitters labels printed on?

60# uncoated cream label stock, 2-colour letterpress, 5 Pantone accents, Scalloped kiss-cut. Every line of that spec is what actually ran, not a proposal.

Why one black plate, five accents?

Five separate two-colour runs would drift in impression and cost five makereadies. Held the black structure plate on press across the set and changed only the accent plate. Five labels, one makeready for the shared plate.

Can Print Peppermint print this specification again?

Yes. The materials on this page are live registry items, and the Studio link opens with the same paper, foil and finish locked in for your own artwork.

How do you handle one black plate, five accents?

Five separate two-colour runs would drift in impression and cost five makereadies. Held the black structure plate on press across the set and changed only the accent plate. Five labels, one makeready for the shared plate.

How do you handle scalloped kiss-cut on letterpress stock?

Impression near a cut edge can distort the scallop, and kiss-cutting after a deep bite can crack the liner. Printed and impressed first, then kiss-cut with a fresh die and a light strike so the backing sheet stays intact.

Case study · Labels · Badass Bitters

Badass Bitters — labels

A Spokane bitters maker needed a label family that read as one brand on a shelf while each flavour kept its own colour. The black plate carries the structure; the accent plate changes five times.

Labels for Badass Bitters with 60# uncoated cream label stock, 2-colour letterpress, 5 pantone accents and scalloped kiss-cut.

TechniquesDie Cut, Letterpress StocksUncoated smooth 18pt

Two rules

01One black plate, five accents. Held the black structure plate on press across the set and changed only the accent plate. Five labels, one makeready for the shared plate.
02Scalloped kiss-cut on letterpress stock. Printed and impressed first, then kiss-cut with a fresh die and a light strike so the backing sheet stays intact.

The brief

Set of five 2×4 in bottle labels on 60# uncoated cream label stock, each a different flavour: "Capt. Hall's Cranberry", "Apple Spice", "Lilac City", "Amped Orange", "Spokane House Aromatic"; vintage apothecary layout with a hand-lettered flavour name, a small engraved illustration and "BADASS-BITTERS.COM" in a condensed serif at the foot; two-colour letterpress in black and one accent Pantone per flavour (cranberry red, cinnamon, lilac, orange, amber); kiss-cut with a scalloped edge; three labels applied to small amber dropper bottles, two lying flat.

Macro: the letterpress impression of the hand-lettered flavour name in the cream label stock, the scalloped kiss-cut edge and the accent colour — The letterpress impression of the hand-lettered flavour name in the cream label stock, the scalloped kiss-cut edge and the accent colour.

Badass Bitters labels — 60# uncoated cream label stock, 2-colour letterpress, 5 Pantone accents — 60# uncoated cream label stock, 2-colour letterpress, 5 Pantone accents, Scalloped kiss-cut.

Start from these materials

Same paper, foil and finish, locked in — nothing of Badass Bitters's artwork comes with it.

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Questions

What is the Badass Bitters labels printed on?: 60# uncoated cream label stock, 2-colour letterpress, 5 Pantone accents, Scalloped kiss-cut. Every line of that spec is what actually ran, not a proposal.
Why one black plate, five accents?: Five separate two-colour runs would drift in impression and cost five makereadies. Held the black structure plate on press across the set and changed only the accent plate. Five labels, one makeready for the shared plate.
Can Print Peppermint print this specification again?: Yes. The materials on this page are live registry items, and the Studio link opens with the same paper, foil and finish locked in for your own artwork.

Badass Bitters — labels

Two rules

The brief

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