Colorful illustration of a library theme with a cat, butterflies, and floating pages and books, featuring the words 'Library Magic' and 'Pale Ale with Featured Hops' on a decorative background.

Custom Beer Label Design Process: From Concept to Can

Designing a beer label is a collaborative process that blends storytelling, illustration, and practical production needs. Each label is crafted to reflect the beer’s personality while standing out on the shelf and translating cleanly to print. Custom designs start at $100.00

1. Initial Consultation & Brand Alignment

Every label project begins with a consultation. We’ll discuss your brewery’s brand, the beer style, tasting notes, naming direction, and the story you want the label to tell. We’ll also cover format details such as can or bottle size, required legal text, color limitations, and any printer specifications you may already have.

This step ensures the design is both creatively aligned and production-ready from the start.

2. Concept Development & Drafts

Using the information gathered, I begin developing label concepts through hand-drawn digital sketches and layout explorations. This phase focuses on visual direction, illustration style, and how the artwork supports the beer’s identity.

You’ll receive initial digital drafts to review. Feedback and revisions help refine imagery, color palette, typography, and overall composition until the design feels cohesive and intentional.

3. Design Refinement & Final Artwork

Once a direction is approved, the label artwork is fully refined. All illustrations are hand-drawn using a stylus and digital canvas, preserving a handmade feel while allowing precision at small print scales.

Special attention is given to clarity, contrast, and hierarchy so the label reads well on shelf and across lighting conditions. Final artwork is prepared at the correct dimensions with bleed, color profiles, and print-ready specifications.

4. Production Preparation & File Delivery

Final files are delivered in printer-ready formats, including all required elements such as dielines, color separations, and export settings based on your printer’s requirements.

If needed, I’m happy to coordinate with your printer to ensure smooth production and make any necessary adjustments prior to printing.

5. Print & Release

Once files are approved and delivered, your printer handles the production of labels or cans. The finished product brings the artwork into the real world—ready to be filled, sealed, and shared.

From first conversation to final can, each beer label is designed with intention, craft, and attention to detail—resulting in artwork that supports your brand and enhances the drinking experience.

Beer Labels

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Moriah Tyler Beer Label design for Pipe the Side Brewing Company in Hampstead, Maryland.
A beer label for Jack of All Trades Brown Ale featuring stylized illustrations of a royal flush playing card with a king holding a hammer and a sword, and decorative patterns in blue, brown, and beige.
A label for 'Forge Washington Blonde Ale' featuring an illustration of a dog with a blonde hairstyle, surrounded by purple floral patterns and text describing the beer and brewing details.
Illustration of a man in swim trunks walking into a body of water with ripples, carrying a circular sign that says "Swim Call American IPA." The image also includes a beer label with various text and graphics on the left side.
A bird perched on a branch with dark foliage in the background. The label says Nightjar ESB and includes branding and warning information for brewed cider.
Illustration of an outdoor scene with a colorful lawn chair, a small table with beer cans, and a red lawn mower on green grass under a blue sky with white clouds. The text says "Hampstead's Premium Light Lager."
A cartoon illustration of a squirrel with a bushy tail eating mushrooms in a green, hilly landscape with a cloudy blue sky. The squirrel has a small shopping cart filled with mushrooms nearby. Mushrooms scattered on the ground, with some larger red-c
A cozy living room scene with two light green armchairs and a round wooden coffee table on a yellow rug. There is a large window behind them showing a snowy winter outdoor scene with tall pine trees covered in snow. The walls are painted yellow.
A beer label featuring a person sitting with their hand on their chin, looking at a window showing a starry night sky with a cracked glass effect. The label is for 'Speaking with a Ghost Rye Ale' by Sumcode and SoraChace Hops, with floral decorative
Label for beer with orange background, showing a dark tree and witch silhouette, titled 'The Witches' Tree for Kentucky Common, crafted by Prohibition, dark alley, and warning text.
Illustration of two cardinals perched on branches near a body of water with trees in the background, labeled as 'Red Ale' and 'Cardinales'.
A colorful, playful beer label featuring a black cat with large green eyes peeking over a yellow table, surrounded by green leaves, pink yarn, and bubbles. Text includes "Curious Adventures," "Hazy IPA," and other details about the beer.
A promotional flyer for Project Healing Waters showing two people fishing from a boat on a river with mountainous terrain in the background. The flyer features text about the project and its support, and a QR code in the top right corner.
Label for Tortured Artist Hazy IPA beer with wavy orange, beige, and gray background, showing a hand holding a orange slice and the beer name.
Label for Peach Flavored Flamingos craft beer, featuring animated flamingos with peach-shaped bodies, surrounded by peach and blossom illustrations, evoking a whimsical, summery scene.
A playful design featuring a white, orange, and black cat with wings, surrounded by floating books and papers. The background is pastel with green, yellow, and blue leafy patterns. The text reads 'Library Magic,' 'Pale Ale with Featured Hops,' and in