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WeeFatShug,
Interesting. Do you have any examples of your work? What goes into the design of the labels? Are there important elements they laydrinker might miss?
Most labels were conceived by design agencies although a few were the creations of the actual distillery.
When the labels are being printed for the first time the actual directors of the company would turn up and crowd round the press console and make last minute alterations. On the odd occasion they would actually scrap the entire label if they didn`t feel it matched the product. A great deal of effort goes into the pre-press and on-press production to get the design and colours absolutely spot-on. Obviously the mass produced whisky labels get less love although the standard of printing, even with these, had to be extremely consistent.
Not being a big drinker, I`m not sure of where Teachers highland cream fits in on the quality scale but the labels were fairly difficult to produce. Gilmour & Dean at that time were the only company that were able to produce them affordably and scooped a massive contract. Think I`m still living off all the overtime money I made back then!
Unfortunately I don`t have any samples of the work I done back then. After being caught out years before for taking "spoils/seconds" of a job, I learned a hard lesson.
We lithographed a limited edition piece of artwork portraying a world champion surfer which were being auctioned for charity in the US and signed by the surfer himself. I helped myself to a few waste sheets from the job and passed one on to my Mums friend. She put it in the frame shop and it was duly displayed in the front window until she collected it. Unluckily for me the artist saw it in the window and was rightly livid. Written warning for me there!
I actually do have a few full B1 (1020 X 720) sheets of a one-off beer that was produced called "Bull**it Ale".
Spending so much time at the press with these company directors was eye opening. You wouldn`t believe the lengths they go to in order to distibute their product. Not sure if I can recount those stories here though!