PaperSpecsGallery.com Presents: Screen Printed Rattlesnake Wine Bottle

If you know anything about me you know that I LOVE paper, from its near-limitless versatility to the way it feels in your hands. But as designer Jenny Doll has discovered, sometimes the best way to craft the perfect wine or spirit label is to eliminate the middle man, printing directly on the bottle itself.

That’s just what she did with this cabernet sauvignon for Angelo Cellars, which features a snake that winds itself around the bottle, with a more traditional looking label (mimicking a bellyband) encircling its middle – both screen printed by Monvera Glass Décor.

[? PRO Member Perk!] Whether you’re screen printing directly onto bottles or creating fabulously sumptuous labels out of paper, many of the principles of good label design remain the same. If you’re a PaperSpecs PRO or VIP member, don’t miss our webinar “Designing Spirit Labels & Cohesive Brands”. ? Not a member? Start your 7-day-free-trial membership today.

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The screen print uses only two colors but wraps 360 degrees around the bottle, “creating a very dramatic effect that would be impossible to achieve with a traditional paper label,” Jenny explains. “One of the branding/marketing advantages of screen printing is that you can produce designs that are either very difficult to achieve or impossible with paper labels, and so you can produce a very unique effect that really attracts the buyer’s attention.”

Adds Monvera’s Caitriona Anderson, “Think about how you would achieve the dieline if it was paper, and then how difficult it would be to apply and get this perfect full-wrap look.

“The inspiration for this bottle’s look came 100% from the client," Jenny says. The vintner wanted a pattern and a rattlesnake and left the rest to her. "I was chomping at the bit to use the entire bottle on this project," she admits. "I mocked up the label design on a bottle and rotated it all around to animate the snake."

It certainly wasn’t her first 360-degree wrap – it’s been the hallmark of all her work for Angelo Cellars. Monvera “allow me always to push [screen printing] techniques,” explains Jenny. “Every project is a learning experience – exploring color combinations, precious metal vs. pigment – and they're always available and generous with their time, allowing me to drop by, talk out the ideas and dive into the color samples!”