Design Trends in Beer: Metallics

A technique known as foil stamping has long been used as a way of elevating a printed piece – from business cards to posters and packaging. Like any other industry beer, cider, wine and spirits look for ways to celebrate a special release packaging, or elevate a cool design. As printing techniques improve, more options have become available to achieve a premium metallic feel. We'll walk you through the differences and show some of our favorite examples.

The Techniques:
Foil Stamping
Foil is adhered directly to the label using a combination of heat and pressure. Foil can also be used in conjunction with embossing. They can be metallic, clear gloss or even special effect or patterning. Foil stamping is not only reflective but also textural in appearance. Foils are more durable and have a longer lifespan than ink.

Metallic Ink
Metallic inks can be printed directly to the labels or mixed with Pantone colors to create a shimmery appearance. Because they are mixed inks, this technique offers a wide range of colors (the Pantone Matching System has over 1000 distinctive inks) and is more cost effective than foil. Inks provide a subtle metallic finish rather than being reflective like foil and is a great way to create a layered effect, rather than flashy. They are most effective for fine detail.

Metallic Substrates
Designs can be printed on labels or paper board that have a metallic base coat. The inks themselves will not appear metallic (although a gloss coat is typically applied for sheen), but any exposed areas will. The ability to print direct to beer cans offers a great opportunity to utilize the natural metals as part of the design. 

What does it communicate?
The presence of precious metals communicates luxury and achievement. Gold is associated with wealth, grandeur and prosperity. Silver is associated with industrial, sleek, high-tech and modern.

Fleeting or enduring?
Let's be honest, people love bling. Gold and silver have, and probably always will represent our idea of "premium." And with a range of options to achieve a metallic look, including metallic wax dipping bottles, we don't see this trend going anywhere.

Below is a collage of examples we found particularly interesting. Have thoughts, drop us a line!



Interested in more design trends? Check out our previous posts:
Design Trends in Beer: Line Craft

Design Trends in Beer: Line Craft

Over the past year we've seen a pretty significant showing in the design and branding world of a technique described as mono-line or line craft. It is defined by a consistent pen stroke throughout the illustration or logo. This style, which has been a popular way of illustrating infographics is making a strong appearance in craft beer, cider and kombucha graphics.

What does it communicate?
When diving deeper into what attracts craft brands to this particular visual aesthetic, we found the following words used to describe their brands: Precision, care, pride, craftsmanship, passion, commitment to quality, balance, consistency

Fleeting or enduring?
This style has quite a bit of range in how it is executed, from very technical and pragmatic to hand-drawn and expressive. With an ability to communicate many things – and provide significant clarity and readability at shelf – we think line craft has some longevity in the category.

Below is a collage of examples we found particularly interesting. Have thoughts, drop us a line!

Two Brothers Rebranding and First Year-Round IPA

 

Two Brothers Brewing Company unveils two exciting pieces of news – a re-branding of their brewery's logo and label architecture that is featured on their newest artisan beer release, Wobble IPA.
 
Wobble will join the portfolio as Two Brother's first year-round IPA. Golden in color with a subtle malt character, the addition of Citra, Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops add a big complex citrus flavor with piney hop notes throughout the beer.

“We are always pushing the envelope to deliver flavor-forward beers and hope to continue to innovate and introduce bold brews. After nearly 18 years in the industry, we are excited to introduce a beer that wobbles on the edge of really hoppy,” said Jason Ebel.  

Wobble will be available in the marketplace on September 29. To celebrate the beer’s release, Two Brothers Brewing Company will be hosting a month-long celebration at the Two Brothers Tap House in Warrenville beginning October 1 as well as a number of other launch events. (Details below)

In addition to the new beer release, Two Brothers also unveils a new look for their brand and label design, which has continued to evolve over the past 18 years. The new logo keeps the swirl icon from the previous logo, but strips out the gradients of color in a flatter, more modern interpretation. The color palette has shifted slightly more natural, reflecting the focus on quality ingredients and artisanal recipes that Two Brothers prides themselves on. The typography which previously had a more playful/quirky approach, feels more sophisticated while still revealing elements of unexpectedness in the nuances of the letters. 

The evolution of the Two Brothers brand.

The new label design, which will roll out to the other year-round offerings over time, has abandoned the hand-drawn, illustrative style we've grown to know from Two Brothers. The modern, banded architecture focuses on the specific ingredients, characteristics and food pairings of each beer, once again emphasizing Two Brothers' passion for the marriage of food and beer created from quality ingredients. The swirl icon is a design element we've been seeing on their recent can designs, such as Sidekick and Outlaw.