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You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Art & Graphic Design > Indesign / Illustrator Wine Label Problem

Indesign / Illustrator Wine Label Problem
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alligator
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Jan 18, 2009, 02:49 PM
 
I found a place that will print some custom wine labels for a batch of wine that I'm making at home. I want some nice quality labels, not the Avery print-it-yourself variety. Unfortunately, they only accept Indesign or Illustrator files, and I do not own either piece of software. The software looks to be >$600.

Is there a way to purchase this software for less money for home use? Or is there an alternative I should try? I'm not afraid to learn a new program, I just don't want to spend $600 designing my own labels. For that price, I can pay someone to do it for me.
     
duoikari
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Jan 18, 2009, 06:06 PM
 
Your best option is to try and get Cs3 or even Cs2, from somewhere other then adobe.

To be honest with you i recently contacted adobe about a similar problem, i asked them if i could buy CS3 student version, for me and several others in my class. The phone staff weren't very helpful, and basically if it's not on there website you can't buy it. To get a full version of adobe design suite your looking at around 300-500 dollars, either that or you just buy one software that you need for around 100. Amazon may be your best bet, or if anyone knows where you can get software slightly cheaper then usually, then please post it
     
alligator  (op)
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Jan 18, 2009, 09:29 PM
 
Ouch, that doesn't sound promising. Doesn't Adobe realize that there are home users that cannot justify $500 for a software program for such a limited purpose? I could see if it was my main job, but how about an "elements" version?
     
Thorzdad
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Jan 18, 2009, 10:59 PM
 
The cheapest price to be found for a legitimate copy of either ID or Illy (I would suggest Illustrator for a wine label, personally) would be an educational discount. Do you know a college student or instructor?

Alternatively, hire a freelancer (hint, hint) who is willing to do the work for a lot less.
     
red rocket
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Jan 20, 2009, 06:13 AM
 
Whatever happened to the culture of using trial versions for this kind of job? It’ll cost you nothing. You download and install the perfectly legal 30-day-or-whatever trial, use it to design your friggin labels within that time period, then you uninstall the software. If you were using the app all the time, of course you’d buy it, but not for a one-off project. It’s not as if anyone is going to sue you over that, you wouldn’t be doing anything wrong, after all.
     
rageman
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Jan 21, 2009, 01:31 PM
 
Seriously? I wonder why they can't take a PDF. I think the trial version suggestion is your best option.
     
Doc HM
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Jan 22, 2009, 05:39 AM
 
Adobe's trial versions are perfect for this situation. Valid for 30 days from download you will be fully legal too. The only fly in the ointment might be that the only trials currently available are for CS4. Min system requirements for CS4 are a G5 (altough it will run, like a dog, on fast G4's.) and the RAM requirements are pretty steep too.

CS3 is no longer easily available so if you have an older Mac you may struggle here.
This space for Hire! Reasonable rates. Reach an audience of literally dozens!
     
iREZ
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Jan 26, 2009, 12:51 PM
 
Why not ask your printer if you could dummy up a drawing of what you want and have them reproduce it. They'll charge you but I'm sure the cost is lots less than a copy of illustrator.

I work for a nationwide print and packaging corp. in the art dept and as much as I hate recreating work, it still needs to be done once in a while (and sometimes it's quicker/cheaper remaking a whole label than trapping stuff submitted...you'd be surprised at how many "designers" THINK they know what they're doing when it comes to working in illustrator or indesign).
NOW YOU SEE ME! 2.4 MBP and 2.0 MBP (running ubuntu)
     
sprale
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Feb 2, 2009, 03:54 PM
 
I used to work in print as well. Lots of customer-provided "art" had much work to be done before being ready for print. If you are going to be looking at projects like this, even occasionally, try finding a vector-based app like Expression, Inkscape, Lineform, or someting similar. I'm sure there are other free or less expensive apps like Illustrator out there, but I only have experience with Adobe's offering. You might try one of these and then send a sample to the printer as a test. If this is a one-off, you'd probably be better off sending in the art to them and having them prep it for print, then send you a digital proof.
     
chabig
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Feb 2, 2009, 04:17 PM
 
Considering that Illustrator files are just pdfs, why not use whatever program you want and then send them the pdf? Better still, don't tell them it's pdf, just change the file extension from .pdf to .ai and they probably won't know.
     
bluedog
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Feb 3, 2009, 11:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by chabig View Post
Considering that Illustrator files are just pdfs, why not use whatever program you want and then send them the pdf? Better still, don't tell them it's pdf, just change the file extension from .pdf to .ai and they probably won't know.
Ha, ha! I work for a label printing company and would know if an improperly formed PDF file was submitted. There are colorspace, spot colors and other options that really make or break how well a file processes and separates into the final printing plates. What is intriguing about your suggestion though (and worth noting), if someone cannot open a .ai file you CAN in all likelyhood rename it as .pdf and open it in Acrobat for viewing.

If you think you're only make a label design this once or twice, simply hire someone. This thread is a bit old now, so you're probably already done. In the end you get what you pay for. Someone familiar with label design will make it easier to get the results you want.
     
   
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