Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi all,

I haven't posted in a long time. Glad to be back.

I have built 5 guitars now, and have never bothered to put a label in them. I
have worked up a label in photoshop and want to print them off and send
them to the folks that own my guitars. They have asked for them. What
kind of paper and glue should I use to fix labels in the sound hole?

Thanks a bunch,

Greg

I would us 24 # fine parchment paper. I attach mine with 3M spray adhisive. My lables on my finer custom builds are 18# rice paper. This is very fragile and would be near impossible to put on with the box assembled. The 24# parchment comes in wide array of colors.

Hi Greg,
in my "work-for-a-living-to-pay-the-rent" job, I'm in the graphics
business. An ad agency, so I have quite a bit of experience with printing
and papers. If you print your labels on an ink jet printer you might want
to consider using one like any of the newer Epson printers that use
archival inks. They are much less likely to fade over time and are
advertised as being good for 100 years or more. Ideally, the paper should
be acid-free, but getting an acid-free paper for ink jets could be
problematic. Both Epson and Staples (that I know of) offer a paper that is
called premium double-sided matte paper (8.5" x 11"). This should
actually perform quite well for labels. It is a nice white sheet, fairly
substantial in weight (thickness), and is porous enough to hold the glue
well. Spread a thin, but complete coat of white or yellow glue on the back
and press it into position. You might think it will start to curl up before it
dries, but I've never had that problem. Just rub it down with your
fingertips to get a good and complete bond. There shouldn't be much in
the way of squeeze out, because the glue should have been just enough
to wet the surface completely. You're not looking for structural strength
-- you just want it adhered completely.
Craig

Greg,

There's no way a customer will be able to successfully (that is, neatly) install a label in a completed guitar. Remember, their sloppy work will always reflect on you, 'cause it's YOUR label!