Designing your first packaging item may seem like a daunting task, but bringing a 2D design into the realm of 3D doesn’t have to be a daunting task. This is the ultimate quick-start guide to packaging design, from the software you use to your knowledge of different packaging shapes and styles. You’ll also learn about packaging design services, like how to prepare 2D artwork for printing, and go for some of the different print finishes.
Choose the Best Software for the Job
Before you start designing your package, you should carefully consider which program is best suited for the task. Most packaging designers send 2D graphics to manufacturers in vector format. Vector files are scalable, and dieline templates can be easily created using the line and shape tools of vector programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Inkscape.
Make a Punch Line
Dieline is a flat packaging template. This is usually put together by the designer using simple lines and shapes and packaged in a vector program such as Illustrator.
Dielines should indicate where to cut and perforate the package. The cut (crop) line and the perforation (fold) line should be placed on separate layers and placed as a solid colour.
Secret Truth #1: A Box Is Not Just a Box
Think a box is just a box? Think again! Look around your home or office, and you’ll find several examples of packaging. You’ll find that almost all are boxes of some sort, but they vary in size, depth, and shape and may have flaps built into the body to hold their design or another lid. Boxes come in many different forms, but for technical reasons, you should know that there are two production forms for boxes.
Equipment boxes and folding boxes. Setup boxes are expensive to manufacture and are used for luxury products. Armour boxes are a good choice if you want to make something very special or spend more money making it.
Secret Truth #2: There Are Countless Types of Box Closures
Yes, as you learn about box formatting, you’ll find that there are many different ways to close a box. Many of these are designed to act as heavy-duty closures for boxes, allowing them to be easily opened when needed. The most common types of closures are:
- Standard tack end
- Reverse tuck end
- Full overlap seal end
There are also special types of boxes with industry-standard formats and closure types. The most commonly used are;
- Pillow box
- Showcase
- Edgelock sleeve
- Book style box
Be Open to Other Types of Packaging
Packing is not limited to boxes, but there are various types of packing according to the purpose. Box shapes are relatively easy to design as 2D templates, but less angular items such as tubes, pouches, and wraparound bottles can be a bit more challenging. This is where accurate measurements and 3D models come in handy, allowing you to accurately assess how your design will look on curved surfaces.
Make Your Design Awesome!
The first thing to consider is clarifying the purpose and brand of the product. This can be achieved by prioritizing logos, product names and product descriptions on the front of the box. This is arguably the important thing a designer can do. According to a research, the product packaging design influences 72% of consumers and their purchase decisions.
When it’s not clear what the package actually contains, consumers, overlook it and buy something more obvious. You also need to make sure you’re designing for your target consumer.
Allow Extras: Advertising Stickers, Barcodes, Symbols
First, leave some white space in front of your design. The margins don’t have to be actually white. A neat area of a design that does not contain major graphics or text. Many retailers run sales and promotions and create their own stickers to advertise special offers. Do not clutter at least one front corner of the package so that the label can be applied without obscuring important information. A research says The materials used to package a product influence the decision to purchase by around 67% of consumers.
The next thing to consider is the barcode. The customer may already have a barcode number registered but may need to use that number to generate an image of the barcode with the help of online barcode generator. Also, on the back and bottom of the package, you will find information about the material of the package and whether the package meets national and/or international recycling and disposal standards.
Create a Model
Creating a 3D model of your packaging design is an important part of the design process. This helps you to see exactly what your package design will look like in real life. There are two ways to create mockups, and they serve different purposes.
- Porting your design to a photorealistic image, a digital mockup is a great way to show your client what your design will look like
- The second method of creating 3D models has a more practical and technical purpose, helping determine if a design is the right size.
Understand Print Interface Options
We created die lines, added design elements and symbols to the template, and created a mockup. Now it’s time to proceed to the printing stage. For many aspiring packaging designers, printing is the scariest part of the design process. Handing off your special design to another party for production can be a little nerve-wracking, but there are ways to make sure the finished package is the best.
Preparing For Printing
After discussing your printing needs and finding options for materials and print finishes, you should contact your printer to get a quote for the job. The cost depends on the print material, the time to cut and fold each pack, the number and type of post-print finishes added, and the size of the print. Long-term lots are usually cheaper than short-term lots. Therefore, we recommend getting a quote for several different quantities. For a small extra charge, this may be able to produce twice as many packages.
Conclusion
There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing own packaging design on a retail store display. Take a photo of the package on the spot and use it in your portfolio. This post has covered the basics of the entire package design process from A to Z. Looking for more packaging design help and ideas? Then it is the right time to get in touch with a packaging design agency in the UK, such as Logo Design Company.
