From Concept to Shelf: Unpacking the Process of Packaging Design & Print

On the surface, the packaging design process may seem straightforward: devise a layout, choose colours and add text. But bringing a product’s packaging to life is a rigorous endeavour that demands meticulous attention at every step, industry experts say.

How do you know if this design will connect with your target customer? How do you guarantee the primary packaging customers see on the shelf will look like what you designed? And if mistakes do happen, how can you keep the project on track without going over budget?

These questions underscore the complexities involved in transforming a packaging concept into a tangible printed product that catches consumers’ eyes amid a sea of competitors’ offerings on shop shelves. From the initial design concepts to the final printing, the packaging design & printing process is an intricate journey with many potential pitfalls.

Step 1: Design Concepts

The first and most crucial step is establishing a clear roadmap from the outset of concept creation, according to industry veterans. This initial design concept, while likely to evolve, will serve as the foundation for subsequent iterations.

This process begins with a design brief informing the early planning stages, usually detailing project objectives and goals. This is the first step, but remember that the brief must be supplemented with multiple primary and secondary research phases.

The design brief should encompass desired outcomes, target market details, preferred colours, fonts, logos and other brand imagery. Fifty-six per cent of fast-moving consumer goods professionals agree that late-stage design decisions are weak, so don’t put them off!

Before proceeding, designers must validate the initial concepts through internal reviews and consumer testing. Use consumer testing with focus groups to your advantage and validate your concepts before proceeding and test multiple concepts against themselves and your competitive set to determine which options offer the best results.

Step 2: Copy Assessment

With the master plan in place, the focus shifts to the written content that will adorn the packaging, including the product name, claims, usage instructions, contact information, barcodes and legal disclaimers.

The copy’s impact cannot be overstated as over 60% of consumers believe product packaging is nearly as important as the brand itself when making purchases.

Step 3: Artwork Review

With the copy finalized, production artists apply the designs to each product SKU, mapping out elements like sizing, placement and critically, the die lines that will guide the cutting and folding of the packaging materials.

At this stage, 3D renderings and physical mock-ups allow designers to visualize how the artwork will translate to a real-world product, a valuable exercise given that 73% of consumers agree package design provides insight into product quality and repurchasing potential.

Step 4: Prepress Prepress

The process of preparing artwork for printing, is highly technical, involving colour separations, printer calibrations and registration checks to prevent overlapping errors.

“Most printers use the four-color process method or CMYK,” explained Smith. “It involves separating the design into four different printing plates, one for each color: cyan, magenta, black and yellow.”

Precise printer profiles, akin to computer drivers, are essential to ensuring designs render accurately on each particular press. Test prints validate everything is properly configured before the full production run.

Step 5: Hardcopy Color Proof

With the prepress processes complete, designers can finally see their work in printed form via an initial hardcopy colour proof. Colour reference charts confirm hues match the intended shades with precision, a critical checkpoint given colour accounts for 90% of consumers’ snap judgments about products.

Step 6: The Production Process

If the hardcopy proof passes muster, the design proceeds to its final materialisation on the packaging substrate via the full production print run. Printers create custom STEP files, an ISO-approved format that preserves designs’ integrity when shared between systems.

With that pivotal sign-off, the presses roll, transforming the designers’ digital vision into a physical product packaging reality, ready for distribution to stores and consumers.

The Lasting Imprint

There’s a lot that can go wrong during the package design process, so we suggest taking the time to validate and review different designs along the way and most importantly, make sure that you work with a specialised packaging design agency that can walk you through every step of the process