Sweet! You’re working on a packaging project. Right on.
Here’s a little proofing checklist of stuff to keep in mind along the way. May our experience be your wisdom.
Holler at your printer.
They know everything. Things like how the grain of the paper orientation makes a difference on how the ink or toner sits once the paper is cut. Crazy stuff like that. They will, without a doubt, make your piece better.
Lo-fi print it out.
It’s easy to get caught up with your design on screen, but you should always check the tactical nature of packaging. Get out your exact knife and some rubber cement and put that pack together *at size*. You will likely see something you didn’t notice before.
Pull out a ruler.
The FDA requires the font size to be at least 1/16” for required leveling information. You might have heard something like “no less than 6 pt” back in school. However, 6 pt in Avenir versus Garamond are two different stories. Don’t forget to measure to the edges and plan for scoring and folding.
Put it together like the machines would.
Check with your client to see how the packaging will be erected or glued together. This might mean there are minimum requirements on the height of certain panels, or that some content areas may have less space than the dieline suggests.
Make a fake shelf. Go fake shopping.
How else will you know if your pack can pull the eye and catch the attention your brand needs? Get into character and hone your shopping cart dance moves.
Ratios and pack sizes.
So you have a 12 oz jar and a 24 oz jar. Chances are, those labels will bee two different sizes. It’s easy to think that you can start with one of the sizes, then scale it up or down and change the values. But alas! This can cause some issues with visual consistency. Suddenly your type varietal on one pack is just a littttttllle bit large than the other pack. And always make the logo the same size.
Plan for colors and coatings.
Depending on the coating and paper used, the Pantone you are planning for may change drastically once it is applied. Make sure to have a plan for these contingencies.
Tiny Tools
I also recommend getting a couple of little tools for your deck to make this easier.
This Crack-A-Window-Or-You-Will-Get-Dizzy Rubber Cement
A Straightedge You Can See Through (Thank Jeebus)