Posts made in June 2019

How to Come Up with the Perfect Label for Your Products

Graphic designer drawing up creative ideas for logosYour label and packaging can make or break your product. An eye-catching label is something that makes customers pay attention to what you are selling and try it. A label that is easily ignored, however, is, well… ignored. So how do you come up with smart package concepts and materials that draw the attention of your potential customers? Allow us to explain!
The first thing you should do is look at the packaging of the full-wrap labels that you like the most. What draws you to these labels? Make a list! The secret to creating a memorable label is in exploring what makes other labels a success or failure. Once you feel like you have a good idea of what you want to see in your label, it is time to start working on this helpful eight-point checklist:

  1. Set Up Your Artboard – Load up your favorite design program and get to work entering the trim dimensions for your label. Make sure you set your bleeds to at least 1/8 inch to ensure there are not any blank spots on your label.
  2. 2. Add Guide Lines – Once your artboard is set up, you need to begin creating guidelines to break up your full wrap label into three equal parts. Use your ruler guides to make sure you are leaving safe zones at least 1/8 inch away from the trim line. You do not want to find out some of your essential artwork has been trimmed off!
  3. Add Your Die Lines – Create your die line within your trim dimensions. These lines tell the printer how you want your label to cut. Do not be afraid to experiment around with notches, view panes, and other cutout shapes to create a unique and catchy look for your label.
  4. Design Front Panel – The most crucial part of your entire label is the very front. This is what customers see first. You want to make sure that it is educational, convincing, and attractive to potential buyers.
  5. Design Right Panel – The right panel of your label is usually dictated by the type of product you are offering. There are different regulations that you may have to adhere to, so be sure to conform to your industry-applicable regulatory agency requirements.
  6. Design Left Panel – The left panel is a freeform panel that is perfect for adding sales copy, directions, cautions statements, and contact information. Do some research on other products in your industry to see what makes the most sense to put on your panel.
  7. Save as PDF – Save, save, save your work! You do not want to lose everything you have done so far, so make sure you hit that save button. Keeping your project as a PDF file ensures that all of the unique lines you have added will continue to be present in the future.
  8. Make a Prototype – Once you have your label made on the computer, it is time to see how it looks in real life. Print, trim, and tape your artwork to your container or closure to see how everything comes together. Notice any problems? Now you can quickly fix them since you know exactly how things will look on your packaging. Like the way it looks? Then send your artwork off to the printers!

How Silk-Screening Works for Your Products

Silkscreen print machine in a printing factoryOne of the most important packaging and design solutions you need to keep in mind when creating your products is how you are going to present your label and information to potential customers. Many designers have realized that one of the smartest, most affordable options on the market is silk-screening directly onto the packaging. However, what exactly is the process that takes you from coming up with an idea to getting it onto the packaging itself? We are glad you asked!

There are, mostly, five phases when it comes to silk-screening your works onto your projects. It begins with the prep work. This is where you brainstorm your idea and choose the type of packaging you want to use. You then conceptualize your design and how it will all come together.

The second phase is creating the actual art for your project. You will need to use a vector graphics program to create a template before adding the actual artwork itself. This allows you to mass-produce the same label for as many products as you need to package.

The third phase is to prep the artwork so that it can be turned into a print film positive. This is done by flattening down your vector file and ensuring that each section is well defined. A unique high-density printer on sheets of transparent plastic then prints your digital artwork.

The fourth phase is to make the actual screens that will be used during the screen-printing process. A screen is created for each film positive and is then coated, burned, and washed out to ensure that your film images are perfectly burned into the screen.

The final phase is to mix the ink and then print the labels. Each different coat of paint is printed onto your package and dried one at a time. Once all of the colors have been added and dried, your products are ready to be packed and shipped.

Turn to us for sufficient packaging and design solutions. We provide you with high-quality silk-screening for your products.