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Tips for Preparing Custom Packaging Artwork
The improvements in digital printing have allowed small businesses to go for the custom printing of their boxes. It means that you no longer have to rely on the use of plain brown boxes especially when you are in the need of using Packaging Supplies for the promotion of your product and brand. And the good thing about all of this is that you are not going to have to extravagantly design the box to stand out. The product and brand logo, a bit description and an appropriate background color will do.
Here, a few design elements are worth talking about here.
The file format
It starts with the file format that you are using for creating the packaging design. The first type to talk about the raster graphics which are pixel based. These graphics are based on tiny dot of colors that combine together to form a colorful image. When you zoom in on the images based on raster graphics, you will start noticing the pixels getting bigger to give a display of bricks. That’s where the image loses its sharpness.
Another format is based on the vector graphics. These graphics are based on the match that uses points which are connected to form lines and shapes. These graphics do not lose their sharpness no matter how much you zoom in on them. These graphics are used for the creation of logos.
The color mode
To display images on the screen, RGB (Red, Green and Blue) is used. These three colors are mixed together using a light source to create different colors. This process of using color combinations is known as additive mixing. The mixing of colors equally results in the creation of absolute white color.
For the printing of images on materials, CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) is used. These four colors are used in different combinations to form different colors that are printed on the materials. The process of using combination of colors in this color mode is known as subtractive mixing. Mixing of these colors equally results in the creation of absolute black color.
The image resolution
The pixels of the image to be printed on the materials are measured using DPI (dot per inch) parameter. Higher DPI allows more colors to be added in the image.
The graphics and images that are live on internet commonly use 72DPI. It is low resolution and not quite ideal for printing. However, it helps in keeping the file size smaller.
300DPI is the print resolution and it is used for the printing of photographs and magazines. It is the higher resolution and it ensures sharper printing of the images on the papers and packaging materials.
The font format
The file size of fonts is usually smaller. And the file format of fonts while you save them is a highly important thing to consider.
You can change the style and size of fonts when they are live or editable. But it is unwise to send those fonts in editable format to the printing company. There is a bigger chance for the printing company not having those fonts installed in their system. And so, the print out is not going to be what you want. The easy way to fix this issue is to outline the fonts. The outlined fonts are basically the shapes which can be on the form of raster or vector graphics.
Things to Consider About Custom Packaging
In the recent times, packaging has become a bigger topic due to its influence over product safety as well as branding. And so, there are normally a lot of questions that people ask about packaging.
In this article, we are going to discuss some major things to consider about custom packaging.
What is custom packaging?
The packaging that is styled and printed on right according to your branding requirements is known as custom packaging. The design of custom packaging can be simple as well as complex, depending on what you want your product packaging to say. The major factor that makes any packaging customized is the printing. You can get your company’s logo and other design elements printed on the corrugated box. Another important factor is the unboxing experience. A better unboxing experience helps you connect with your customer.
Custom packaging that should be used
It mainly depends upon your business, your products, and your shipping goals. If there are budget constraints, you can go with only one custom packaging item, for instance custom packing tape. That will help you test the waters. You can do further customization as your business grows.
If you are selling clothes and you are using poly mailers for the packaging in order to keep dimensional weight under control, you can go with the option of custom poly mailers. That will make the product packaging attractive.
Focusing on unboxing experience is appropriate when you are using custom corrugated box and you need to add an extra appeal to the product that you are selling.
Connection between materials and functionality of design
There surely a huge connection between the materials and the packaging design. Colors and images tent o look darker when you print them on the matte textures and darker materials. On the other hand, glossy and brighter materials make the colors and images look brighter. You can use the textures and materials according to your branding requirements.
The color limitations
There is a limitation about the use of colors on the packaging materials. For instance, there are normally 20 shades of colors that can be used on custom boxes. And custom printed tissue papers normally use two-color printing pattern. And since custom roll labels have a vinyl surface, there is a huge range of colors that can be used for the printing on those labels.
Designing custom branded packaging
When it comes to designing the custom packaging for your products, there are two options that you can go for.
The first option is to hire a graphic designer and let him/her do the designing job. If you have got enough budget and you do not want to compromise over the quality of packaging design, this option is certainly for you.
The second option is to design the packaging yourself. The good news in this scenario is that there are several easy-to-use online platforms that allow you to design your packaging with the help of simple tools. These online tools allow you to create designs, use existing designs, import stock images from the platform’s gallery, and upload your own images.