3 Things to Know Before Hiring a Designer for Packaging
February 7, 2024
Category: Design
three things to know before hiring a designer for packaging
knowing these three things up front will benefit both you AND your designer — scout’s honor.
1 | Your Manufacturer
Decide on a manufacturer! We love helping our clients by sharing referrals for things like shipping boxes, tissue paper, thank-you notes, and more! However, ultimately it’s up to you to decide where you are printing and sourcing your materials.
We lean on you to select your manufacturer for a few reasons. 1) We don’t know what your budget looks like/how much you want to spend per product on your packaging. 2) If you need to restock in the future, we want you to be empowered to work directly with your manufacturer so you can efficiently run your business. 3) Every brand’s budget, needs, materials, and mission is all vastly different. One of our clients might want plastic-free packaging, while another might want a bold, colorful impression.
Moreover, when it comes to custom packaging for unique items like food products, crib sheets, match holders, etc., we recognize that you are the true expert in your industry. Your in-depth knowledge of your product, specific needs, and industry standards uniquely positions you to find the ideal manufacturer for your customized packaging.
Within the packaging process, whether we designed it together or you handled the design independently, it's highly recommended to work directly with the printer! This includes always doing a test print of all your materials before finalizing the project. This will ensure that the colors, image resolution, and text transfer to the packaging just as you pictured! By proactively engaging with the printing process, you not only ensure the quality of your packaging but also have the opportunity to make any necessary adjustments before the full production run.
2 | your sizing
It’s easy enough to know that you want a 5x7 thank you card or a 2x3.5 sized business card but when it comes to your packaging design we need the specifics. Enter: Dielines. Dieline is a fancy term for your box or packaging template that you’ll get from your manufacturer. Having accurate sizing, specifications, and/or the dieline from you is crucial to ensure the packaging we design is going to meet your needs and work well with your product!
PS) This is an example of a dieline!
3 | your content
Last but not least CONTENT! What type of wording needs to be included on your packaging? Which wording is optional? I love it when clients give us some flexibility here because it allows us to play around with the layout. Think of all the nitty gritty terminology that needs to be included as well, such as distribution and manufacturing requirements. If you’re a food brand, just know it will take a lot of back and forth to nail your ingredients + nutrition labels. Some pieces of content will be a nice-to-have like your story, while others will be required, like a barcode or best-by date. The less content you provide, the more breathing room we will have for design elements within the layout!
Not ready to take the DIY approach to packaging design!? I don’t blame you! Inquire today to see how we can help you create a memorable packaging experience that will have your customers heads turning!
