Product packaging design services

Questions to ask a packaging designer

Who is responsible for what

Agree in writing who supplies and checks each part. Typically the brand supplies mandatory information such as ingredients, allergens, quantities and the business address, and is responsible for its accuracy; the designer lays it out to the legibility rules that apply, such as the minimum text height in GOV.UK food labelling guidance; the printer is responsible for printing to the approved proof. Clear lines avoid disputes when something is wrong.

Warning signs

• Flat images only

  Design may not fit the real pack.

• Legal text left for later

  Layouts reworked at the last minute.

• No printer specification

  Files may not print correctly.

• Source files withheld

  Hard to update later.

Concept rounds

Ask how many concepts and revision rounds are included, and how they will be presented. Seeing a design wrapped on a 3D mock-up of the pack, or printed and folded on a desk, shows far more than a flat image.

How a packaging project runs

1. 01

   Discovery

   Product, market, competitors.

   Output: Brief

2. 02

   Template

   From printer or supplier.

   Output: Working dieline

3. 03

   Concepts

   On the pack shape.

   Output: Chosen direction

4. 04

   Artwork

   Full content to spec.

   Output: Print-ready files

5. 05

   Proof

   Sample checked.

   Output: Sign-off

Example: choosing a designer

What you should receive

Printing

Printing and box or pouch manufacture can be included in our quotation through suitable production partners, with specifications, quantities, production arrangements, delivery locations, costs and timelines agreed for the project, or arranged with a printer or packaging supplier you choose. Some designers help liaise; agree whether that is included and who approves the final proof.

Fees

Packaging design is usually priced per project, depending on the number of packs, variants and rounds. Printing, samples and photography are separate costs.

Relevant experience

Ask to see packaging the designer has produced for similar formats, and if possible the printed result rather than only renders. Experience with your pack type, such as labels on curved bottles or folding cartons, means fewer surprises with templates and printers. A designer who explains what went wrong on a past job, and how they fixed it, is often more useful than one with only polished images.

Content and claims

Ask how the designer handles marketing claims and mandatory text. A careful designer will flag claims that look unsupported and text that appears too small, while making clear that the final decision and responsibility rest with you. GOV.UK food labelling guidance, for example, sets a minimum x-height for mandatory information.

What to share

Share the product, pack format, printer or supplier and their template, where it will be sold, competitors, brand guidelines, all mandatory text and your budget for printing as well as design.

Judging the work

The test is whether the pack prints correctly first time, reads clearly on the shelf and online, and makes the product easy to recognise.

File ownership

Agree that you own the final artwork and editable source files, so future variants or updates do not depend on the original designer.