PREPARATION OF THE ORIGINAL PACKAGE LAYOUT FOR PRINTING

Preparation of the original packaging layout in KOLORO is:

The design of the original package layout is one of the main factors that motivate the consumer to buy. The prettier the product looks on the store shelf, the more likely it is to be noticed and bought. To get a beautiful and original package, you first need to create a package layout. This is a finalized design, ready for package printing. All graphic and text information is arranged as it will be printed.

YOU GET

Inscription of all information required by the state

Preparation according to all typography rules

Perfect layout

Saving your designers time

Inscription of all information required by the state

Preparation according to all typography rules

Perfect layout

Saving your designers time

Make a package layout: types of original layouts

1. Sketch layout. This is an initial visualization of the idea;
2. Layout Idea. This is a preliminary mockup that includes the early stages of idea development and sketch detailing;
3. Full layout. This is a mockup that contains all the elements of a future version and is used as a guide for further changes. At this stage, nuances like paint selection, etc. are worked out;
4. The final layout is the agreed and approved version of the packaging layout design, ready for printing.

The success of your product depends on the proper preparation of the original layout. You can order a packaging layout in the branding agency KOLORO.

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The cost of packaging layout development depends on the following factors

1. The amount of information applied. The more information, the higher the cost of preparing the layout.
2. The complexities of packaging. The more nuances are taken into account when printing a layout, the higher the price.

Stages of preparation of the original package layout

1. The work begins with a finished design concept. We transfer it to a specific package.
2. At the next stage, our specialists cut the package and make edits to the arrangement of graphic and text elements.
3. The finalized and prepared according to all rules is sent to the printing house.

Rules for preparation of the original package layout

The completed original package layout must meet these requirements:

• A balance of size and placement of design elements;
• the proportional ratio of width to height;
• highlighting a certain object (if it is necessary to emphasize it);
• the directionality of gaze movement on the package;
• the harmony of all the elements with each other;
• integrity of the layout design due to backgrounds, frames, etc.

Tips for developing the original packaging layout

1. The trim format overhang must be the same on all sides. Important elements should not be closer than 2-3 mm to the format boundaries of the finished product.
2. It is recommended that important information be placed no closer than 3 mm from the cutting or rounding lines.
3. It is recommended to place framing elements no closer than 4-5 mm from the cutting line.
4. Layout fonts need to be converted to curves. There should be no more than 1,024 nodes in the curve.
5. It is recommended not to use system fonts like Arial, Courier, Times, Tahoma, etc.
6. Layout objects must be in theCMYK color model (a four-color system created and used for typographic printing). Using other color models (like RGB) will distort the color.
7. The resolution of the pictures should be at least 250 dpi. A lower resolution will result in blurring and poorer picture quality.
8. It is categorically not recommended to use JPG images. Ideally the image should be in TIFF format with no layers or compression.

Preparation of original layout for various types of printing

Offset printing

Offset printing is the most popular type of printing today. The reason for its popularity is the relatively low cost of a copy when printing a large run. There are a number of requirements for developing original layouts for offset printing:

1. It is forbidden to use objects pasted via clipboard (Excel spreadsheets, Word charts, etc.).
2. While Hairline thickness lines are great on a monitor, they do become the size of a hair at higher resolutions. Therefore, they are either ignored or assigned a minimum thickness.
3. Increasing the ink limit (in offset printing it is 300%) will cause contamination of the sheet turnover. And reducing the amount will reduce the tonal range of the photo.
4. In offset printing, the black ink is more like a dark gray. Therefore, it is necessary to use a composite black color. However, it cannot be applied to lines smaller than 10 pt and fonts smaller than 18 pt.
5. Black and white photos should use the Grayscale color model, not just look black and white.
6. Effects that use transparency need to be converted to raster.

Flexographic printing

Flexographic printing is most popular for printing carton or film packaging. It is difficult to be responsible for quality workmanship when a layout developed for offset printing goes into flexo production. Therefore, some basic principles must be adhered to.

1. The peculiarity of preparing a layout for flexo printing is that the text is placed on a separate form from the rest of the layout. The text should be done in one color. And if the layout uses pantone, it’s better to paint it that way.
2. Due to the nuances of printing, distortions may appear on the dies when text and small elements are used. To avoid them, it is recommended to provide an additional color for the dies in the layout. If they consist of more than one color, you need to provide one hundred percent of it.

Screen printing

The Pantone Coated palette is used for screen printing. The ideal resolution of raster elements should be 300 dpi and line thickness should be at least 0.3 mm. The scale of the layout should be 1 to 1. Sometimes paper bleed-through occurs due to inaccurate registering. In that case, you need to do the trapping. This is a technique for masking register defects at the prepress stage. It will prevent such gaps from occurring.

What you get by ordering the preparation of the original package layout from KOLORO

1. An agency with 6 years of customer service experience. During this time, we have prepared hundreds of layouts for printing. We will design the perfect print-ready layout.
2. You won’t have to waste your designers’ time. We will do all the work for them and save valuable working hours for your company.
3. You don’t have to worry about government labeling. We will take care of all the necessary marks and every important nuance, including preparation before sending to the printer.

Development of the original packaging layout is an important step on the road to product success. Make it together with KOLORO!