Packaging design has to account for how artwork wraps, folds and sits on a shelf, not just how it looks as a flat file. We design packaging and branded packaging inserts, working out how graphics translate onto the actual structure before anything goes to print.

Working from the real die-line is essential, since a flat design that looks balanced as a single image can end up split awkwardly across a fold, hidden on an inside panel, or distorted once wrapped around a curved or tapered shape. Mocking up the design on the actual structure early on catches these problems while they’re still easy to fix, rather than after a full print run has already happened.

How the packaging will actually be encountered matters too — a box seen face-on on a shelf has different priorities to a bag or wrap that’s picked up and turned over in someone’s hands, so the most important information and branding is placed where it will genuinely be seen first in that context. Secondary information, such as ingredients or usage instructions, is placed where it can be found without competing with the main design.

Material and finish also influence the design — how ink sits on cardboard differs from how it sits on a glossy film or a textured stock, and colours can shift depending on the surface, so this is factored in before final artwork is signed off.

For production of the physical packaging, see our branded packaging and inserts page.