Proactive Recently, I started a small company that only sells one product called Ginfusion. I needed to have bespoke packaging printed to set up my new company. Proactive Marketing was a great resource for me to source print and advise packaging design. It was an amazing opportunity to experience the same process as our customers and learn about the roles of my coworkers. Laura is a brand new team member, so we decided to go along with our customers on their journey.
The design process…
Although I knew what I wanted for our custom packaging design, I needed assistance in choosing the right paper stock and determining what budget to spend on it. With some knowledge about print processes, I knew that I wanted my brand design to foil the company logo. The packaging would also need to be die-cut.
Food grade packaging was an important part of our product design. Josh met with me to discuss which paper stocks would best complement or match our product. We looked at food-grade paper samples and discussed the design’s various elements, such as Pantone colours and double-sided printing.
After choosing the paper type, the graphics department approved my design to be ready for printing. We made separate pages for each of the four colours (CMYK), Pantone, and foiling elements.
We printed the templates, double-checked the proofs for consistency in spelling and colour, and then sent them to production for plating or soft proofing.
The printer provided PDF proofs that could be used to place plates. The printer then approved these, and plating began.
Laura and I went to our print production plant to make a press pass of our Ginfusion sleeves and inserts and learn much about the entire print process.
Each layer we have mentioned is created using different printing plates. The plates are shown next to each section of the printing press. These plates can be inserted into the paper using printing ink.
The printing process…
Before the product is printed, a series of tests are performed to verify the ink transfer to the paper. Different levels of ink can create lighter or darker colours. Neil, the print operator, used a lightbox and software to balance each printer head’s ink. This varies depending on how many colours were used and the white space. The stock will affect the amount of ink used.
After we were satisfied with ink coverage, density, and printing the entire run, we printed the final copy.
The insert for our Tin is being printed. On one sheet, the back and front are printed. Then, it is turned over and printed again.
