Print Production Essentials: Packaging with Claudia McCue

Packaging is where engineering meets design. Learn about the basics of designing packages for everything from foodstuffs to fragrance, in ways that are practical for manufacturing and shipping, and make the products visually appealing. Author Claudia McCue reviews the types of containers real packaging engineers consider, and then concentrates on folding cartons, which can be created with the tools available to most designers: Adobe InDesign and Illustrator. Learn how to create dielines (the flattened view of your product) and add artwork and text. Then find out how to print and cut out a mockup version of your packaging, and prepare the job for professional printing. Claudia also takes you for a quick view of the factory floor, where products are packed into their final containers.

Topics include:

Deciding on the type of package  

Considering the consumer experience  

Replicating an existing package  

Adding flaps and fold-in tabs  

Using Illustrator and InDesign for layout  

Creating a dieline  

Checking the mockup  

Preparing your jobs for the printer