Phototype – Packaging Design Print Feasibility Exploration from FLEXO Magazine
Early Analysis is Key to Designs That Deliver
Reprinted from FLEXO Magazine, July 2006When a package designer sets out to create eye-catching artwork, he or she is not thinking about minimum line weights, tint builds or traps. Weeks later, however, standing at press-side and seeing the graphic masterpiece brought to life, the designer may wish those elements had been considered. Because of a segmented supply chain, poor communications and/or inherent limitations in the flexo printing process, the reality of what the designer sees coming off the end of the press can be disappointingly different than what was envisioned.How do we avoid this historic disconnect? How can we extend the possibilities for better image reproduction and more effectively manage our clients’ expectations? The answer may be closer collaboration between links in the graphics supply chain.While we all recognize the need to cooperate with one another to achieve our common client’s objectives, we don’t necessarily go out of our way to consult and share knowledge upstream and downstream. Ever wonder what might happen if we did? By systematically breaking down the walls that divide each step of the packaging production process and fostering open communication among designer, production artist, separator and printer, we can dramatically affect print capability, product quality and customer satisfaction.Collaboration for QualityLast year, Gravity, the creative arm of Phototype, an 85-year old prepress company located in Cincinnati, OH, attempted to do just that. And we found there were a number of big benefits to sitting sideby- side with our prepress and print partners before beginning a package design project. We were able to tap into a greater collective brain trust and experience base to find new insights. Then we turned those insights into actionable ideas for producing more compelling flexo graphics—without over-challenging the printer or hamstringing the designer’s creativity. Our approach was to establish a print-feasibility early exploration team comprised of representatives across the print production supply chain. We included a creative director, senior designer and account executive from our studio, as well as a customer service manager, prepress production supervisor, plate department manager and printing services consultant from our prepress parent company.
In retrospect, it seems obvious to put all those disciplines together in the same room to address design optimization, but in fact it was a first. Although our two companies had worked closely on several initiatives to share technologies and develop more efficient workflows, we hadn’t completely crossed the sacrosanct boundaries between creative and production. Instinct and experience told us that we could find answers and opportunities within this uncharted territory. From the time a package design is conceived, rendered and accepted by the client until it is printed and ready to ship to the retail store shelf, it can undergo a massive transformation. Our Print Feasibility Team created a process map of the “design-to-delivery” continuum and identified critical decision points in the development cycle where designs are typically compromised. Those points are:
After creating the process map, we then set about implementing a series of checks and balances that could serve to keep all the producers aligned to a common visual objective. We loosely documented the process—anticipating refinements once we put it in practice—and agreed to trial the print-feasibility initiative on a design project for Bright Future Foods. The project directive was to design a line of packaging for MA-ME! brand edamame. Edamame is young soybeans that are eaten fresh out of the pod. The founder of Bright Future Foods had discovered edamame when she traveled to China to adopt her daughter. There, edamame is a very popular snack; it’s called the “beer bean” by Asian men who eat the beans like peanuts.
An Ounce of Prevention While our strategists at Gravity conducted a retail audit and prepared the design brief, Creative Director Rick Murphy asked print specialists at Phototype to conduct a refresher tutorial in flexo printing for his design team. Eager to share their expertise, prepress operators, platemakers and a press-side consultant from Phototype’s Printing Services group put together a primer that included an overview of flexo process fundamentals and a laundry list of specific graphic treatments that presented significant challenges on press. “As packaging designers, we were, of course, familiar with the differences between print processes,” said Murphy. “But this exercise drove home the benefits of considering flexo’s strengths and weaknesses in the earliest stage of concepting graphics. “Instead of hindering our creativity, it actually enabled us to proceed with a greater confidence. By being more mindful of the process at the outset, we knew we could develop designs that would execute faster, less expensively and more predictably— all of which would translate into a better experience for the client.” Before Murphy showed any designs to Bright Future, he put them up for review before the Print Feasibility Team. The team identified some potentially problematic areas and discussed the implications of color choices in terms of the number of press decks that would be required to reproduce the designs. Gravity Creative Director Rick Murphy (left) consults with Phototype Print Application Specialists Linda Backinger and John Marino. When Gravity in turn presented the concepts to our client, we were able to offer a production assessment of each design that helped guide decision-making. The production assessment included an indication of how difficult the design would be to print, how many ink colors would be required, and how easily the design might translate to other packaging forms (labels, cartons, etc.) and print processes (offset, gravure) for future product-line expansion. As concepts were chosen for refinement, we modified proofing devices to simulate flexo printing capabilities. “Color is the No. 1 visual equity for branding and packaging, but it is rarely managed so early in the design process,” remarked Murphy. “Designers—and clients—usually rely on the separator and the printer to provide a reasonable match. Now we can show colors at the onset of a project that we know are achievable within very tight tolerances.”
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Bright Future’s business plan called for a local launch in greater-Cincinnati grocery stores, followed by a national rollout. The beans would be sold in 6-oz. standup pouches in the fresh-produce aisle and also in 12-oz. frozen pillow packs. Because of the flexible forms and because initial print quantities would be small, we recommended flexo as the print process.