5 min read

Product Packaging Software – What is it?

Joanna Gränström : 2024-01-29 07:12

artwork management Packaging design software

Product Packaging Software – What is it?

Are you an emerging graphic packaging designer seeking the best software for crafting packaging designs? Or perhaps a brand manager overseeing product packaging in marketing management, in search of software that streamlines the management, review, and storage of your packaging artworks? Or maybe an engineer in the carton industry scouting for software to materialize your upcoming packaging concept?

Table of Contents

Product Packaging in Marketing Management
Exploring Product Packaging Software
Consider These Insights When Exploring Your Options
Futuristic Outlook
Summary

Product Packaging in Marketing Management

In case the mentioned software is not already in your toolkit, you're likely to search for it. However, product packaging means different things to different people, even in the more narrow formulation – product packaging in marketing management. You'll soon find a multitude of varying information concerning what product packaging software represents to different individuals and enterprises.

Seems baffling… Let’s clarify this.

Multiple terminologies exist for software dedicated to the creation and upkeep of packaging designs (pertaining to both the graphic designs and the actual packaging). A search for product packaging software will likely yield results that encompass all these terminologies.

Exploring Product Packaging Software

Let's explore the unique functions and what you can anticipate from each to find the best fit for your requirements.

For packaging and Substrate Producers:

Package Construction

These solutions assist packaging experts in designing packages, concentrating visually but primarily focusing on aspects like cartonization, pallet loading etc. The software should be proficient in executing these computations and offering a comprehensive packaging strategy.

ERP

Facilitates the management of a complete array of management operations, ranging from supply chain management, resources, to financials within substrate creation or acquisition and corresponding packaging. Expect the system to be more than merely an accounting platform; it should be dedicated to addressing the specific challenges prevalent in your industry.

For designers:

On-Pack Design

Illustrating the established norm – the Adobe suite emerges as an indispensable asset for generating graphic designs. The suite, although intensive to learn, is essential for designers who are serious about realizing their creative visions.

3D Visualization

Various standards exist ranging from rudimentary that automatically configure 3D visuals from artworks, to advanced solutions, with the choice dependent on the desired quality. More advanced options produce close to anything, while auto generation results in rather square and simple packshots.

For Brand Owners:

Artwork management

A system specializing in the consolidation, management, and collaboration of all artworks and projects, allowing storage/library, projects, review and approval, emphasizing a seamless work process and collaborative environment for designers, artwork partners, internal and external reviewers, printers etc.

Consider These Insights When Exploring Your Options

Embrace Expert Recommendations with Discernment

Articles featuring "top software" lists can be insightful, offering a condensed view of available options, including the author's own products. However, it's beneficial to approach these lists with an open mind while cross-referencing information to ensure a comprehensive view of each software's capabilities.

Leverage Search Results for Broad Learning

While universal tools like Illustrator are widely recognized for packaging design, broadening your search can uncover a variety of solutions. This may include innovative artwork management systems and applications offering specialized functionalities for various design tasks beyond traditional packaging, such as web and social media graphics.

Utilize Review Platforms to Inform Your Decision

Platforms like Gartner’s Capterra can provide a starting point for your research into product packaging software, presenting a wide-ranging view under the umbrella of "Packaging software." These insights span across numerous applications from logistics solutions to design and workflow management systems, catering to various aspects of packaging.

Ultimately, a tailored understanding of your specific needs and challenges is essential when selecting product packaging software. By doing so, you can better navigate the range of features offered and align them with your project goals.

Futuristic Outlook

Anticipating the future of product packaging in marketing management unveils possibilities of technological advancements enhancing the evolutionary pace of packaging production.

AI as designer and graphics creator

AI has the potential to revolutionize both packaging design and artworks. Today, all but the simplest packaging is created and implemented by graphics creatives. Tomorrow it seems like a natural step for AI to create and place graphics in an artwork template, thus creating whole assortments based on a few master designs. That would e.g. allow for packaging workflow software to include AI generated artworks that can be reviewed and corrected in the software by the brand owner, without the graphics creator in between.

The future of packaging workflow software

Packaging workflow software, of which the better part is primarily rooted in the prepress and print industry, is evolving to better assist brand teams with their daily challenges. It's transitioning towards streamlining processes and projects, making them quicker, more secure, and easier to manage. This includes incorporating more copy-related functions and synchronizing with other Product Information Management (PIM) systems to collect pertinent data. This enhancement could facilitate artwork production by reducing the necessity for numerous reviews and approvals, thus significantly accelerating the artwork management process and reducing the time to market.

Summary

Product packaging software embodies a variety of software applied in the realms of packaging and on-pack designs, spanning from package construction, ERP systems, to graphic design and visualization software. Furthermore, packaging workflow software emerges as an instrumental tool for brand owners to organize, manage, and collaborate on their artworks. Cway is a notable packaging workflow software, managing the artwork assortment for major brands in Scandinavia, adhering to industry best practices. Cway offers both software and experts in graphics, management and print, facilitating a complete best practice artwork management service.

I hope this information illuminates your search and guides you towards what you are seeking. For a more informed decision in your search, consider exploring software suppliers whose current customers resemble your company's profile and challenges. This can ensure that the software is utilized by companies facing similar challenges. You might also want to reach out to these customers for software reviews and insights. Additionally, keep in mind that "free" software is rarely entirely free or sufficiently efficient for your needs. Ultimately, the value of software is reflected in its performance and the fulfillment of its promises. In other words, you get what you pay for.

FAQ

What software is used for packaging design?

Designers primarily use Adobe Illustrator for packaging design, complemented by Adobe Photoshop for image support. For managing artwork projects, packaging workflow software like Cway is utilized. Cway assists in planning, storing, managing, reviewing, approving, and sharing artworks. It also facilitates graphics management, and experts in the field use it to manage artwork assortments for clients according to industry best practices.
How do you create product packaging?
1. Create packaging, using a suitable material (substrate) for packaging that aligns with the product’s needs, such as a plastic bag for diapers or preservative food packaging. Consider factors like packaging filling, cartonization, and logistical aspects such as truck and pallet loading. Test the packaging to ensure it meets necessary criteria.
2. Identify the target customer base, understand their purchasing and usage behaviors, and analyze competing products. Develop a concept and design brief to inform and guide the design process.
3. Develop the main packaging design (master design) along with other promotional media for the product.
4. Create graphical artworks, incorporating essential content like nutritional information and codes, utilizing packaging workflow software like Cway for optimal results.
5. Proceed to print the finalized design on the packaging material, and then transport it to the product’s manufacturing facility.
6. Complete the packaging process by filling the packages with the product, readying them for shipment to warehouses.
Examples of artwork management processes:

Updating current artwork:
- Planning
- Obtaining the current artwork and creating an update brief
- Starting a project and inviting suppliers and reviewers
- Implementing changes in accordance with the brief
- Artwork review and correction routine
- Artwork approval
- Delivery of artwork to printer
- Approval of digital print-ready file
- (Typically) creating a packshot, alternatively updating an existing packshot
- Packshot review and correction routine
- Packshot approval
- Delivery of packshot to GS1
Creating new artwork from master design:
- Planning and design brief
- Design creation (design creation process)
- Subsequent Print Management and sign-off
- Obtaining master design and implementation guidelines
- Assembling all copy
- Starting a project and inviting suppliers and reviewers
- Implementing design and copy on artwork
- Artwork review and correction routine
- Artwork approval
- Delivery of artwork to printer
- Delivery of color targets to prepress and printer
- Review and approval of digital print-ready file
- Review and approval of color proofs
- (Typically) creating a packshot
- Packshot review and correction routine
- Packshot approval
- Delivery of packshot to GS1
What is the best Adobe software for packaging?
The predominant product packaging software within design creation is Adobe Illustrator, often complemented by Adobe Photoshop for image support. These programs facilitate the creation of both vector and pixel graphics and offer extensive flexibility in text management.

Here is a workflow commonly used by packaging designers in Illustrator:
1. Import a dieline, which is a 2D representation of the packaging’s construction.
2. Incorporate various shapes, images, and colors, ensuring compatibility with technical packaging and print requirements such as space constraints and specific ink compatibility.
3. Integrate texts, legal icons, and barcodes, formatting them to suit the packaging design.
4. Save and forward the files, typically in formats like .eps, to prepress for further processing before printing.
An assortment design typically includes:
- Brand/product logo
- Primary and secondary fonts (for product name, taste and other features, copy etc)
- Color system (e.g. brand, category/assortment, product colors)
- Images and illustrations
- Assortment brand architecture (how to apply on different packaging formats and shapes)
- Surface finish (e.g. glossy or matte varnish, metallic foils, embossing)