Why Do You Need Packaging Mock Up?
Packaging box represent your product. The first thing that customers see is the packaging box, then they pick it up and have a closer look. Usually if the packaging printing is not good they don’t have the confident to buy your product. So it is very important to have quality packaging to ensure that customers will choose your product.
In order to facilitate good packaging box printing. One of the important aspect is packaging mock up.
How to do mock up
Designer will design a packaging box with the specs you required. Normally do a mock up visual to show you. And upon approval of the design, it will be pass to the printing company.
Based on the specs, printing company will use 3D packaging software and laser cut a mock up and then show it to you. These mock up is in white paper without the graphics.
You can test this mock up whether it fit your product nicely and can protect your product. If you want to do any changes. The printer will adjust the sizes and laser cut another mock up.
After the mock up sizes is approved. Printer will give the die-cut line back to the designer to finalize the packaging artwork. With the finished artwork, printer will output digital colour proof for you to final check the packaging.
These are some off the steps involved mock up for packaging printing.
Rigid box mock up
Rigid box is cater for luxury packaging used by watches, jewelleries, fine chocolate and is much more complicating. These normally involve packaging structural designer.
For example Tray with sleeve or slipcase rigid box. Need to do more laser cut mock up to test that case will slip smoothly in the tray. This is important because when customer open the case, they feel good about your product.
What material to use? How to fit your product nicely in to rigid box? Is the rigid box sturdy? Can your rigid box endure drop? All these will be checked by packaging structural designer before a final rigid box mock up is produce.
Due to the reason that cost for printing rigid box are higher. In order not to incur reprinting, an actual mock up with actual materials, printing, finishing will need to be developed.
When you see the rigid box final mock up. It should be quite similar with the final goods.
Benefits of packaging mock up
Listed below are the several benefits of packaging mock up:
For clients to see a sample
Your design might look good in the computer, but nothing beat a packaging sample in 3D. This will help you in making decision to proceed printing.
For client to final check the size
Product is too loose in the packaging box or very difficult to take you product out will both make the customer feel that you are not professional. Mock up will allow you test how the product fit in the packaging box.
Especially in age of e-commerce. Product very loose in packaging can easily damage the product during shipment.
For client to final check design and layout
Spelling and grammar mistakes can make your packaging look unprofessional, and this will make your customer lose confident and change to another product. Tripple check design and layout during mock up stage before proceed to printing.
Save Time and Cost
One of worst thing that can happen is reprinting which will cost money for new printing plate, paper materials and not to mention men power. So invest in mock up. It will help you in packaging printing.
Dropping Test
Use the mock up to test how the packaging can protect the product inside. You will be surprise that mock up with bottle holder inside, even you do drop test from first floor, the bottle is still intact.
Marketing Research
If you want to do marketing research for your product, what better way but to have an actual printed packaging mock up. Customer will give their opinions whether they like the packaging or not. You can get feedback on how to further improve the packaging box and this will help your business.
Final Thoughts
Objective of this article is not to show you that doing mock up is complicating. In fact, for normal packaging, It is quite simple. Apart from Rigid box, which cannot be help.
It is just to advice you how mock up can make packaging printing process smoother, less headache and give you a peace of mind. You will not regret to insist on doing mock up for packaging printing.