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May 30, 2023
Art & Templates
Part 4: Prepare an art file for your packaging that not only turns heads but prints beautifully.
Time to Turn Heads: Creating Your Packaging Masterpiece.
People like my product. It does what it promises. Does the way it looks matter that much?
Think of your best friend. Now think back to the first time you met them – the assumptions you made based on the way they dressed, talked, and carried themselves. Packaging is your audience’s first impression of your product. It’s your chance to lock in traits like “approachable” and “trustworthy” and signal identifying quirks of your brand that customers will grow to love (like an endless stream of dad jokes).
Every product-based business dreams of amazing-looking packaging that reflects the quality of what’s inside, but that can be a daunting prospect in practice. Getting an artwork file ready for print comes with head-scratching and complications. Maybe you’ve never worked with “bleeds,” or your initial design left a bunch of empty space on the back of your packaging. That’s why we created the Roastar Design Lab, which allows even the least experienced designer to create gorgeous, unique packaging using our design tools or ready-to-use patterns, all with super-low minimums. For the rundown on how to use it, check out our step-by-step guide.
If you’re tackling the packaging design yourself and just need to get the low-down on our artwork requirements, no worries, we’ll share everything you need to know. Over time, we’ve encountered pretty much every snag that you can imagine, and we’ve developed strategies to handle them all. Between our FAQs, resources like our Artwork Specifications, and our incredible customer support team, you’ve got this in the bag (pun absolutely intended).
Your personal artwork A-Team.
Before we dive into our artwork requirements — If you’d prefer to have someone else take care of the design part for you, our designer network should be your next stop. They’re a group of top-notch package-prettifying professionals, all of whom have been through this journey more than once. Previous experience with Roastar means they have insights that make all things artwork-related a breeze. They can help you design a killer logo and look. For more info on logos and the design process, read our designers’ expert insights here.
Checking all the boxes (and troubleshooting issues).
Ready to dive into setting up a fully custom design? Let’s go over a few requirements and how to begin on the right foot to prevent hassle down the road.
Handy-dandy templates
We offer a unique template for every one of our bags and tin cans, organized by material and size, which makes it easy to nail our specifications. Templates have guidelines such as “safe zones,” which show you where you can safely place elements like text so that nothing gets trimmed—and can save significant time by avoiding revisions later.
Download your template on this page. Choose a product, and then use the drop-down menus to select your material type and what size you’re using. That’ll narrow things down to a single, downloadable PDF template file that you can open in (preferably) Adobe Illustrator. For extra help with mastering our design templates, check out this blog. We also review some common design programs and the pros and cons of each, which you can read about here.
The nitty gritty, a.k.a. artwork specifications
Our setup guide can be downloaded from the same page after you make your selections. This guide gives you a thorough list of things to double-check on your design and a few other important considerations, like 100MB file size limits, file types we accept, an explanation of our template legend, and color requirements. We’ve also created a series of videos walking you through our templates, here.
When you’re ready to send over your CMYK-converted, fully-image-embedded artwork, just log in to your account and upload the design to your project. Our prepress team might come back with tweaks or suggestions based on best practice, but only out of genuine care for your final product. Once everything looks good, you’ll receive a digital proof for your approval and can order a free flat proof as well. (More about proofs later.)
You probably still have questions.
Which is super understandable. In fact, we’ve planned for it with an FAQ list that covers the most common and widely applicable stuff. If that didn’t cover your quandary, just hop on a live chat with our customer service or prepress teams! We also cover some design definitions for beginners in our blog, and a few common artwork mistakes here.
What does it mean to have press-ready artwork?
Artwork that’s press-ready just means the file meets our list of Artwork Specifications (color, bleed, etc.) and doesn’t need to get sent back to you for adjustments.
Why do my files need to be set up in CMYK?
CMYK is a color profile for design files that are destined for print. The letters stand for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black – the four colors of ink that are used in our printing process. RGB is another common color profile, but it's meant for screen presentation (e.g. websites), not physical dyes. Designing in CMYK from the start will keep you from experiencing unexpected color changes when your artwork goes to print.
To change your artwork's color profile, just follow the steps below:
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
Go to File > Document Color Mode and select CMYK Color.
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
Go to Image > Mode and select CMYK Color.
Please note, all "Spot" color swatches need to be converted to "Process" before you submit any artwork files.
Why is my file being rejected for missing links? What does that mean?
A missing link means that you didn’t embed at least one image within your design. An embedded image has its data “baked” into your artwork file, while linked items just “point” to the image file on your computer. If you send over artwork with a link, we’ll just see a blank space where those images were.
Why does my text need to be outlined and what does that mean?
Fonts are just code that’s backed by specific font files stored on your computer or in an online repository. To prevent a missing font error, convert your text to outlines, so we can print it exactly the way you intended it. This step will convert your text to shapes and removes all font information from the file. The text won’t be editable anymore, so save a version of your artwork before taking this step just in case you need to make an edit later.
How do I add metallic effects to my bag art?
The base material layer of your bag is fully metallic, which adds stunning shine and dimension to your artwork. A gloss finish is eye-popping, while matte creates a more subtle, high-end look. For any areas of the artwork you don’t want metallic effects, we’ll add a layer of white ink that blocks out the gleam. This video will walk you through how to indicate those areas on their own layer within your template.
The proof is in… well, the proofs.
Once your artwork file meets every layout requirement and looks jaw-dropping on your computer screen, there’s still one more step we can’t recommend enough: a free physical flat proof. By viewing your artwork printed on the same material as your bag, you’ll know exactly how the final product will look (including those awesome special effects) and catch any unexpected color changes. Take it from us—ordering a physical proof before committing to a full print run is always a wise move.
When we ship you a flat proof, we also send along a sample of a blank bag or pouch from our sample pack. We highly encourage test-filling your product in the sample bag to ensure there are no surprises when filling your product. We do offer “formed” proofs for most of our custom products – just keep in mind that, due to the extra work to form them, they are $400 each.
The final touches.
If you’ve approved your proof, congratulations! You’re on the cusp of custom-printed packaging that’ll knock the socks off your competition.
Our final 101 post will go through submitting your order, checking up on lead times, useful accessories, and a whole lot more. Ready to check it out? Head on over and give it a read! Just remember, we’re always here to help with your questions, concerns, or anything else related to your packaging journey!