How to make flexible packaging work smoothly before printing

Although commercial printing workflows are characterized by a large number of jobs, each job includes multiple pages that need to be printed, but the technical complexity of these jobs is relatively low. In other words, most jobs use four-color printing, high-end products add fifth and sixth colors (occasionally the seventh color is used occasionally), and sometimes there are surface coatings or coatings. . As for the substrate, there are actually only two or three changing factors: paper brightness, color, and paper weight.

However, packaging is far from simple. In the entire synthesis process, there is only one process that can be attributed to the "simple" category, that is, the packaging design before printing and processing. After that, things are not simple. Most jobs require special colors or use custom colors with the standard four colors. It is not unusual to use 8 colors, 9 colors, or even 10 colors in one job. There are also substrates, films and plates that often need to be printed with white (or other base color) inks.

Consider the new dimension

The complexity of color may be the most obvious challenge faced by packaging prepress professionals. Closely related to this is to ensure that everything is properly connected with each other and there are no gaps. Another increasingly common problem is three-dimensional distortion. Packers have already learned to compensate for the distortion caused by radian when producing labels for bottles and cans. However, nowadays, using shrink labels to package bottles with varying diameters above and below requires them to compensate for the third dimension.

Another issue is how to successfully match packaging design with CAD/CAM structural design to help produce stamping dies for labeling and packaging die cutting.

For existing customers and repetitive jobs, the above operations are generally not a problem, because the only thing to do is to switch between categories or make some improvements to a particular graphic. However, in order to cooperate with new customers, new packaging designs are needed, and all these problems must be met.

To achieve the shortest working cycle, you need to clearly explain as much detail as possible. Because there may be three or four parties involved in cooperation in a packaging project, there is a good chance of misunderstanding.
Ted Namur, the former head of the printing and purchasing department of Kraft, a packaging product giant, suggested that the parties involved in the project should get together to clarify their responsibilities before the project begins. Explain who is doing what, and assign parameters to each executor. Then the job will go smoothly until it is printed.

Using a Mac or a PC

From the beginning of the design, there are many things that people take for granted, but still need to be recognized by everyone, such as which platform to use for work. Although the Mac is dominant, there are still some customers who prefer or need a PC. This is also true in the application process. Is Illustrator, FreeHan, or Photoshop? Or use it in combination? How to specify custom colors? Use PMS (color matching system) color? Color should be seen as a measurable target rather than a process or on-site task. To specify a font library so that everyone can make changes or modifications to the font no matter what happens.

Transferring documents to prepress service providers is a matter of concern. The original files are most versatile, but PDF has also become popular. With the advent of Enfocus forensic PDF files and digital signatures, PDFv1.5 began to have certain advantages, because the signature authentication between the proposed provider and the consumer goods company can speed up the production process. When can the graphic designer and structural designer confirm that the two parties are working synchronously?

Proof is proof

Proofing is another area that is changing. Using soft proofing of color management for ICS, RealTime Imaging, and KPG products makes soft proofing an invaluable tool in the design phase and throughout the prepress process. Although ink-jet technology has great advantages, there are some cases where it is suitable for point-print proofing, and it is necessary to consider which method should be used in which situations.
Moreover, although PDF files are very suitable for the final transfer of films or for co-production with long-term customers, there is no doubt that the 1-bit TIFF and DCS 2.0 file formats are more suitable for the needs of most packaging users.

Speaking of kits, Markzware FlightCheck and Enfocus PitStop already have a large number of installation applications. These tools can perform multiple operations to ensure that the received file has all the required components and can adapt to RIP technology. Many factories use Artwork Systems ArtPro, Esko-Graphics (nå·ˆBarco) PackEdge, or DeskPack for color printing or other packaging-related tasks.

Plug-ins and Play

Esko-Graphics' latest version of the Artios software system offers some more interesting new features. There are two-way plug-ins for Illustrator to ensure that graphic designers and structural designers are on the same page—the same package. One of the plug-ins allows the designer to overwrite the design of the structure so that the graphics can be properly collapsed/cut. Another similar plug-in introduces Illustrator files to Artios, allowing the structure designer to create a CAD design based on the graphic design. Finally, a new three-dimensional rendering function applied to shrink sleeve labels has emerged to show what happens to the design file after the film shrinks onto the bottle. The best application of this tool is in the upstream phase - the proofing process and the document before entering the prepress, but when the job enters the production phase, it can also be used to prevent headaches.

Prepress tools for packaging and printing continue to improve. Of course, the number of corrections that need to be made before a document becomes a film or a printing plate is still a human factor. Coordinating all participants and determining the delivery conditions and timetable can really make the work "fluent".