Packaging Guidelines Archives - Brand Imaging Solutions

New Product Launches: The Importance of a Pre-artwork Meeting

Pippa Walsh — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 10:20:18 +0000

According to the Harvard Business Review⁽¹⁾, the biggest single reason behind failed new product launches is a lack of preparation. Forbes, meanwhile, stress the importance of visualizing every detail.⁽²⁾ It’s critical to take guesswork out of any product launch, and getting the controllables right so your team can focus on dealing with the inevitable unexpected challenges they’ll face in the sometimes complex journey between concept development and hitting the shelves.

That’s why Pre-artwork Meetings are such a vital element of any product launch.

When and why it should happen If it seems too early in the process to hold end-to-end project discussions while a product is still in creative development, don’t be fooled—it isn’t. An experienced print/production expert, for example, will not only be able to offer an early steer on relative costs and technical feasibility, they will even be able to nip some potential pitfalls in the bud and offer alternatives that will keep you out of a financial hole. So all the key players should be involved — the creative agency, artwork/repro house, production head, artworker and printer. Expectations can be set, and important early decisions can be made on both creative and production questions if the right knowledge and experience is represented in the meeting. This is the time to get your production ducks in a row; client expectations, likely timescales, quantities, and specifics like sustainability or Food Information Regulation compliance should be shared as early as possible. There can be a lot to think about: 10 Factors to nail-down early on

Colors and Varnishes. Confirm if special colors are being used, or any spot varnishes. This impacts not just the cost and timing of the job, but the press which can actually be used to produce the design. A varnish can have a dramatic effect on the look of a job, so it’s important these are agreed as early as possible.
Cutter Profiles. Some projects have critical considerations for cutter profiles. In packaging, for example, you have to ensure your design doesn’t impinge on areas that must be left blank for gluing, expiration/best before date application etc.
Substrate. Original creative ideas may call for substrates that are impractical when it actually comes to printing the product. Recycled or recyclable material may be preferred, or even mandatory in some cases. What color is the substrate and what affect will this have on the final piece? If it’s a clear substrate, will a printed white be required, and to what opacity? Is it going to be laminated, and is the substrate right for that process? Making sure everybody understands the fundamental effect the substrate will have on the finished job is crucial.
Product Variety. Is this a single product or a varied range with different sizes and shapes across multiple print processes? How will this impact the design and how can consistency be maintained across the range? Is there a hero product that sets the standard for all the others?
Consistency. Key factors like branding elements or photographic styles, and whether there is any expectation of compromise in this area across the product range, must be determined at this point.
Repro. Has the finished artworker or repro supplier been supplied with the printer’s specifications to ensure the print-ready files will be built correctly? It’s easy to underestimate the difference an incorrect color profile might make until it’s proofed, so this will avoid any amends at repro stage and ensure color targets are maintained.
Chromatics. The color profile is only one part of the story. Decide who’s responsible for signing off artwork and color targets, and establish if there are multiple targets to be hit. Can a color target be provided to the printer before they start work? Consider the right proofing for the project too; should an ink drawdown be done to show the color outcomes on the actual substrate, or should wet proofs be produced? Will a GMG proof accurately reflect the substrate and/or any varnishes that may affect the final color? Will the job require an in-person press pass? Remember that all of these decisions have a consequential impact on costs and timings.
Secondary Materials. It can be easy to focus on the main product in a range early on, only to discover late in the process that specific messaging, or new information like SRPs, is required on some specific materials such as promotional packaging. Avoid that by establishing these details in the pre-artwork meeting.
Timings. What’s the final delivery date? How long will each stakeholder need at each stage, and how long will it take to secure sign-off from all the signatories involved? There will not be a better time to set and manage expectations of lead times, so this is the moment to lay them out.
Costs. Everything above has an impact on the final costs, with not having to pay to put errors right being one of the most obvious. But even assuming everything goes well, have all costs in the process been accounted for? If not, all costs can be accounted for this early on, then at least an indication or ball-park figure could be allowed for, to avoid any nasty surprises.

Leave the Meeting on the same page At the end of a successful pre-artwork meeting, everybody involved in the process from design adaptation to delivery should have clarity on who’s doing what, and by when. If you’re thinking about the entire process from the start, you have a much better chance of it running according to plan.

Sources: 1: https://hbr.org/2011/04/why-most-product-launches-fail 2: forbes.com/sites/yec/2022/06/21/launching-a-new-product-seven-ways-to-ensure-it-goes-off-without-a-hitch/

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Extended Producer Responsibility; here’s the short(er) version

Pippa Walsh — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 14:52:07 +0000

You probably already know this, but if your organisation is responsible for packaging, your recycling responsibilities are changing on 1st January 2023. If you’re producing over 25 tonnes of packaging per calendar year, supplying or handling it and turning over £1m+ annually, or actually packaging products, you need to know the new rules.

Some of the Extended Producer Responsibility rules are complicated, especially where there’s a chain of custody involved or you’re producing packaged products under your own brand. Even the government’s own guidance page says ‘you may need to take action’ in many of the examples they give, and the rules and timescales also change depending on the size of your organisation.

What do the new rules mean practically?

For all those who are affected, the coming new responsibilities break down as:

The collection and submission of data on the packaging you handle and/or supply.
Payment of a waste management fee.
The purchase of waste recycling notes (PRNs) or packaging waste export recycling notes (PERNs).
The submission of information on where your packaging has been sold, hired, loaned, gifted or discarded.

Exactly what you need to do depends on whether you’re classified as a ‘small’ or ‘large’ organisation. You can see the full list of responsibilities, and how you’re categorised, on the government site. The earliest possible date by which you’ll need to be providing the data, regardless of how you’ve been categorised, is July 2023, so you’ve got some time to get your house in order. Be warned, though; late or non-submission of data will cost you, with penalty charges in force for non-compliance.

Get ahead of the game; be ready

The best way to avoid those penalties is to be prepared ahead of time. So start gathering data now on the weight of:

Individual materials in the packaging you handle and/or supply.
The materials used in your ‘primary’, ‘secondary’, ‘shipment’ and ‘transit’ packaging.
Packaging that’s likely to become household or non-household waste.
Packaging likely to end up in street bins.

The government site defines exactly what these material definitions mean. Your data from 2023 will be used to calculate your obligations for 2024 and 2025, and bear in mind that if your organisation is a parent company, each subsidiary must submit separate data.

What are you recording?

To the nearest tonne (1,000 kg), you must report handling of aluminium, fibre-based composite, glass, paper and cardboard, plastic, steel, wood and other materials. The ‘other’ category covers pretty much anything else not listed, including but not limited to biodegradable plastics, cork, cotton, flax-based products, nitrites, rubber and silicone.

This must all be reported both by weight and how much of each is used in the primary, secondary, shipment or transit categories:

Primary; the containers in which the goods to be sold are stored – tins, cardboard packaging, blister packs etc.
Secondary: the materials used to group and/or display the primary packaging – cardboard trays, temporary shelving for POS display etc.
Shipment: the outer packaging of whatever is being shipped, such as the addressed, waterproof plastic bag around a product’s cardboard box.
Transit: the materials used to support or protect the secondary packaging units, such as wooden pallets and parcel tape.

Help will be available

If this sounds complicated, the fact that registered compliance schemes are being set up to help companies comply with EPR regulations probably tells its own story. These schemes will be able to pay your registration fees, buy PRNs and PERNs on your behalf, and submit your data. But they will not be able to pay your waste management fees for you.

The fees, which have not yet been published, will be lower the easier your chosen materials are to recycle. The government has promised this information ‘as soon as they can’. In the meantime, get the full story from their guidance page, or email pEPR@defra.gov.uk if you have any specific questions.

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Food Packaging Guidelines

Pippa Walsh — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 11:51:59 +0000

A consumer makes up their opinion of a product within the first seconds of meeting a new brand. And, most of this opinion is formed just by looking at the packaging. While a product should not be judged by its cover, a lot can be understood by the tones used in the branding, the materials chosen, and the information displayed. But, aside from catching the eye of potential buyers, packaging - and what’s printed on them - are essential for other reasons. The 2019 Health Survey for England reports that 28% of adults are obese, and a further 36% are overweight. While these conditions are not only related to diet, they are severe health issues. Additionally, in the UK, over 2 million people suffer from food allergies, and this number is much greater when accounting for people with intolerances. Through clear and transparent labelling information, consumers can make choices that allow them to stay healthy and safe - as well as selecting locally sourced products, counterfeit and preventing waste. Here is all you need to know about displaying the right information on your food, beverages, and pet food labels.

Food Packaging and Labelling Requirements To Meet

The laws and regulations that surround food packaging are country-specific. In fact, it is easy to pinpoint the differences between US and UK labels. Additionally, in the UK, packaging and labels are still integrated into EU food labelling rules. However, nationally, most food labelling regulations were defined by The Food Information Regulations Act of 2014. According to these regulations, you will need to:

Understand industry-specific and food-specific guidelines
Provide essential information such as the name of the product, expiry date, warnings, quantity, ingredients used, country of origin, manufacturer, and cooking instructions.
Ensure that the paackging design is clear, accessible, and not misleading
Ensure that you are using suitable packaging materials

Of course, these regulations vary depending on the type of product you are labelling. However, here is an overview of the most important food packaging guidelines to follow.

General Guidelines

When it comes down to product labelling, there is no particular information that you must show - although the information that is included in the label must be truthful and accurate. However, when labelling food, drinks, and pet food products, you will need to follow the industry-specific and product-specific guidelines. In any case, all prepacked fast-moving consumer foods have to display mandatory information, and this needs to be

Clear and accessible
Easy to read and easily visible
Permanent
Easy to understand
Not misleading

Certain products, such as wine, spirits, bread and flour, milk products, meat products, sugars, irradiated foods, and foods containing genetic modification (GM), need to be labelled according to more specific guidelines.

Information To Be Included

Here is the main information your consumers need to have access to:

Food and product name - the name of the food must be clearly displayed and not misleading. If there is a legal name, that must be used. Alternatively, you should use a customary name or a sufficiently descriptive name.
Ingredients - if your product contains more than two ingredients, you need to include a list of ingredients that is easily identifiable by an “Ingredients” heading. The ingredients in the product need to be listed in descending order of weight.
Allergens - if your product contains any of the 14 most common allergens, you need to declare them by law. Ensure these particular ingredients are emphasized and easily readable - you can do so by using a different colour, a different font, or a bolded text.
QUID (Quantitative Declaration Of Ingredients) - this information shows the percentage of some ingredients contained in the food and needs to be shown immediately next to the ingredient name. While you don’t need to provide the quantity of all ingredients used, you need to do so if:
- That ingredient appears in the product name
- That ingredient is emphasised or bolded
- It characterises the food

Other information that must be displayed according to UK law include:

Net Quantity
Storage conditions and date
The manufacturer’s name and address (changing after EU Exit)
Provenance or country of origin
Preparation or cooking instructions
Nutritional declaration

You should also ensure that your consumer knows that the product contains ingredients such as sweeteners, sugars, colourings, aspartame, caffeine, polyols, and liquorice.

Design Requirements

As you can see, there is a lot of information that needs to be displayed on your products to be compliant with UK laws. Additionally, legal requirements specify how this information needs to be displayed. Some design label requirements include:

Minimum font size for mandatory information - mandatory information needs to be printed with a minimum x-height font of 1.2mm. However, if you are using a small label and the largest surface area is less than 80cm square, you can also use a font with a minimum x-height of 0.9mm.
Highlight mandatory details - mandatory details to be included in the labels include allergens, ingredients, and warnings. These need to be highlighted by words and numbers. You need to ensure that these details are easy to see and clearly legible.
The information must be difficult or impossible to remove - it is important your food packaging labels are difficult to remove or modify. This can prevent counterfeits and products that have been tampered with.

If you also export your product, there are other design elements you need to include. For example, you need to use the “e” mark for weights.

How Do Food Packaging Guidelines Impact on Design

As we have seen above, when labelling a product, you will need to meet all guidelines defined by your country. These can significantly affect your product packaging’s design and materials used - and it can be hard to find compatibility. For example, you might want to include only a small or plain label, but this will prevent you from offering your consumers vital information. Or, you might choose a certain type of packaging that is appealing but not suitable for the product you are selling. As well as this you also need to consider how you can keep to guidelines whilst also implementing a unified packaging strategy. Unfortunately, displaying the right, accurate information is essential, and you should not overlook this task. Nonetheless, with the help of the right creatives, you can incorporate your brand values, feelings, and themes within a clear and informational label. If you are unsure whether you are meeting all requirements, or wish to enhance the aesthetics of your packaging and labels without affecting their accuracy, we are here to help.

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