This article is Number 11 of the Packaging Made Simple blog series, inspired by the principles outlined in my Amazon bestselling book Your Amazing Itty Bitty™ Guide to Packaging Made Simple. Each post dives deeper into the topics from the book, offering actionable insights and practical tips to help you create packaging that not only looks great but also works seamlessly for your brand and customers.

In the packaging world, there’s a big difference between design concepts and files that are ready for production. This is where production art comes into play. Production art bridges the gap between your creative designs and the technical requirements of manufacturing, ensuring that your packaging is both beautiful and functional when it comes off the production line.

While it might be tempting to assume that your mockups and renders are ready for production, they often lack the precision and formatting needed for printing. Production art takes those initial designs and converts them into technical files that meet the exact specifications of your packaging supplier’s machinery and processes.

What is Production Art?
Production art refers to the final, print-ready files that are used to manufacture your packaging. These files are carefully prepared to account for technical details like cutting paths, folding lines, bleed areas, and color separations. Unlike mockups or design concepts, which are often created to showcase how the packaging will look, production art is specifically formatted to ensure accurate reproduction during the printing and assembly process.

For example, a packaging mockup may include a 3D render of a box with your design applied, but it won’t necessarily include the precise alignments and settings needed for the printer. Production art fills this gap by converting your design into a format that meets the supplier’s requirements while preserving the integrity of your artwork.

The Role of a Production Artist
Creating production art is a highly technical skill that often requires expertise in both design and manufacturing. A production artist is responsible for preparing these files, ensuring that every detail aligns with the dieline and the printer’s specifications. This includes adjusting artwork placement to avoid critical details falling into fold lines, adding bleed to prevent unwanted white edges, and ensuring that colors are set up correctly for the printing process.

While your design team may have a clear vision for how your packaging should look, production artists understand the nuances of how designs are translated into physical products. Their attention to detail ensures that your final packaging is accurate, professional, and true to your brand’s vision.

Why Production Art Matters
Without properly prepared production art, even the best designs can encounter problems during printing or assembly. Misaligned artwork, color discrepancies, or missing bleed can lead to costly reprints, delays, or packaging that doesn’t meet your expectations. Production art eliminates these risks by accounting for the specific requirements of your materials, printing techniques, and supplier’s machinery.

For example, a design intended for offset printing will require different color separations and file formatting than one intended for digital printing. Production art ensures that these technical differences are addressed, so your packaging looks as polished in reality as it does on your screen.

Best Practices for Creating Production Art
To ensure your production art is up to par, start by working closely with your packaging supplier. They can provide you with guidelines and specifications, such as acceptable file formats, resolution requirements, and color profiles. Most suppliers prefer vector-based software like Adobe Illustrator for production art because it allows for precise adjustments and scaling.

Be sure to include all relevant elements in your production art file, such as dielines, crop marks, and bleeds. These details are crucial for the manufacturing process and should never be omitted. Additionally, it’s a good idea to create a PDF proof that can be shared with your team for review. While not as accurate as physical proofs, PDF proofs can help catch layout or alignment issues before production begins. I also recommend my clients print out the finished art and assemble the packaging so they can see just where the graphics and type land on the finished box.

Conclusion:
Production art is the technical foundation of successful packaging. It takes your creative designs and ensures they’re formatted to meet the demands of manufacturing, minimizing errors and delivering a final product that aligns with your vision. By understanding the importance of production art and working with skilled professionals, you can bridge the gap between design and production, ensuring your packaging is ready to shine.

Want to learn how to prepare production art like a pro? Join our upcoming workshop, where we’ll cover just about everything you need to know about creating print-ready files that make your packaging designs production-ready.