A face that accurately describes your product.
On which surface will your product be described?
New product
A design direction for the first product, extending from the brand identity to the packaging surface.
Product series
A layout that separates varieties and weights and preserves the common brand language.
Renewal
Visual update by evaluating the existing pattern and recognized elements.
Consider the same product as your packaging designer
Brand, product and variety information on the front of a package require attention at the same time. As Freelance packaging designer Selçuk Aker, I first establish this hierarchy and then organize the other sides of the box or label with usage information. Design decisions evolve with the sales style and production pattern of the product.
When working with an independent designer, you also evaluate the design with the person you convey the brief to. I clarify the product list, production schedule and approval persons at the beginning for the brands I work with in Istanbul and remotely. The images in the portfolio show my design approach; The requirement of each product is examined separately.
When should you work with a freelance packaging designer?
If you are launching a new product, we first define the position of the brand and the surfaces we can use in the packaging. If you are adding variation to an existing series, it may be necessary to continue the rules of the series rather than a completely different look. In renovation work, we separate the items to be protected from the problematic areas.
Main design and batch adaptation are not the same job. Transferring the orientation approved on the front of a box to the bottle label may require new layout. For this reason, we talk not only about the number of products but also about the variety of molds and surfaces. For material-based details, you can refer to packaging design scope.
Interop and approval pattern
Accurate production information first
Box opening, label size, printing method and the surface to be applied must come from the supplier. I finalize the production file with an approximate template found on the internet. We create a preparation list for brand files, product texts, barcodes and product photographs, if any.
Design direction through a main product
We evaluate the hierarchy of brand, product name, variety information and usage description on a main product. Collecting comments from a single person responsible reduces conflicting revisions. When spreading the approved design into the series, I also check the readability of each variant.
File and proof control
Cut lines, bleed areas, images and the output settings requested by the manufacturer are checked. The screen mock-up is not a physical print proof. It is necessary to confirm the material, color and application result with the manufacturer. The accuracy of product information and final production approval remain with the authorized person of the brand.
How to prepare a packaging design proposal?
In the offer, I specify the main design, mold adaptations, product variants and delivery files separately. If photography, illustration, text preparation or physical production is required, we discuss these separately. The mere phrase “a packaging” is not sufficient to determine the scope.
You can start with a short product list: product name, variety, weight, packaging type and target date. Also share the parts of the current design that will be preserved. Guide to items that make up the packaging price helps you evaluate different offers within the same scope.
Transition from single product approval to entire series
Changing color alone in a series is not always enough. Product names may be of different lengths, content areas may become larger or weight may require a new mold. After the main design approval, I check these differences on a product-by-product basis.
Considering the shortest and longest name of the series on the same layout helps to notice early layout disruption when it comes to final products. Content approval must be obtained separately for each variant that will enter production.
Frequently asked technical questions in packaging projects
Does the freelance packaging designer also design the physical structure of the box?
The service on this page is graphic design and production file preparation. Bearing strength, material engineering and mold production are the scope of the relevant supplier. Graphic layout is prepared based on the approved drawing.
Can we work only for the product label?
Yes. The label to be applied to a bottle, jar or other surface can be a separate project. Size, surface, printing method and texts to be used should be shared at the beginning.
Can you update the colors and text of the current packaging?
I can determine the update scope by examining the source files. If there are no editable files, it may be necessary to re-prepare some sections; I do not promise simple revision without seeing the file.
How many design options and revisions do you give?
The number of design aspects and evaluation stages become clear in the proposal. A new request that changes the brief and the revision in the approved direction are evaluated in a different context.
How long does packaging design take?
The number of products and molds, the readiness of the contents, approval stages and the current work schedule affect the duration. Together we determine a plan that can be applied backwards from the production date.
Can another manufacturer use the design file?
The delivered files are prepared according to the specified technical conditions. If the manufacturer changes, new mold and printing requirements should be checked. It is not assumed that the same file will be used without changes in every manufacturer.
Share your product list
Send your project to Selçuk Aker. Let's evaluate the main product, variants and production date together and determine the boundaries of freelance packaging design work.
Is the production information of the packaging ready?
Mold drawing, product types and printing method determine the right start. You can also send by marking information that is not ready.
- Product types and packaging dimensions
- Manufacturer's approved cutting template
- Brand files and target date
