Picture the Perfect Package

Aye, but where’s the rub?

From a design perspective, the creation of a package involves two distinct workflows representing structure and graphic design. “In order to design anything in 3D,” says Vanover, “you need to know what the geometry of the package is, and you need to understand how the graphics get placed on that geometry.” Until relatively recently, these two workflows were ran solo. The trade shop would receive structural (CAD) information, but would be concerned primarily with manipulating graphics. The converter would be concerned with designing and manufacturing a structure that performs correctly, and thereafter with making as many boxes as possible. Fair enough—in theory. “But what happens if the graphics guy doesn’t completely understand how the carton is going to be folded, and puts a UPC code underneath the flap?,” Vanover asks. “You don’t learn that until you at least get to the prototyping stage or even closer to manufacturing.”