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What Is A Dieline And Why Do I Need It?
A dieline serves as the template for how the final packaging will be printed and formed to contain your product.
Maybe you have a package you really like that you want to replicate. We can take that package apart and determine where the folds are and where graphics can be located. If you have an existing dieline we will look it over and make sure nothing is missing which may cause manufacturing problems. If you don’t have an existing package or dieline, we will work with you and your co-packer to define the optimal dieline for your product.
As you can imagine, this process has to take into account what equipment the product will be packaged on, so we work closely with equipment manufacturers or co-packers during this step.
For example, there are little boxes on all packaging called “eyemarks” (see illustration.) They serve to tell the packaging equipment when to cut the film. Eyemarks differ in size, location, and color depending on the equipment and graphics.
If you are developing a new product and already working with a graphic designer, be sure to involve the printer and packager early in the process. That way we can ensure the design “fits” the dieline!
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This is not a recycling code. And why does that matter?
I bet you thought it was!
How many times have you looked at some piece of plastic and not known whether you can recycle it or not? If it has a code like the one above then it’s recyclable – right? Is the cap supposed to be thrown away? What about a blister pack, that is plastic and paper, is that recyclable? Even people who work in the recycling industry are confused at times! We all know there are codes on plastics but did you know those codes were never meant to be recycling codes? Those codes are simply resin codes, identifying the type of polymer the plastic was made from. They actually do not tell a consumer if the item can be recycled.
There is a trend to standardize recycling information on packaging so you won’t have to wonder: the package will tell you if your item can be recycled, where it can be recycled and how to prepare for recycling. How2Recycle’s mission is to get more materials in the recycling bin by taking the guesswork out. Started as a project of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, How2Recycle recommended icons are now being adopted by multi-national brands like P&G, General Mills, Target and Walmart.
Determining if your waste can be recycled in your community should be easy and How2Recycle supports that mission. Take some time to learn about recycling in your area. First review the information at How2Recycle and GreenBlue.org, then check with your local community what can be recycled and where, and finally let brands know your appreciation for adding How2Recycle information to their labels and packaging. And reduce, reuse, recycle!
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Need a package for your new product? Involve the printer early in the process!
If you are in the market for packaging for a new product, you might think that finding a designer and designing the package is the obvious first step. And while it is, it is also very important that you ensure that the designer you select is well versed in designing packaging AND understands the related printing and packaging processes.
A packaging designer is very different from a graphic artist who works on printed marketing collateral or a digital ad. A good packaging designer knows the ins and outs of designing for the printing process, they understand how to maintain your brand across many different substrate types, and they understand the various kinds of packaging processes. They have to take in consideration things like “Will this graphic element be hidden when the package goes from 1D to 3D? Will the seal fold to the left or right? Can the printer reproduce my design on the selected substrate?”
For example, you want a bright neon color on a brown kraft paper substrate for your wrapper for your new energy bar. Remember, what may look great on the screen or in a PDF does not always translate to a final printed product. If you and your designer have discussed this ahead of time with the printer you will probably learn that the neon color will wash out on a kraft substrate and you will not get the effect you were looking for. Involving the printer early in the design process allows you and your designer to decide on something that can be reproduced on press.
Designing a package is not a linear process, with lots of questions and considerations that must be taken into account by everyone involved. If you do not want to be disappointed in your package, take the time to develop relationships within the complete manufacturing process before you fall in love with a design. In the end this kind of collaboration will deliver a spectacular result.
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I Need A Label For …
A label is a label is a label. Unfortunately, not. Every application requires a set of
questions to be answered to determine the best label for your product.
When specifying a label, it’s best to start with “what do I want the label to do?” for
example: I want it to be automatically applied to a plastic tub and then frozen. After use, I want the label to be cleanly removed for easy recycling of the container. Or, I need a label to be stuck to a cardboard box so that it can be shipped to China.
Once you know all that you want the label to do, you can start answering the questions that will determine the face stock, adhesive, liner and finishing method.
• What does the label stick to? Wood, paper, corrugated box, glass, plastic?
• What is the shape of the container? Flat, round, tapered?
• Is the surface smooth, rough, how rough?
• What temperature is the container at the time of application? Ambient,
refrigerated, frozen?
• Are there any additional conditions? Wet, frosty, dusty?
• Will the labels be applied by hand, label gun, or machine?
• Will the unwind direction matter? Which side needs to lead off of the edge of the
liner?
• If it is machine applied, will it be high speed and need a special liner?
• How does the label need to perform? Last forever, be removable, survive harsh
conditions?
• Are there any special features needed? Barcode Peel outs, non-adhesive areas,
perforations?
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Design Guide for Recyclability
Don’t be fooled; for all its “greenness”, recycling is a business. Recyclers have to have an end market for their products or they will not be willing to continue recycling. As we get better at curbside and commercial recycling—building up reliable wastestreams—there still needs to be a requirement for the end products. So how does that happen? I believe that brands are going to lead the way by creating markets for these recycled materials! An example below is from Target’s presentation at SustPack 2017 in which one of their Sustainable Packaging Goals is to “Create more demand for recycled packaging by creating new end markets…”
Did you know that plastic recyclers cannot recycle a yellow plastic bottle? The market for anything other than clear, translucent green and translucent blue is very small and anything other than these can be hard to sort out and contaminate streams that have value. It’s important to understand what aspects of a package design can negatively impact its’ recyclability. The Association of Plastic Recyclers has a useful design guide which can guide your design and development plans towards an easily (and not yellow) recyclable package.
And here’s a link to a helpful design book called: Packaging Sustainability: Systems and Strategies for Innovation Package Design at Brand Packaging
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Bars Wraps are Booming
You’re busy and you’re hungry. If you’re like millions of Americans, you don’t always have the time or the energy to prepare and pack a homemade snack to fuel your hectic lifestyle. Instead, you might rely on quick, ready-to-eat items like snack bars to provide the energy and protein you need between meals. (Let’s face it; three-hour work meetings are stressful enough when you’re not hangry.) You might have one in your bag right now! The snack bar industry is booming, and, in addition to increased quality, convenience and nutrition seem to be the primary reasons. More than ever, consumers are looking for healthy, portable food items they can grab on the go and, while they want their options to be affordable, people are willing to pay a lot over time. Business Wire reports that in 2017, the snack bar industry in the United States reached a value of approximately $6.8 billion. That number is expected to skyrocket over the next four years, with an estimated value of $8.8 billion by 2023 — and that’s not even accounting for the overall global market, which market intelligence and advisory firm Mordor Intelligence (MI) expects to grow by 6.7% over the next five years. (MI also notes the U.S. dominates the global market with more than 40% of total sales.) To understand the snack bar market, we’ve got to look at a few key things, including consumer preferences, the different kinds of snack bars available, the major companies at play, and the importance of packaging and branding.Consumer Preference
We’ve already mentioned that convenience plays a critical role when consumers are shopping for snack items. But not all ready-to-eat snacks are created equally. Shoppers are spending more time researching nutrition labels and want food items that are high in protein and fiber and low in carbs and sugar, according to MI. Consumers are willing to try new things, too, and like when they have a variety of bar options, including ones that are meat-based, gluten-free, Paleo, organic, or vegan. These trends give companies plenty of room to experiment with natural sweeteners, whole grains, nuts, and plant-based proteins, such as pea and hemp. Brands can also experiment with portion sizes, offering both bite-sized and larger bars, so consumers feel they have multiple options to suit any situation.Snack Bar Sectors & Brands
The snack bar market is often divided into different categories, including granola bars, performance bars, nutrition bars, and energy and diet bars. While all of these sectors continue to experience growth, granola bars are by far the most profitable and account for three-three-fifths of the entire market, MI reports. Nutrition bars are also increasing in popularity as people are looking for quick ways to boost their protein intake; the sector currently has a value of about $2.2 billion. Major corporations, such as General Mills, Kellogg, WhiteWave, and PepsiCo are capitalizing on the public’s interest in snack bars and are making millions of dollars in the process. For example, Statista reports that Nature Valley’s original and Sweet + Salty Nut bars raked in $367.8 and $244.6 million in 2017, respectively. Energy and diet snack bars also fared well. More than 10 million people ate Clif bars in 2018, while more than 22 million people ate offerings from Pure Protein, Atkins, PowerBar, and Luna. Consumers can expect more snack bar varieties to pop up in specialty and conventional grocery stores as corporations expand their reach into the natural foods market.Packaging & Branding
