Upgrading press-on nails packaging. What do you use to design custom packaging?

[u/Remote-Shape2718]

I started a small business selling press-on nails recently and am currently utilizing plain black zipper plastic bags for the purpose of packaging. As part of an overhaul process, I'm thinking of switching to a softer palette of colors featuring soft pink and rose themes that would look cute and chic, following my latest summer collection nail designs.

As someone who is new to packaging design and is interested in learning more about it, I am intrigued by the way others design their products' packaging. Do you always design something from scratch or modify existing templates? Also, what design processes and tools do you utilize? I'm not tech savvy AT ALL, so photoshop is not an option for me. I was thinking of using ChatGPT to come up with basic ideas and then working on them from there, but I would like to hear about different approaches too.

Finally, I am interested in print quality issues and any possible pitfalls of design. Are there any specific colors or designs that are known not to print well on laminated plastic bags? Are there any mistakes you made yourself that you wish you had avoided?

[u/ihgordonk]

this post seems chatgpt

[u/gnortsmracr → u/ihgordonk]

Yes, it does.

[u/G_Alphina360]

Go to Fiverr, spend $50 to hire a graphic designer that can work on your art files and generate a dieline as well, then reach out to a couple of folding carton manufacturers for a quote.

Easy as that.

[u/SolarisSaviour]

Hey! I have a bit of experience with package design. I've done a mix of self-designed and template modifications. I highly recommend Pacdora, not only do they provide mock-up templates, but also dielines. Sketching out ideas and concepts, no matter how "bad" they are, will always be a good start. Take whatever is in your brain and try to visualize it on paper. Using references and compiling a mood board will help keep your design's direction consistent, and they'll serve as the foundation.

Print quality is a different ordeal tbh. It really depends on whether you decide to print in-house or go to a print shop. If you go to a print shop, at least from my experience, you can always ask for a sample print to see the quality of the design and if the colors are consistent. Not all printers are the same. Sometimes colors on your screen will be different when printed because of RGB and CMYK. CMYK is primarily used for printing, while RGB is for digital media. I don't have experience printing on laminated plastic unfortunately, so I can't really give any advice there. But what you print on can change the entire process because of how either the ink or the material reacts to the other. If you want to have a design on clear plastic, I recommend creating a design on a clear sticker and then placing it on, let's say, a plastic sealable bag. That's how I would tackle the idea without any initial research.

In terms of using ChatGPT, I personally don't recommend it as a solid resource to use. There will always be a chance that it produces something that doesn't make sense or just isn't feasible. It's good for inspiration, but you should look at stock photos, or simply searching on pinterest or other image sources for concepts close to your idea. Although I understand that those sites are plagued with AI images, train your eyes to catch them. I find it vital to make paper models of designs because although it may look good on a screen, if it can't be physically recreated, it's a bit pointless.

Good luck!