Packaging Design Checklist: 10 Things to Check Before You Go to Print
A practical pre-print checklist for D2C and FMCG brands, from dielines and legal panels to colour, barcodes and sample proofs, so your packaging reaches the shelf right the first time.
Packaging mistakes are expensive because they are printed hundreds or thousands of times. A wrong barcode, a missing declaration or a colour that looks different on the shelf can mean a reprint. Use this ten-point checklist before you send any pack for production.
1. Start from the printer's dieline
Always design on the exact dieline supplied by your packaging vendor, not on a generic template. It shows folds, glue flaps, cut lines and safe zones. If you are creating a new structure, a packaging designer can help with structure and dieline design before artwork begins.
2. Keep a clear hierarchy
A customer decides in a few seconds. The order should be: brand, product or flavour, key benefit, then supporting details. On our Power Peak jars, each flavour has its own colour tag, so customers recognise the variant at a glance while the brand stays constant.
3. Check the legal and regulatory panel
Depending on your category, packs usually need items such as net quantity, MRP, manufacturer or marketer details, manufacturing or expiry information, customer care details and, for food products, the FSSAI logo and licence number. Rules differ by product, so confirm the exact requirements for your category with your compliance consultant before artwork is finalised.
4. Plan the back and side panels
Ingredients, nutrition tables, usage instructions and storage conditions need enough space and readable type. Leave room for these from the start instead of squeezing them in at the end.
5. Set colour correctly
Design in CMYK for print, define Pantone or spot colours where brand colours are critical, and avoid relying on RGB screen colours. Ask for a printed proof, because screens always look brighter than paper.
6. Respect bleed and safe zones
Extend backgrounds into the bleed area (commonly 3 mm, but confirm with your printer) and keep important text and logos inside the safe zone so nothing is cut during trimming.
7. Test the barcode
Place the barcode on a flat, high-contrast area, with enough quiet space around it, and scan a printed sample with a phone and a scanner. Avoid curved or folded areas.
8. Choose finishes with intent
Matte, gloss, spot UV, foil and embossing change how a pack feels and photographs. Use them to highlight one or two elements, such as the logo or the product name, rather than everything at once.
9. Design a variant system
If you will launch more flavours or sizes, create a system with a fixed layout and a clear colour code. It makes future launches faster and cheaper, and keeps the shelf looking organised.
10. Approve a physical sample
Before the full run, check a physical mock or digital proof for colour, spelling, panels and barcodes. A last proofread by a second person catches most errors.
The cheapest time to fix packaging is before print. The most expensive time is after it reaches the shelf.
If you are planning a new pack or a redesign, see how we handle packaging from concept to print-ready files, or share your brief and we will suggest the right approach.
