Baseball card packaging process book

PROJECT 2: Package Design for a Common ProductAMANDA KERN | 3D GRAPHICS STUDIO: GRDS-730-OLPROFESSOR TRUDY ABADIE | MAY 8, 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTSPROJECT & PART A OBJECTIVES ..................................3PROJECT CHOICES & OTHER CRITERIA ........................4ADDITIONAL IDEAS ................................................... 5-6BOOK RESEARCH ...........................................................7STRUCTURAL ROUGH DRAFTS ................................ 8-12PACKAGE DIE & MEASUREMENTS ....................... 13-14INITIAL MOCKUPS ................................................. 15-17LOGO RESEARCH, ROUGHS & COMPS ................. 18-21COLOR SCHEME EXPLORATION ...................................22INSPIRATION .......................................................... 23-30PACKAGE DESIGN SKETCHES ............................... 31-33WORD BRAINSTORMING ............................................34TYPOGRAPHY EXPLORATION .......................................35INITIAL PACKAGE DESIGN ..................................... 36-39PAPER MOCKUP WITH DESIGN ............................. 40-44PAPER SELECTION .......................................................45SCREENPRINTING PROCESS ................................. 46-53FINAL DIE CUT PROCESS .............................................54PACKAGE ASSEMBLY ..................................................55FINAL DESIGN ........................................................ 56-59FINAL THOUGHTS ........................................................60

PROJECT 1 OBJECTIVESObjectiveDesign and assemble a package for a common product using paperboard materials and trendy graphics. The package must contain and protect the product and should include an additional special feature. For example, the package could also function as a permanent storage container or work as part of the product. The actual product should not exceed 3 inches in any direction.

Many common items are packaged for the mass market in cheap, poorly designed containers. For the purpose of this assignment, you should design a unique package for your product. Think of this package as the introductory container for the product, an anniversary package, or packaging for some other special celebration. Customers are often willing to spend extra money on a well-designed carton that provides other features.

Select your product carefully, as you will work with it throughout this course. You should consider: the size of the product, the need for a package redesign, and the target audience. You should also select something that you will not mind staring at for hours, because you will. All other projects in this course will be based on this product.

Process: Part A1. Select a product to package. In order for the product to be appropriate for this

project, it must be “generic,” for example: a deck of cards, a set of pencils, paper clips, or push pins. It should not be associated with a name brand, since you will be creating one. You might also choose a toy that has not been branded, like the ones you will often find in a dollar store.

2. If packaging multiple items, they all need to be the same. For example, it is ok to package a set of pencils but not a set of pencils, erasers, and markers in the same package.

3. Research the product, the market, and other types of packaging. Don’t limit your research to magazines, the Web, and books. Visit stores around the area that sell similar items, and research materials and suppliers.

4. Brainstorm ideas for the package design. 5. Select the ideas with the most potential, and move on to the thumbnail

stages of your design. You should have at least 5-10 different concepts. 6. Create a series of paper dummies to test your concepts. Modify the die line

as needed. Remember, at this stage you should be working with the structure only—not the graphics. Reference your textbook for template ideas, but don’t copy.

7. Once you have decided upon the design you would like to use, proceed to construct it out of Bristol Board or any other paperboard. This dummy needs to be actual size and should be flawless. Pay close attention to the tabs, scores, and folds.

8. Photo-document this piece. 9. Brainstorm possible product names and logos. Select the ones with the most

potential, and move on to the thumbnail stages of the process. You should have at least 5-10 different concepts.

10. Post a multiple-page PDF to the discussion area. The PDF should contain the name of the product, the brand name you selected, sketches of your logo, the product specifics, the unique selling point (what makes that product different from the rest), a description of the target audience, and the retail price. Include a short paragraph describing your choice for the structural design, and explain the special feature. Include your structural pictures. Your pictures should show details of the tuck tabs, dust flaps, and glue flaps.

AMANDA KERN | PROJECT 2 | 3D GRAPHICS STUDIO: GRDS-730-OL | PROFESSOR | TRUDY ABADIE | MAY 8, 2010

PACKAGING CHOICESInitial IdeasAfter doing a lot of initial brainstorming I found that it would be inspiring for me to design either a matchbox/matchbook package or baseball card packaging.

Other Project CriteriaAt the start of this project we were reminded of some of the additional project criteria that certainly influenced my initial ideas for this project. As we designed this project we are required to design the project with these constraints in mind:

- Both the structure and the surface graphics should reflect the nature of product.

- The package must include at least one lock tab. - The package must include dust flaps where necessary. - The package must be more than a standard box. It must

have a special feature. - The package must be functional. Anyone should be able

to open the package, pull the product out of it, and then put it all back together without damaging the package or the product.

- The final package must be able to stand up on a tabletop. - Take into consideration how this product will be displayed

when designing it. Will it stack? Hang from peg board? - Surface graphics must contain all required information,

including UPC.


PACKAGING CHOICESAdditional ideasDuring the brainstorming process I picked up matchboxes & books along with a few baseball cards to see what was currently being done currently in the market.

I also remembered how exciting the Moo cards and stickers were (www.moo.com). The business cards came in a box that served as storage but also as a “collector” box that allowed cards to be collected. The sticker book reminded me of the matchbook packaging and felt it might be inspiring to mix the concept of matches and baseball cards.


PACKAGING CHOICESAdditional ideasI was also inspired by the concept of “collector cards”. I recalled some of the designer collector cards produced by French paper and included in magazines like How Magazine. My mind began to wander to other ideas beyond baseball cards. I began to think of other types of “collector cards”, perhaps some that might be inspiring to designers. I also began thinking of things about the packaging that might excite others. I found myself asking many questions in the early stages of this project.

Obviously the design would influence this but could quotes be incorporated in a way that excites people like in fortune cookies or the dove chocolate candy?

Maybe little inspiring messages could be things people want to hang onto and make them look forward to the next package?

What additional functionality would be useful? Perhaps stickers or temporary tattoos could be added to the package design somehow.

Baseball cards have been known to come with gum, perhaps the package could function with a special gum compartment?

Could the box become a collector box that comes with cards but also would serve as a box to store collector cards?


PACKAGING INSPIRATIONResearching Package designAs I began this assignment I found myself buried in several inspiring books to see example package designs. Some books offered pictures of the final product designs while others shared diagrams to help me understand how various packages were assembled. It’s very helpful to see examples of the product designs unfolded to help me take into consideration how I will mock up my own package design and design two dimensionally before assembling the three dimensional piece. The little book of Big Packaging ideas was definitely one of the most helpful as it allowed me to see the entire creative process of many package designs.


ROUGH SKETCHESInitial packaging ideasI completed a series of rough drafts to help me think through my ideas for this project. Notes were made alongside the sketches to help you better understand my logic behind these ideas.


ROUGH SKETCHESIdeas Continued








PACKAGE DIE


Creating the dieI decided to move forward with my 7th idea from my rough sketches to create a collector box packaging. The die was quite complicated to work with but this is the final die that ended up working for my mockups. Measurements are included for reference.

4”3” 3”

3”

3”

5.625”

2.5625” 2.5625”

5.625”

5.625” 5.625”

3”

3”

.75” .75” .75”

2.12

5”

.75”

.562

5”.562

5”

.125

”.375

”

.625” .625” .625”

.25”

.625” .625” .625”

.125

”

.125

”.375

”

.125”.375”

.375

”

.125

”.375

”

.125”.375”

.875

”

.5625”

.625”

.5625”

.125”.375”

.125”.375”

.625”

3.56

25”

3.56

25”

3.75

”

.375”

.375”

PACKAGE DIE


Creating the dieI hope for the package to act as a matchbox. The following die was created for the outer “wrap” for the card box.

1.6875” 1.6875” 1.6875”3.125”

4”

3.125”

INITIAL MOCKUP


Creating the mockupI must admit that the mockup was a little more complex than I had imagined so when it finally came together after several attempts I was satisfied with the results. Due to the complexity of the packaging the paper mockup was certainly more fragile but it helped me visualize how the packaging came together for the final design. The package will function like a matchbox where the package will slide into a sleeve. The sleeve will include a collectible design.

Paper selectionThe main packaging I would like to be created out of a nice brown environmental card stock. I have French paper in mind and have considered these stocks for the main packaging. The sleeve paper will be based upon the final design.

INITIAL MOCKUP


Creating the mockupThe package would have a tuck flap that would allow it to be opened. When opening it would unfold almost like a book. The inside would include baseball cards. The box could in turn be used as a collector box to store baseball cards. Unlike traditional baseball card packages, when the baseball cards are bought they come in a package that acts as a storage device for collectors. This could be useful for those on the go that may not have a place to put them when travelling to and from places.

PAPERBOARD MOCKUP


Constructing the boxI decided to use French Paper Muscletone Kraft 140lb cover stock for the primary packaging. Due to the weight of the paper it couldn’t be printed on through inkjet or laser printers so I had to manually transfer the die. I found the cover stock far more challenging to fold due it’s durability, however, scoring the bends deeply helped make assembly a little easier. It came together very similarly to the original paper mock up. By the end of the quarter I could envision screenprinting directly onto this box with a varnish or slightly darker tint of the brown so that it was a subtle touch that added to the packaging.

LOGO DESIGN


Research & Getting inspiredI began by doing a bit of research into other baseball card packaging logos. I also did a bit more research into other logos being created by other baseball organizations.

LOGO DESIGN


Research & Getting inspiredI did a bit more research into major league baseball team logos. I discovered retro and current logos for many teams.

LOGO DESIGN IDEAS


Rough sketchesI’ve elected to go with the name “ignite baseball cards” for the brand identity. This name was inspired by the matchboxes and I found it an inspiring name for baseball cards that would convey the energy and excitement of baseball.

PROJECT 1: PART BProcess: Part B1. Finalize your logo designs.2. Begin the creative process on the surface graphics. Post in-progress sketches

to the discussion board for feedback. When developing the surface graphics, take all sides and angles of the package into consideration.

3. Make changes based on feedback received from the discussion boards.4. Prepare a full-color rendering of the surface graphics. Show all sides of the

package. These can be digital or marker renderings.5. Post a document with the final renderings to the discussion board. Include a

short design brief with your posting.

Logo CompsI began working primarily with typography for the logo. Knowing my design will likely end with a typographic solution the logo has to not only relate to my ideas but stand out against competitors. I initially went with a typographic solution using cheltenham Ultra. It had a nice strong bold recognizable look that would be idea for baseball cards. I worked with the concept of the flame creating the “i” in ignite. Because I anticipated some asking for the “ball” I left one with a ball in the center of the flame. I tried the broken type effect that I felt might get related to the energetic and powerful thoughts that come with baseball. The last concept I worked more with the flame idea to create a recognizable icon to go along with the type. The type for the last two logos is League Gothic that has a strong, bold clean appearance that would be idea with a typographic solution for the package design.


COLOR SCHEMESBaseball & Retro inspired colorsI spent time early on searching for color schemes that could potentially be used for this project. All colors reminded me of baseball or gave me a sense of a retro feel that I thought would be exciting to relate to the typographic design.


GETTING INSPIREDGoing way back for design inspirationI decided to do a little research to get inspired. First I began digging up old examples of baseball cards and other baseball ephemera from the early to mid 1900s. I found many of the baseball cards themselves were often boring with a photo, a team name or packaging name, and the players name. As I looked at other ephemera I began to look more closely at the typography styles and colors a little more closely.


GETTING INSPIREDGoing beyond baseball for inspirationIn researching vintage baseball design I came to realize that many baseball cards were created by cigarette companies. I began to get more inspired by the designs of the cigarette packaging and cards that were associated with the cigarette companies. I found the type and decorative elements in line with what I recognized during the same time periods researched with baseball cards.


GETTING INSPIREDGoing beyond baseball for inspirationAs I researched baseball cards and then cigarette packaging I learned that cigarette cards have been pretty popular over the years. I found many inspirational, including these cigarette cards making women just as collectable in cards as baseball players. What is intriguing is that some of the same things that are popular today seem to show presence in some styles of design in the past. Notice the rays in one card? The flourish and decorative borders also seem to be just as trendy then as they are now. It reassured me that if done well, a collector card could be valuable for just about anything.


GETTING INSPIREDGoing beyond baseball for inspirationResearching cigarette packaging I continued to find myself inspired by typography styles. As I researched I ran into some matchbook designs that I found to be interesting. Most were branded to promote restaurants. I began to rethink the possibilities of a matchbook design with cards.


GETTING INSPIREDGoing beyond baseball for inspirationI found vintage ephemera very inspiring, especially when it comes to color and typography.


GETTING INSPIREDGetting further inspired by typographyAs I found myself inspired by typography I thought about baseball again and the thoughts of baseball tickets came to mind as a source of design inspiration.


GETTING INSPIREDGetting further inspired by typographyAs I was inspired by typography, I dug further to think of both the process and the creative possibilities. I’d love to screenprint or letterpress print the project after the project has been designed and refined. Thinking of letterpress and screenprinting brought me to additional typography inspiration.


GETTING INSPIREDGetting further inspired by typographyOne of the most memorable typographic campaigns I’ve seen to date is the packaging for Chipotle. Yes, it’s bold in it’s use of typography that speaks to the customer and gets us excited to actually want to hold the packaging in our hands to see what it has to say.


PACKAGE DESIGN SKETCHESPreliminary rough sketchesMy initial package design idea would function like a match box and the sleeve would be primarily focused on typography similar to the style of letterpress or tickets. Type would be baseball related to excite the customer with recognizable things from baseball.


PACKAGE DESIGN SKETCHESPreliminary rough sketchesMy second and third ideas were a little more playful. The type would almost “shout” in idea two with the type. Again baseball related typography. The third idea would stagger the type to where the type almost also became like texture to the packaging.


PACKAGE DESIGN SKETCHESPreliminary rough sketchesTwo additional ideas used similar typographic solutions on the box. I have considered either printing “varnish” screenprinted onto the french paper cardboard style stock so it was a subtle addition to the package design or perhaps losing the matchbox sleeve idea from the package design should be considered.


BRAINSTORMINGBuilding typographic ideas for my designI feel as though a typographic design is the strongest solution for this project. I have brainstormed a series of words, phrases and quotes that could possibly be used for my project.


baseballhomerunsluggerbig leagueswalkbalkbuntbleachersfieldbenchpitcherfirst basesecond basethird basecatcherlead off hitterstealpickleoutfield

centerfieldgrand slamtripledoublesinglebullpenrain checkgeneral admissionticketworld seriesplayoffwrigley fieldumpirebaserunnermajor leaguebattersafestrike

fouloutstolen basecoachmanagerbase on ballsdugoutfair ballinfieldplay balltake me out to the ball gamenational pasttimeline drive

“ Baseball was, is, and always will be to me the best game in the world.” — Babe Ruth

“ The hardest thing to do in baseball is to hit a round baseball with a round bat, squarely.”— Ted Williams

“ People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” — Rogers Hornsby

“ Hello again, everybody. It’s a bee-yooo-tiful day for baseball.” — Harry Caray

“Holy cow!” — Harry Caray

“It could be, it might be, It is! A home run!” — Harry Caray

“ Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack, I don’t care if I never get back, Let me root, root, root for the home team, If they don’t win it’s a shame. For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out, At the old ball game.”

TYPOGRAPHYChoosing typefaces for my designI explored a variety of typefaces before beginning the design for my project. I began by thinking wishfully of using more unique typefaces from veer. After digging through their site I found they were a little too costly. I enjoyed Karnak most as I began to come up with ideas for my project. I found many other fonts worthwhile to consider.

ITC FRANKLIN GOTHIC (FONT FAMILY)

LEAGUE GOTHICGOTHAM (FONT FAMILY)FRANCHISE

HEADLINE ONE

GOTHAM (FONT FAMILY)


INITIAL PACKAGE DESIGNBeginning the Typographic DesignI mixed the concepts of ticket design and letterpress typographic design for my packaging. Typically almost all baseball card packaging has a baseball player, logo and a bit of type so my thoughts were to do something different that wasn’t a “traditional” design and that in doing so it could stand out amongst the competition. My hopes were that in using typography I might draw customers in with curiosity and that it could work towards my advantage.


Initial package design

Front package

INITIAL PACKAGE DESIGNTypographic design processWhile designing I referenced typographic design examples to see how I could create typographic variations that would emulate the letterpress and ticket styles I admired. Typographic weight, sizes, and positioning all were things I considered as I created the initial package design.


Back package

INITIAL PACKAGE DESIGNAdding Color to my designI felt color could add to the design and help give stronger hierarchy and flow within my package design so I tried a few different color schemes.


PROJECT 1: PART CProcess: Part C1. Construct a full-color, fully functional comp of your final package design.

Surface graphics should be clean and legible, and they must work well with the construction you have created. Don’t forget to include all the pertinent information, such as: quantity, weight, color, manufacturing place, barcodes, trademark, © information, etc.

2. Submit photos of your final comp and the process book to the Submissions area, and post the final design to the discussion board. Your submissions should include a series of photographs showing the whole package and the details. Remember, you will be graded on presentation, so make sure the files are organized and properly labeled.


I entertained pushing the design beyond the matchbox theme and onto the card box. You will see both presented in mockups.

PAPER MOCKUP


Mocking up with the designI printed the colors designs on paper for a final mockup prior to screenprinting. My idea did initial involve the package being within a designed sleeve, like a matchbox. Here’s the first color comp before deciding on the final colors.

PAPER MOCKUP


Mocking up with the designWhen I first added colors to the design I felt as though the first two color schemes related most to baseball. The red, blue and grey felt very patriotic and sporty. The blue, yellow and grey also left me with a sporty feel.

PAPER MOCKUP


Mocking up with the designEarly in the process I knew I wanted to screenprint. I have a bit of an obsession with French paper and think the Muscletone kraft paper could lead to interesting screenprinting results. This is a test print where the color was tested from the paper image on French paper’s web site. I don’t think we’ll know for sure until it’s screenprinted if it’s effective enough. Seeing it printed in person didn’t make me completely eliminate this color scheme.

French Paper sample

PAPER MOCKUP


Mocking up with the designAs I recalled my initial ideas while applying color I remembered how inspired I was by retro design and ephemera. I felt this orange, yellow and green color scheme best represented that retro feel.

PAPER MOCKUP


Mocking up with the designAfter giving the project more thought I began to think that as much as I liked the matchbox concept that it might be worthwhile to try the design on the box which was something I had considered since the beginning. I didn’t want to totally ditch the matchbox concept but also was a bit concerned with the complicated nature of the product packaging. I was most worried before mocking up the design that it might pose problems on the package sides where quotes where. After doing a paper mockup with the design I can see that it would work, however, a bit more spacing is needed between the second line and the bolded line to ensure that any fold needed wouldn’t compromise the type. I left the fold lines in this mockup to help me see any final problem areas before screenprinting. I also left the design black and white for screenprinting reasons. Final color will be applied through the screenprinting process. The big new thing for the packaging is that it allowed for type on the inside of the card box. Words screenprinted would overprint.

PAPER SELECTION


French paper possibilitiesI’ve come to realize that a project goes beyond just the initial design. Paper choice can leave an impression with a customer and help the design make a stronger impact than if it were printed on the first paper stock on hand. I have a bit of an obsession with paper and ordered a few different selections of french paper so I had on hand when it was time to screenprint. I went with a few different natural colored styles that could work with some of the colors I’ve chosen. I also went with a few different weights of paper. Initially I used the 140lb cover and though I like it’s durability I think a lighter weight may suffice.

Muscletone Kraft140lb cover

SpeckletoneTrue White140lb cover

Speckletone Madero Beach

100lb cover

MuscletoneMadero Beach

140lb cover

SpeckletoneCream

80lb cover

Smart White130lb cover

SCREENPRINTING PROCESS


Burning the screensI elected to screenprint this project because I knew the end result would be more of an impact than a digital laser print. Screenprinting offers a more original authentic design because the prints slightly vary based on the nature of the printing process. It is, however, a very tedious process. After finalizing the design film was printed on transparencies and then exposed against the photo emulsion on the screens. To ensure the screens weren’t exposed before burning the image of the design onto the screen photo the lights were out with the exception of the photo sensitive bulbs. No other light could enter the room while the screens were burning or the screens could have been exposed which would leave them unusable. An exposing unit burned the image onto the screen. Each screen took about 11 minutes to burn.



Rinsing & inspecting the screensEach screen was rinsed out to remove all the emulsion from the where the image was burned onto the screen. This is a process that is critical because if all the emulsion isn’t removed it could lead losing detail in the final screenprinted image. Knowing I had type and some details in area of the screen I was a bit concerned if all the type and detail would hold. I used a 305 mesh count screen which was perfect for the detail I had in my package design.



Inspecting the screensAfter each screen was burned and rinsed they were inspected. This photo was taken with the screen held towards the sun after it was burned. As you can see, the image allows the light to pass through the screen. As screens were rinsed inspecting them was often a repeat process to ensure all emulsion was removed. The detail in smaller type, especially the counters, as well as the crop marks were what required the most attention. The crop marks were critical to ensure they were burned into the emulsion because they would allow for more accurate registration of the three colors being used.



Printing the designI printed the project at Valencia where we’ve got a screenprinting area set up to print multiple color projects. One of the challenges in the beginning was ensuring the registration was accurate. Matte board was squared up on the press to help ensure the paper was positioned in the same position for every print. Mixing the color was trial and error. After that the screen was flooded with ink and then pulled for several prints. I tried a few paper options that you’ll see in the following pages.



Printing the designI started with a light yellow similar to the color design presented earlier in my process book. Screenprinting requires mixing colors and it’s an experimental process. The lighter yellow looked fine on the darker brown paper and black paper but not on the lighter paper. So the yellow was darkened for the lighter paper.



Printing the designThe orange was added to the design. At first registration was a concern but the crop marks lined up well and appears to have worked out well.



Printing the designGreen was added to the design. The biggest headache of the day was the green. It was tough to match the green. Another issue with screenprinting is that the ink usually dries slightly darker. I thought the green was close to the original design but once it was printed I felt it was too dark (as you can see in the photo on the lighter paper). The green was toned down with white and in a matter of a couple of minutes the ink had already begun to dry from the darker green pulled through in the fine details of the green screen. I had hoped that rinsing the screen manually with water and a paper towel would be enough to clear out the dry ink but as you can see, it rubbed right through the emulsion. After running several test prints (as in the black photo) it was clear the screen was no longer usable so all the screens were reclaimed and cleaned.

After being immersed in the screenprinting process for about seven hours the package design is so close to being printed but the final screen must be burned again in order to print.



Printing the final colorAfter recoating a screen with emulsion and burning the image onto it the next day the green was printed onto the design. The biggest challenge in using multiple colors in a design that is screenprinted is registration. The screenprinting table is hinged so matte board was adhered to the table once the print was in position to ensure that every print was as close to being registered with the original design as possible. The process to print the last color from burning the screen, printing, and cleaning the screen took about two hours total.

PACKAGE DIE CUT


Transferring the package die & foldsI elected to include as many crop/fold marks onto the print as possible, however, the die was eliminated. On a laser print I could have gotten a way with leaving it in but with a screenprinted project I didn’t want to worry about a slight shift in the registration or additional ink into the final design in areas where it wasn’t necessary. So I created a template of the die and registered it to the marks that were printed and manually drew the die line. I then scored all fold lines. After scoring I trimmed the entire package design.

PACKAGE ASSEMBLY PROCESS


Assembling the packagingThe assembly of the package was very tedious given the amount of folds and places it required glue to adhere the structure of the box together. Each box took 30-45 minutes to transfer the die, score, trim, fold, and assemble. I used a few different types of adhesives throughout this entire process of designing this project in the mockup phase. I found the Scotch 3M Quick Dry Adhesive to work best. It only took about a second or two of holding it in place for it to hold. None of the mockups using this adhesive that I assembled had any issues days later. It seemed to really do the trick in adhering the folded areas of the package together. I did find the final fold at the opening to be the most challenging. There was little room to work with because the package was rather small.

FINAL PACKAGE DESIGN


Package design version oneBecause I screenprinted I was able to print onto a few different paper stocks. Though I have a choice, I honestly find something unique about each of the package design. Seeing the differences of the prints on different paper could leave choices for the client to potentially offer a series of card boxes. I would have loved to have had more time to be able to design different typographic designs and perhaps color variations would have been another option in a “series”. Here is the first design printed onto French paper (Speckletone Madero Beach 100lb cover). The paper had just enough texture in it’s appearance that it added an nice feel to the final product. I loved how the screenprinting process helped give some type a worn and more original look than any digital print could have done for this project.



Package design version oneWhat makes this package design unique in comparison to other baseball card packaging is that it acts as a collector box. It opens like a book and the cards can be stored inside. One challenge I had was making sure the type on the side didn’t go along the fold where the box would fold open. Before folding the box, typographically it may appear to have too much space but I think the compensation for the fold concern works given the functionality needed. The other side of the box has a tuck flap that keeps the box closed when tucked into the opening.



Package design version twoThe second version was printed onto French paper (Muscletone Kraft 140lb cover). Though I loved the durability of the stock, it was a pain to fold this package! Though the green was darkened for this version I found it still a bit too light. Yes, green is a challenge to work with screenprinting. It was the toughest color to match and get to work. I found this one didn’t photograph as well as the piece looks in person. I think if the green was darkened a bit more it’d improve the package design.

In some feedback received in the first project I was told my package design shots needed to be clearer throughout rather than softening past the focal point. I increased my f-stop to 8 thru 11 for most of these shots and for the most part I think they improved the clarity and crispness in the product images.



Package design version threeOriginally a black packaging was never a thought. While screenprinting I tested one of the first prints against black to make sure the ink was printing well. I loved the look of the yellow against the black stock I had on hand. So I printed only two versions of the black package. I love the contrast the colors have against the box. They really jump out and grab you. I suppose this is an ideal example of how sometimes the creative process can lead to unexpected positive results that may be perceived by some as a stronger end solution. I’m personally torn between preferring the first or third version for a final package design.

FINAL THOUGHTS


Reflecting on my package design projectI enjoyed this project, though I must admit it was a very tedious process. Throughout the process I believe the end total lead to 6 mockups of the package design and 4 mockups of the sleeve concept. I went through 10 exacto blades and nearly a half bottle of adhesive. If I had more time I’d have loved to have pushed this a step further and developed a series of boxes where the typographic design changed.

There has been concern about using the screenprinting process in the package design due to the time required to print the boxes. I spent over 9 hours in the screenprinting process and printed about 25 packages. I found this concept to be a “collector” box and feel a company approaching a design like this would likely need to ensure the budget would support a package that would be this different from the norm which in turn would justify screenprinting. There are many companies that have a more efficient screenprinting process that even includes the use of machines that allow for a more even application of the ink. Because of this, I think it’d be an idea possibility. The only printing that may be more unique would include letterpress, embossing, metallic or varnish printing. If cost is a concern then I would certainly say that I’d also be concerned with the cost required to assemble the box.

Concern was also expressed about the typographic design and how appropriate it would be for card collectors. I suppose only a survey or actually putting the product out to be purchased would tell us for sure if it would be a success. I found in my research that most card packaging involved a ball player and the logo but not much more. In comparison I think the differences would help differentiate this product from the norm and hopefully in turn help it gain more attention to ensure it’s success.

Documents

Baseball card packaging process book