When you are ready to have new packaging made, someone, whether it is you or someone in your design department, will have to come up with the design. You could also use the services provided by the packaging manufacturer. If you plan to do it yourself, you will need to know what the packaging manufacturer needs in order to create your desired packaging. When the manufacturer has that information, he can create a mock-up of the package and return it to you so that you can make sure it works.
Why Do I Need A Mock-Up?
When you are creating a new package for your product, you need to know that what you’ve designed is really going to work. You really don’t want to order 50,000 square boxes that are four inches on all sides, only to discover that your doohickey is four and a half inches long but only two inches high. The purpose of having a mock-up made is so that you can make certain that your product really fits inside properly. You may even want to send it through the mail to see if it will withstand the rigors of shipping.
What Is Needed For A Mock-Up
You will need to provide exact specifications to the packaging manufacturer for your package, as that is what they will use to create the mock-up. The mock-up doesn’t need to be printed with all of your wording and graphics, because you only want to make sure the size and shape are correct. However, you could have it printed, if the placement of the printing is critical to the size, shape, and design of the package in relation to the product contained therein.
DIY Mock-Up
It is possible to make your own mock-up of your desired packaging, especially if you have a creative graphic artist on your staff. Even if you don’t have the desired materials on hand, you can still probably use something similar that will approximate the end result. If you wish to create a cloth bag that will encase a special bottle of perfume, you can use a scrap of cotton cloth and length of yarn to create the mock-up to give you the right measurements for the finished product. When you have made your mock-up, you can send it to your packaging manufacturer with your instructions that the bags are to be made of royal purple satin with a silver ribbon drawstring—or whatever your desire is. The same will hold true for a paperboard box, or some other type of packaging.
What Happens Next?
After you receive your mock-up from your packaging manufacturer, you will try it with your product to make sure that it works and is correct. Then you will notify the manufacturer that it is accurate, and he will go ahead and make your packaging containers for you. Because you have used a mock-up, you can be certain that the finished containers will be just the right size and shape for your product.
