Get the dieline first
Before any visual work starts, you need the flat template from your packaging supplier — the dieline — showing exact dimensions, fold lines, glue flaps and safe areas. Designing without it means redrawing the artwork later.
If you have not chosen a supplier yet, choose one before the design brief. The structure dictates the layout, not the other way round.
Collect the mandatory content
Food, beverage, cosmetics and supplement packaging all carry legal requirements: ingredients, weight, allergens, batch codes, barcodes and country-specific labelling. Gather the final text and the barcode file before design begins.
This content is not decoration and it cannot be squeezed in at the end. It needs its own space in the layout from the first draft.
Think in ranges, not single products
Even if you launch with one product, design the label so a second and third variant can slot into the same system with a colour or name change. Retrofitting a range onto a one-off design is the expensive path.
Ask for product mockups as part of the delivery. They let you check shelf impact and give you ready-made images for your website and social channels.
