What We Learned Packaging for Small-Batch Brands
by:
Yuki Tanaka
Small Runs Change Everything
Designing packaging for a brand printing 500 units at a time is a different discipline than designing for a national retailer. Die lines that make sense at scale become cost-prohibitive at small-batch volume, and minimum order quantities on custom stock can quietly kill an otherwise great concept.
Designing Within the Print Run
Our approach now starts with a call to the printer before a single sketch. Knowing the real constraints — stock options, minimums, turnaround — early lets us design something that looks intentional rather than compromised once the numbers come back.
by:
Yuki Tanaka
What We Learned Packaging for Small-Batch Brands
Small Runs Change Everything
Designing packaging for a brand printing 500 units at a time is a different discipline than designing for a national retailer. Die lines that make sense at scale become cost-prohibitive at small-batch volume, and minimum order quantities on custom stock can quietly kill an otherwise great concept.
Designing Within the Print Run
Our approach now starts with a call to the printer before a single sketch. Knowing the real constraints — stock options, minimums, turnaround — early lets us design something that looks intentional rather than compromised once the numbers come back.