Custom Packaging Mockups & Prototypes
Packaging prototypes are examples or mock-ups of what your packaging would look like with fully printed graphics before entering mass production. As you make your packaging mock-up, it’s essential to remember that your prototype is not functional. Instead, it represents a single unit of your packaging before it enters mass production.
A packaging prototype is not a proof or sample of your product either. Proofs are part of the manufacturing process’s final steps and require your approval before moving forward with mass production. A sample is an example of what a manufacturing company can do. Typically, you will receive a sample after you officially decide to work with a packaging company.
Phase 1 Prototypes provides dependable prototype packaging and mockups for clients to help them get their products to market quickly. When you choose us, you will enjoy benefits like same-day turnaround and excellent customer service. Request a quote to learn more about our custom packaging prototypes!
Packaging Mockups and Prototypes Are Essential Business Tools
Packaging mock-ups and prototypes are used by innovation teams, packaging engineers, brand and marketing professionals, sales teams and creative agencies for a wide variety of reasons.
- Proof of Concept: Designs like box structures or POP displays and shippers are first designed on a computer. A prototype is a logical next step. The product packaging design file is turned into a physical package and reviewed for size, proportion and potential surface area for graphics.
- Research Stimuli: Gathering consumer and customer input is an important step in the packaging development process. A physical packaging mock-up of what the final package might look like is extremely helpful when gathering feedback.
- Retailer Line Review: Retailers routinely ask manufacturers to review their product lines, packaging and marketing strategies with buyers. Prototypes and mock-ups are used to present new product packaging or redesigned packaging that has not yet been produced on a commercial press.
- Sales Samples: In many cases, sales teams are expected to sell a product to a retailer before the packaging is ready to be shipped. Companies often request a short print run of packaging to get just the amount needed to arm sales teams with the tools to make compelling pitches to potential customers.
- Design Reviews: Marketing teams or start-ups may require packaging mock-ups in order to get buy-in from upper management or investors. Mock-ups and prototypes are also a great way to ensure branding and functional requirements are met and that the brand is putting its best foot forward in a competitive marketplace.
- Color Proofing & Targets: A high-volume production run on a commercial printing press is a big investment. Marketers and designers want to make sure that color is just right before going on press. Doing test prints and submitting color targets to a printer is a great way to make sure a larger print run will go smoothly.
- Trade Shows & Events: Mock-ups, prototypes and displays are critical to making an impact and leaving an impression at industry events and trade shows. They can help your booth stand out or provide a visual aid during presentations and conversations.
In any of these cases, we’ll help you determine the solution needed and deliver it with quality, speed and excellent customer service.
The Importance of Packaging Mock-Ups and Prototypes
It is difficult to overstate the importance of prototypes to packaging. Packaging mock-ups and prototypes let you test out ideas to ensure they are viable. Prototypes help you catch and resolve any issues, including possible errors or problems with opening a package, before you invest the money in printing a large run of packaging materials. It is much more cost-effective to make tweaks and changes with mock-ups than with a product ready to head to the shelves.
If you are a growing business, prototype product packaging can help you appeal to potential consumers, shareholders and investors. While you can describe your product to lenders and investors, it is much more impressive if you can present an exact replica of your product packaging that someone can touch and hold in their hands.
A packaging prototype can also help you make mission-critical choices. Are you wondering which logo, marketing message or slogan would work best on each product? Are you considering different images or colors for some of your products? Mock-up packaging and a prototype consultation with an expert will let you test these ideas on real packaging. It can be much easier to make a choice when you see what the final product would really look like.
Tips to Improve Your Product Packaging
Whether you sell your products in local or big box stores, having a positive first impression is vital. An exciting and memorable packaging design is one of the easiest ways to attract customers. Some tips for creating engaging packaging include:
- Use high-quality materials: Quality plays a significant role in product sales. Paper, cardboard and paperboard can create appealing packaging while limiting the risk of damage during transportation.
- Keep an eye on trends: Customers will likely see your packaging before your product, making it essential to communicate your brand idea and story with customers. You can also use your packaging to create an emotional connection with customers. Paying attention to current trends and interests can help you design packaging that attracts and keeps customers returning.
- Use colors carefully: Colors are a great tool for effective packaging. However, you’ll want to find a balance between bold colors that catch the customer’s eye and more subtle shades. The selected colors should complement your product and work well with any logos or existing colors.
- Fit the package to the product: Packaging impacts a customer as soon as they enter a store, and shoppers will want to know what your product is and how it works as soon as they pick it up. By matching your packaging to the product in size, shape, functionality and materials, you accurately reflect the item inside.
What Industries Use Packaging Mock-Ups and Prototypes?
Virtually any business can benefit by working with a prototype packaging company to create large or small runs of mock-up packaging. However, the industries that most often work with prototypes include:
- Toy Packaging: Mock-ups ensure packaging is safe for children and contains the bright colors needed to attract children and parents.
- Spirits & Wine: Many buyers in this market make purchasing decisions in the store, so appealing packaging helps sales.
- This is another area where buyers are often heavily influenced by packaging. In addition, food packaging needs to keep food fresh, so testing this before printing a large run is a cost-effective measure.
- Home Improvement Products: In big box home improvement stores, products need to stand out, and mock-ups let manufacturers create eye-catching packaging materials.
- Beverages: In the competitive beverages market, creating the right branding is crucial and mock-ups let businesses make important marketing decisions.
- Food and Candy Packaging: The products that are most often bought are food products. On display in massive shelves in grocery stores and everywhere it is never more important to make your product stand out with its packaging.
- Sporting Equipment: Customers need to know what your sporting equipment is from the second they look at your packaging, especially if you are marketing your product to a niche sports industry. Choosing descriptive packaging while protecting the materials inside is an effective way to move your products off shelves and into customers’ hands.
A Decade of Packaging Mock-up & Prototype Experience
Since 2006, Phase 1 Prototypes has been committed to helping clients bring their creative vision to life. Based in Dallas, Texas, we have achieved our position as a leading packaging mock-up and prototype studio through a combination of technological innovation and outstanding customer service. We service multiple industries: food and beverage, spirits, housewares, sporting equipment and others.
Advanced Technical Design Capabilities
We have maintained a reputation as an industry innovator, going so far as to design our own proprietary substrates. And we have the technical capacity to print packaging mock-ups and prototypes that incorporate a wide range of styles, textures, colors and other unique features, such as spot varnish, metallic packaging and more. In short, anything your branding team can dream up, we’ll work with you to make a reality.