Handmade Packaging Workshop: Tips, Tools & Techniques for Creating Custom Bags, Boxes and Containers

by Rachel Wiles

Overview

Taking packaging design back to basics, Handmade Packaging Workshop is unique in its focus, appealing more strongly to the handmade market, as well as highlighting the potential for customized packaging, sustainability, and recycling.

Organized into three sections, the first provides advice on materials, printing, shipping, sustainability, and more. Each chapter in this section includes detailed information, professional advice, and examples of finished pieces. Section two forms the main focus of the book and is organized by type of packaging: labels, boxes, bags, fabrics, and wraps. This section offers tutorials from the author and case studies and inspirational galleries from contemporary practitioners, providing insight into their design choices. The final section offers information about how to take your work to the next level, featuring advice on marketing your work, appropriate trade shows, and reaching out to potential clients.

• Contains step-by-step tutorials for designing handmade packaging
• Includes galleries and inspirational showcases from a range of practitioners
• Cross references styles and techniques through the book
• Profiles of practitioners provide insights into handcrafting packaging

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440321207
Publisher:	HOW Books
Publication date:	08/13/2012
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	7.52(w) x 10.26(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

Rachel Wiles is a freelance graphic designer and writer currently situated near Minneapolis. She currently serves as a writer and editor for TheDieline.com while maintaining her own design company and blog, BenignObjects.com. She has a B.A. in journalism and a B.F.A. in graphic design. Her ADDY award-winning work has been featured in several design magazines and books including HOW, CMYK and Graphis.

Table of Contents

Introduction 08

Design Considerations Basics 10

Chapter 1 Tools and equipment 12

Chapter 2 Materials and resources 14

Chapter 3 Printing and shipping 18

Chapter 4 Sustainability 22

Packaging Elements Case Studies 24

Chapter 5 Labels

Case studies 26

Gallery 50

Chapter 6 Tags

Case studies 54

Gallery 66

Chapter 7 Boxes

Case studies 68

Gallery 82

Chapter 8 CD and DVD cases

Case studies 88

Gallery 93

Chapter 9 Bags

Case studies 94

Gallery 100

Reusable Elements Case Studies 102

Chapter 10 Fabrics and wraps

Case studies 104

Gallery 112

Chapter 11 Recycled and upcycled

Case studies 114

Gallery 125

Going Pro Tutorials and Profiles 126

Chapter 12 Practical skills

Creating a repeating pattern 128

Using Adobe Illustrator's 3D capabilities 132

Preparing files for letterpress printing 136

Creating a dieline 138

Screenprinting 142

Simple block printing 148

Chapter 13 Industry advice

Something's Hiding in Here 150

Eric Kaas 152

Hammerpress 154

Stitch Design Co. 156

Design Bridge 158

ilovedust 160

Glossary 164

Useful Websites 167

Contributors 168

Packaging Chart 170

Index 172

About the Author 175

Acknowledgments 175