The use of shrink sleeves gives designers, and consumers, a great deal to consider. Having the entire surface area of a bottle or package in which to emblazon art work and copy lends an advantage for any branding team. In turn, busy consumers and shoppers take notice. The more eye catching the packaging, the more willing a consumer is to try a new product. This of course isn’t new and radical thinking. Thousands of products and brands use shrink sleeves. From deodorant packages to energy drinks, you’ll run into shrink sleeves quite frequently.
Despite it’s foothold in the marketplace, shrink sleeves aren’t necessarily a slam dunk to design or manufacture. When bottles with dramatic curvatures and reliefs are being utilized, designers must have a clear understanding of how the artwork will distort. Meaning, that when the plastic shrink wrap conforms to the shape of the package, the art work must end up looking neat and proportionate. If the art isn’t up to spec and proofed properly, a large chunk of money, missed deadlines, and potentially someone’s job is at stake.
An economical and safe way of making sure your shrink sleeves distort properly is to have a short run of digital shrink sleeve prototypes made. It’s important to work with a shop that has experience in shrink sleeve distortion and prototyping. Having one made usually only takes a few days and is a tremendous safeguard for you and your client. Remember, the cost to physically hold and approve your package before going to press is a fraction of the cost of having to re-run run it.
PrintSure has been producing packaging prototypes and shrink sleeves for some of America’s largest brands.
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