Product Packaging Design (comprehensive course)

Compare paid and free software, noting no-cost access and possible feature limits for free programs, versus paid subscriptions with multiple formats, powerful features, and ongoing official support.

Identify essential design tools and begin learning across digital and print media, from computer programs to apps and template websites, using a mix of academic study and hands-on experience.

Learn the two core programs for product packaging design—Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator—plus free alternatives Inkscape and Photopea, with step-by-step guidance for beginners.

Compare Illustrator and Photoshop to reveal vector advantages for scalable print outputs. Highlight Illustrator for logos, icons, infographics, and typography, and Photoshop for photo editing and ui design.

Understand how web colors use rgb and hex codes, while printing relies on cmyk and Pantone, and use flatuicolors.com and flatuicolorpicker.com to copy hex values for packaging design.

Discover font sites such as dafont, font squirrel, and befonts, understand rights for personal versus commercial use, and install fonts via right-click or copying to the Windows fonts folder.

Explore design aids like shapes and symbols used on products, and learn where to download logos, shapes, symbols, fonts, icons, and mockups from Seeklogo, Vecteezy, Freepik, and Unblast.

Discover free image sources for product packaging design, including Pexels and Pixabay for high-quality photos and icons, and Pngtree, Favpng, Pngitem, Stickpng, and Purepng for images without backgrounds.

Remove image backgrounds in Photoshop using two methods, including subject selection and layer-based erasing. Utilize AI tools to speed up background removal.

Learn two background removal methods for product packaging design—manual software and an online tool like remove.bg—upload or drag, delete the background, and download the result.

Discover how mockups showcase 3D packaging designs using PSD formats in Photoshop, and explore top sites like Goodmockups, mockups-design, Unblast, Freepik, Mockupworld, and Behance for free downloads.

Discover how visual inspiration fuels creative packaging design by tapping external stimuli and brain connections, and explore sources such as Behance, 500 website, Dribbble, Pinterest, and awards.

Explore merging techniques in product packaging design by digitally manipulating photos, piecing negatives together or bleaching parts, using Photoshop, Lightroom, and Canva to create packaging visuals.

Explore graphic design as a craft using images, color, and typography to communicate messages, and packaging design that merges form, materials, and imagery to convey product personality and boost sales.

Explore the main packaging types, including bottles and jars, boxes, cans, laminated tubes, and bags, with designs printed on paper or adhesive paper and varied box shapes.

Collect brand requirements—colors, fonts, and logo—before designing packaging. Gather required content, imagery, and written copy, plus marks like barcode or nutrition information, and note expiration dates or batch numbers.

Master the six-step packaging design process, covering outer, inner, and product packaging, choose the right type, plan printing, and collect feedback to ensure clear, honest packaging.

Identify the simple versus complex packaging concepts, showing how few details with creative placement and basic data create simple designs, while many details and their careful arrangement yield synthectuc designs.

Explore how language shapes packaging design by integrating multiple languages, adding translations within the product packaging, and tailoring logos to local markets.

Start with pen-and-paper sketches before packaging design to emphasize sketching as a crucial step after research and mood board format; consider audience and business service.

Choose whether to obtain barcodes from a customer or barcode software, and specify the required file formats, including vector files and png renderers.

Identify the two main barcode types, linear 1d and 2d barcodes, and how UPCs and QR codes, GTINs, and EANs identify products across packaging and labels.

Discover how GS1 provides barcode standards and assigns upcs, gtins, and eans to products, and learn to create your own barcode by entering product details and downloading formats.

Place barcodes and QR codes on packaging with practical placement guidance, typically on the back or side, and explore front-placement options that support easy scanning.

Discover artificial intelligence, including machine learning, deep learning, and generative tools like ChatGPT, and see how AI enables machines to perform human-like tasks across industries.

Explore artificial intelligence for design using Midjourney to generate logos, business cards, and product covers, noting a 100-entry limit and the tool's advantages and limitations.

For product packaging design, register and verify on Discord, log in to the Midjourney interface, then use / imagine with a description, select v4, view samples, and save the image.

Learn how artificial intelligence guides juice box packaging design by generating samples, selecting and refining with new descriptions, and applying colors and shapes on a mockup.

Learn to use artificial intelligence to generate packaging designs, refine with descriptions, adjust colors and box shape, and iterate with samples and mockups for a juice box one liter.

Learn Adobe Illustrator basics for packaging design, from creating a CMYK print file with bleed and artboards to using the pen tool and the type tool, gradients, and Pathfinder.

Create a coffee box packaging design in Illustrator by defining precise centimeter measurements, building a 2d layout, applying gradients, and placing logos and nutrition facts.

Collaborate with your client through a step-by-step prepress checklist to prepare packaging for print, including proofreading, font spacing, image resolution, color accuracy, bleed, and PDF export.

Learn packaging basics: perform dimension checks, specify main panel width and height, flaps, required content, UPC, nutrition information, safety advisory, and bleed, then save files per printer specs.

Create print-ready packaging designs by applying bleed and workspace boundaries in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, ensuring trim lines align with the stock sheet and future cut lines.

Create a packaging design workflow from 2D shapes to a print-ready box using illustrator. Define workspace boundaries, apply gradients, place logos, and include nutrition facts for final print.

Market yourself as a product designer by building a resume, reviewing design samples, sharing knowledge, and creating social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok to attract clients.

Discover multiple venues to display your work, from social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to portfolios on Behance, Pinterest, Dribble, and free options on Weebly.

Explore freelance work sites that offer design competitions, bidding, and client requests, including 99designs, Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer, while learning how to protect designs from imitation.

Explore freelance versus team work in packaging design, balancing freedom and variety with collaboration, stability, and shared creativity while managing communication, tools, and time.

Design a noodle packaging by setting a cmyk file and a 10.6 by 20.6 cm canvas, adding a noodle background, white logo, and 'mini soup' text.

Dive into Project 1 by using the provided source files to unleash your creativity in product packaging design.