Label, packaging and print design near Milwaukee
I design labels, packaging and printed pieces for businesses in Elm Grove, around Milwaukee and across Wisconsin and the Midwest. Fifteen years inside a print company taught me how a design holds up on press, on a die line and on a shelf, so I think about the printing from the first sketch. Recent work includes the Chapter Two and Cuento Corto labels for Manuscrito Tequila, and the sell sheets and shelf talkers that go with them.
At a glance
- Starts at
- From $450 for a sell sheet, $2,500 for a label [suggested, to confirm]
- Typical timeline
- Four to eight weeks for a label, including printer proofs. One to two weeks for a sell sheet. [To confirm]
- Where
- Elm Grove, Wisconsin. I work with clients around Milwaukee, across the Midwest and remotely.
What's included
Product packaging and labels
Labels, cartons and packaging systems, set up with real die lines and the required copy in the right place.
Marketing collateral
Sell sheets, shelf talkers, tasting sheets, brochures and the pieces that sell a product once it's in the store.
Editorial layout
Catalogs, reports, menus and anything with more than a few pages.
Working together
How it goes
A label for one product usually takes four to eight weeks, including printer proofs. A sell sheet takes one to two. [Timelines to confirm.] Most of the variation on a label comes from the printing side, so that’s where I start.
Before I design anything. I ask your printer for the die line, the exact shape the label gets cut to, with the bleed and the safe area marked. I also gather the copy the label has to carry. On a spirit, that means the class and type, the alcohol content, the net contents, who bottled or imported it, and the government warning. Food and cosmetics have their own lists. I fit all of it at the sizes it needs before I start on the pretty parts, and you or whoever handles your approvals signs off on the wording.
Design. I show you a few directions on a rendering of your actual bottle, can or box, at real size. You pick one, and two rounds of revisions are included [suggested, to confirm].
Files and proofs. I build the final files to your printer’s specs. Spot colors and foils get their own layers, fonts are outlined, images are at full resolution and the bleed is where it belongs. When the printer’s proof comes back, I check it against the file line by line before you approve it.
Press check. For a new label or a large run, I’ll go to the press check when the printer is within driving distance and look at color on the real stock before the run starts. [Confirm press check policy and any travel fee.]
What I’ll need from you
- The die line, or your printer’s contact so I can ask for it.
- The required copy, close to final, and the name of whoever approves it.
- A sample of the bottle, box or product if one exists. A label reads differently in your hand than on a screen.
- Your stock and finish choices, if you’ve made them. If you haven’t, I can help you choose.
What you get at the end
- Print-ready PDFs built to your printer’s specs, plus the packaged native files, with fonts and images.
- Flat artwork and renderings for your website, sell sheets and distributor decks.
- A short spec sheet with the colors, stock and finishes, so the next run matches this one.
The files are yours once the project is paid in full. [Confirm ownership terms for your contract.]
Related work
Work like this
Questions
Questions about print and packaging
What does a label or packaging project cost?
A label for one product starts at $2,500, and a packaging system across several products starts at $6,000. A sell sheet or flyer starts at $450, and a brochure or catalog at $1,200. [All prices suggested, to confirm.] My fee covers the design and the print-ready files. Your printer quotes and bills the printing.
How long does a label take?
Four to eight weeks for one label, including printer proofs [to confirm]. The design itself is usually about half of that. The rest is the die line, the required copy and proofing, which all go faster when your printer is chosen early.
Do you work with my printer?
Yes. Send me their specs or put me in touch, and I'll set up the files the way their prepress team wants them. I spent fifteen years inside a print and brand management company, so bleed, spot colors, foil plates and proof approvals are familiar ground. If you don't have a printer yet, I can help you find one. [Confirm whether you offer printer referrals.]
Can you make sure my label has the required information?
I'll lay out everything the label has to carry, make sure it fits at the right sizes and flag anything that looks missing. The wording and the final sign-off belong to you or whoever handles your approvals. For spirits, beer and wine, that usually includes label approval from the TTB.
Who owns the files?
You do, once the project is paid in full. You get the print-ready PDFs and the packaged native files, so any printer or designer can pick them up later. [Confirm ownership terms for your contract.]
Do you work with brands outside Wisconsin?
Yes. I'm in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, just outside Milwaukee. Proofs and samples travel fine by mail, and reviews happen over video. If your printer is within driving distance, I'm glad to go to the press check.
Make with KG.