Complicated package design HELP!

[Heather_Blumenauer@adobeforums.com]

I am in need of some advice and not sure where to turn. I was wondering if maybe someone has had some experience in VERY complicated Illustrator work?! I am going to try to explain what I am confused about and let me know if anyone has any answers.

I designed a large horse nutrition feed bag for a company. I created the entire bag in Photoshop (with the copy, graphics, etc. being copied and pasted from Illustrator 10). This packaging company that the company is going with is being a pain and wants this entire bag done in Illustrator 10 with layers - except they aren't offering a lot of help with my questions. They want the CMYK images linked to the file in Illustrator 10, not placed. I don't exactly understand how to do that? Would dragging and dropping the image into Illustrator 10 achieve this?

And how (if I can) do I create the same effects as I have done with Photoshop such as the grass blending into the background, the horses outlined and the bottom image fading into the background green color - all created with channels and masks in Photoshop 7. The problem is, the packagers want the background green color and the grid design on top of the background color done in Illustrator 10. I thought you could only create these effects in Photoshop 7? I am at a total loss for answers. I read through some of the help section in Illustrator 10, but a lot of these questions don't seem to be covered in that - or else I am just not looking for the correct thing! Thank you so much!

[LRK@adobeforums.com]

Heather,

First of all the way to link a file in Illustrator is to Place it from the File Menu. Just make sure that Link is checked when the dialog box comes up.

Next, do you know how to use Illustrator? Do you have an Illustrator Template for the bag with size, crop marks, etc. that you can start with?

[David_Piercy@adobeforums.com]

Hi, I work in packaging and there are a number of reasons why the packaging/repro company want a mixture of photoshop and illustrator artwork.

If your design is flexo/gravure printed it will probability need spot colours adding for the text/illustrations.

If your design is created totally in photoshop, it would be very difficult, even impossible to trap and work the job for packaging.

The company probably want text/linework created in illustrator and the images, linked/placed into illustator.

I can't really, help anymore if I can't see the design. If you could put the file or a screenshot onto an ftp server, I would be happy to help further.

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

Without seeing your design, it’s kind of difficult to comment. But genreally speaking, I think your packaging company wants and labeling elements - type, boxes, etc - to be vector. Try to combine or layer the pixel elements in Photoshop so all the type, etc., is turned off, and you’re left with an image. If parts of the image are to lie in front of graphic elements they must be masked and saved as separate image files. You’re probably best to save the images in EPS format.

Place (Link) these in an Illustrator file, and put all your graphic elements on apropriate layers. Save the final Illustrator file as either EPS or PDF, depending on what your packaging company requires.

[Heather_Blumenauer@adobeforums.com]

I think I just figured out my problems. I just had a printer contact me and basically told me I can create everything in Illustrator as I did Photoshop. He walked me through it. Yes, I do know Illustrator, just not used to using it as a layered feature for COMPLICATED packages with high res images in it. If you have any other suggestions, I am all ears!

[Dee Holmes]

It kind of depends on what type of product it's going on, and what type of process it's going to be printed through. Are you using spot colors or is it process print?

If your going through flexo, I have suggestions.

[Nathaniel Flick]

in article [email]2ccfcf32.-1@webx.la[/email]2eafNXanI, [email]Heather_Blumenauer@adobeforums.com[/email]
at [email]Heather_Blumenauer@adobeforums.com[/email] wrote on 2/5/04 1:10 PM:

> I am in need of some advice and not sure where to turn. I was wondering if
> maybe someone has had some experience in VERY complicated Illustrator work?! I
> am going to try to explain what I am confused about and let me know if anyone
> has any answers.

>
> I designed a large horse nutrition feed bag for a company. I created the
> entire bag in Photoshop (with the copy, graphics, etc. being copied and pasted
> from Illustrator 10). This packaging company that the company is going with is
> being a pain and wants this entire bag done in Illustrator 10 with layers -
> except they aren't offering a lot of help with my questions. They want the
> CMYK images linked to the file in Illustrator 10, not placed. I don't exactly
> understand how to do that? Would dragging and dropping the image into
> Illustrator 10 achieve this?

Next time you shouldn't create an entire design, especially packaging, in
photoshop. It's just not flexible enough for changes for for
layouts/crops/trims or bleeds and it's horrendously slow for those things as
well. Why would a printer want an Illustrator file with layers? Why not just
a flattened, simple, print ready pdf file? Do they want to make plates from
the different layers and composite them during the printing process?

Well, to link raster images instead of just placing them, you must go to the
"link" window and link the images placed in your Illustrator document. Not
sure if dragging and dropping will accomplish this but you can do it from
within Illustrator.

>
> And how (if I can) do I create the same effects as I have done with Photoshop
> such as the grass blending into the background, the horses outlined and the
> bottom image fading into the background green color - all created with
> channels and masks in Photoshop 7. The problem is, the packagers want the
> background green color and the grid design on top of the background color done
> in Illustrator 10. I thought you could only create these effects in Photoshop
> 7? I am at a total loss for answers. I read through some of the help section
> in Illustrator 10, but a lot of these questions don't seem to be covered in
> that - or else I am just not looking for the correct thing! Thank you so much!

You may have to go backwards and figure out what in your photoshop file you
can make into separate images and then bring those pieces into Illustrator.
Illustrator can utilize many compositing options like opacity to great
effect so that you can approximate what you want to achieve so that you get
as close to the photoshop file as possible.

I can't stress enough that you should not create packaging in photoshop
because it's a very limited program when it comes to changing text or
keeping exact trim dimensions, and has left you in the predicament in which
you currently find yourself. However, you can get out of the woods by using
Illustrator as your layout program and photoshop to make the rasterized
portions of your panels.

Be careful with blends as well. If you are making a feed bag for horses then
I would venture to guess that blends aren't going to print very well. Are
the bags made of fabric? If they are you aren't going to get great gradients
to print on them.

If the printer is interested in keeping your company's business, it's in
their best interest to be as helpful as possible to you in completing this
difficult transition from Photoshop to Illustrator. Make them tell you why
they want what they want, and you may find that you can complete the task
and save them time simultaneously. Maybe they aren't exactly sure what they
need from you and when you communicate you can get these printing issues out
in the open. I am still confused why they would want a layered illustrator
file from you in the first place, unless they want to create a pdf
themselves without fear of missing data or fonts.

Hope this helps!


Kind Regards,
Nathaniel
--
flikWORLD Design
reply to: nat at flikworld(dot)com