Help Package Design

[SwEeT DeSiGn]

Well im in this package design class and the assignment was to create a point of purchase package design and we are supposed to use foam boards ... i was wondering if there was any one who knows what steps to take to make the design look its best and i was also wondering if youre suppsed to mount it on the foam borad or cut it out first.... im totaly new to this foam board thing so any tips will help!! thanks A LOT!!!

[D-Frag]

Foamcore is usually the default substrate for POP displays, its best to print out the piece on paper, usually have it laminated. Then mount the piece to the foamcore, and your done. If you have a die cut, or a cut-to-shape piece, then grab the exacto knife and go to town. Make sure that if you do have a cut to shape piece that it has no outline or thick heavy lines on the outside, this will make cutting it down harder as your trying to keep the outlines the same width. So if its just a persons head, or something along those lines, just leave it like that and cut at will. Good luck!

fyi, for added bonus, make sure you add the easel back to the foamcore so it stands up on the display ;)

[Ovaltine]

Here's a tip: use only VERY sharp blades to cut. If the blade is properly sharp, the foam core will cut like butter, if not, you'll getresistance and ragged edges (unless you really know how to manipulate the blade).

[SwEeT DeSiGn]

coo!!thanks for ur help!! i gotta make sure i have the sharp blade... is there a specific blade i should get for the cutting the foam board??

[Ovaltine]

X-acto works best for me. The standard blade, it's small enough to do fairly tight turns and long enough to go through the foam core in 1 or 2 passes.

Also, when I got the knife, I got a 100 count blade refill packet. Comes in handy, and is definately cheaper in the long run. I've had the same set for several years at home.

[Drazan]

we use our laser engraver to cut out the foam core - as well as other substrates. :)

Otherwise I would get an x-acto swivel knive and a lot of blades. You can find better prices on blades in a hobby shop than in a DYI or craft place.

I've bought the 100 pack of blades as well. I'm about 1/3 the way through after 5 years.

<<< yay! happy 1500 posts. :D

[teniworks]

I bought a pack of 100 x-acto blades a couple of years ago. It was the best thing ever even though I probably have to buy more soon. The funny thing is that when I got mine they were $8.00 for the pack of 100 and when I went back the next week to buy more the price jumped to $22. I got mine from Office Max if you want to try there too.

[tZ]

X-acto blades are good stuff… besides when you cut yourself and bleed over your work, lol. Its sad when your more concerned with your work then your finger. I recommend a cork back ruler to guide the blade otherwise your going to have problems. #11 x-acto is what i normally use for both foam core and illustration/mounting board.

[SwEeT DeSiGn]

yea...the whole bleeding on the art work has hapend to me... not that good of a feeling lol As far as the size of the project i did a small one just 2 see what itll look like and i was wondering if i wanted to make it bigger than 11" x 17" how would i go about doing that?? should i just print all the parts seperatly?? and then paste it on the foam board??

[balou]

Do you have access to a larger printer - maybe a Kinko's or Office Max nearby? Otherwise you will need to tile the printout.

[SwEeT DeSiGn]

Do you have access to a larger printer - maybe a Kinko's or Office Max nearby? Otherwise you will need to tile the printout.

yeah im sure i can print it out at a staples or sumthing but... what do you mean my tile print out??? how does that work ??:confused:

[balou]

What program are you printing from? Go to the help menu and type in "tile print". It's basically printing a 8x10 or so section at a time with some overlaps to join them.

[SwEeT DeSiGn]

im workin in photoshop... should i bring it in some other program??

[balou]

Yeah. I'd place the photoshop graphic in a layout program - InDesign or the Q one. Print from there and use the tile option in your print menu. Do go to the help menu in your layout program though - it will explain the process. I can't remember the last time I printed directly from Photoshop - or Illustrator for that matter.

[SwEeT DeSiGn]

alright ill check that out right now thanks alot !! this really helps a lot!!

[balou]

glad to help. Now get a bandage on that cut. ;)

[Ovaltine]

Here's another tip: Mounting printouts:
The mechanics of this tip will change depending on the size of your printouts.

Buy a cheap box fan (24"x24") and some cheap air filters (24"x24")
Tape a filter to the back of the box fan and plug in.

Set the fan to a low speed and point it OUT of your dorm room (or wherever you are).
Take you printout and place it face "down" on the filter, the fan will suck the printout to the filter so you don't have to hold it there.

Apply spray adhesive (I like 3M's Spray Mount-in the black containers best). The adhesive will apply evenly (assuming you've followed label instructions) and all excess adhesive will endup on the filter, not in the air or on the front side of your print.

Carefully apply print to your board (I reccomend going from one corner to the other to avoid bubbles) and use a rubber roller to firmly adhere the print to the board (hands can smudge printouts, plus you may have spray adhesive on your finger tips, and that's a royal pain once it's on the front of a print).

[raerae]

That's pretty much the most complex, efficient, and amazing way of properly using spray adhesive I've ever heard of. More Ovaltine please!

[CkretAjint]

Spray mount boxes are the best.

I second the notion on using a rubber roller to place pieces on the board. Finger prints are the WORST ever on your final project! I even carry a squeegy in my art bag for such occations!!!

[D-Frag]

or if you got a few bucks, take it to kinko's or alphagraphics, have them print it and mount it for you. takes all the headache out of tiling.

[SwEeT DeSiGn]

if i did go to kinkos n print it out what would be the best size to print it out?? and if i wanted to bring it into inDesign (cuz thats the only program i have to work with) would i have to change the file type? cuz i cant see to be able to open it my psd file in inDesigns.. sorry im still sorta new to this any tips PLEASE!!!

[emucru]

Wow Ovaltine's mounting procedure sure beats my old method.
Poor mans method: Dry mount using Credit card & rubber cement. Plus who doesn't love the smell of rubber cement!

[SwEeT DeSiGn]

i need a little help with the tile printing.... im trrying to change the file type and bring it into InDesign and its not working for me... is there any specific way i need to do that???

[CkretAjint]

in the print window should be "page tiling" check it off and tile it at 1-3" (your preference)

[Ovaltine]

The place I interned at had a similar filter set up in their workroom. Theirs consisted of a custom made fan casing which had a dial switch (you could have the fan at virtually any speed). It required 2 filters (about 24"x36") to cover the opening so we could mount very large prints, or spray several at once, and not have to breath the glue.
When I went back to college, I modified their design to suit my budget.