complex file...not sure I should even attempt it

[gabagoo]

I have this prototype label I have to make for a client. The label is printed on clear and then put on a clear or frosted look plastic shampoo tube.

These are great jobs for the Mimaki with no real changes having to be made to the file. This one needs to be made on the Edge because it has white in it. The label is about 4 x 6 inches and has a ton of info on it. layering galore and a small bitmap embedded.

I know that I may have to run the job many times before I get all the layering correct and wonder from you experienced edge users if I should even bother.

This is also one of those files whereby the designer has used masking to hide areas, and I know what that means for the Edge...trouble!!!

How would you go about dealing with files like this?

I was thinking of printing everything but the white parts on the mimaki and then doing all the white parts on the Edge and they can assemble it on the bottle.....you think that is unprofessional?

 

[visual800]

Isnt the shampoo bottle white? Wouldnt that make up for the while image? One thing that pi$$es me off is getting designs froma designing with all the clipping masks and what not. would it be too much to take image and crop to size and use a jpeg if your printing on edge?

 

[Matt-Tastic]

can you just import it as a raster, then add the white as a vector?

 

[gabagoo]

Isnt the shampoo bottle white? Wouldnt that make up for the while image? One thing that pi$$es me off is getting designs froma designing with all the clipping masks and what not. would it be too much to take image and crop to size and use a jpeg if your printing on edge?

if that were the case I would just print on the Mimaki. The bottle is clear or a frosted look and I need to print white in some areas. A big pain for sure.

If the graphic were larger i would make everything except the white a bitmap and then put the vectored white on top in the areas needed. But a 4 col bitmap that small on an Edge LE would result in what I think would be hideous.

 

[Matt-Tastic]

then do the import in parts:

bring in vector text
rasterize background parts (or fix them in AI and import nice ones)
add the white spots

 

[SignosaurusRex]

.......... they can assemble it on the bottle.....you think that is unprofessional?

....Kind of like taking your car in to be painted and they hand you a can of paint and a spray gun.

 

[OldPaint]

sometimes letting the right people do the job..........is the best way to go.
how many of these you plan on printing? and i gather they need cut to size.
there are place on the internet that do large quantity 250-500....minimum, of lables and is probably less expensive then you can do them for. this one is local to me.
http://www.thelabelco.com/

 

[royster13]

For all the effort you are putting in to this, you might as well send it to Lancer Label or Stickerman.....Both do a great job of printing full colour (with white if required) on clear material.....

 

[Marlene]

I have to agree with those who suggested subbing it out. I've got an Edge, but use Gill Studios for long runs as it comes in cheaper. how many are you making? if it is a really small run, get the parts of the layout as separate files and merge them yourself or re-do the whole thing.

 

[GB2]

If I understand you correctly, this is a single label prototype and therefore not something that you would sub out. There are too many factors involved to be able to tell you what to do without more detail or seeing/having the artwork, but there certainly are many ways you can accomplish this with an Edge or digital printer. This is the nature of prototype work.

 

[Marlene]

I missed that this is a prototype. charge them to reset for printing the sample and go for it. without seeing what you are dealing with, you can try taking off all the cut lines in the file, setting it on the shape that will be the decal and in plot, click on backing/finish down on the bottom of the print options page and then set it to print white behind the shapes options.

 

[gabagoo]

OK here is what I am doing..... I discussed it with the client who is a graphic artist anyhow. I explained to him that I might spend half a day playing around with this and the end result could cost far more than they have budgeted.

I am going to print everything except the white on the Mimaki and then do the white with the black overlays on the edge. I will die cut the pieces and he doesn't mind assembling it on the samples.

case solved......

 

[royster13]

If you want the prototype to be representative of the final product, it should be produced the same as the final product.....Last time I did a prototype like this, it cost me less than 75.00 from the label company......So even though it is a prototype, IMO is not worth messing around with in house.....

 

[mopar691]

We would run it in house the the closest representation of the finished product we could. I have done hundreds if not thousands of packaging mock ups from bottles to boxes, inserts and shipping materials for the cosmetics industry.

To outsource for a prototype to get the exact process done as the final product should not be done till the very last stage directly prior to production in my opinion. Unless you have a unlimited budget and no time frame to work with.

To many things will change and the time line is mostly not within the customer call out.

 

[gabagoo]

We would run it in house the the closest representation of the finished product we could. I have done hundreds if not thousands of packaging mock ups from bottles to boxes, inserts and shipping materials for the cosmetics industry.

To outsource for a prototype to get the exact process done as the final product should not be done till the very last stage directly prior to production in my opinion. Unless you have a unlimited budget and no time frame to work with.

To many things will change and the time line is mostly not within the customer call out.

I agree and it is not me who would outsource it anyhow...the company making the product will be doing that. The mock up is for a sales pitch to a large pharmacy chain. I am only doing what my client needs to get through the foot in the door meetings. May I add that this type of labeling is printed directly onto the bottles in the final run and not a stick on label.

 

[Browner]

I know that I may have to run the job many times before I get all the layering correct...

I used to burn through a lot of materials (and time) too, when trying to figure out complicated jobs, and then one day stumbled upon "GSP Spool File Viewer". I find it particularly helpful to confirm that overprints have been applied properly in OMEGA, and that I've checked off the correct boxes in GSPPlot for backing white foils, etc.

 

[signage]

I used to burn through a lot of materials (and time) too, when trying to figure out complicated jobs, and then one day stumbled upon "GSP Spool File Viewer". I find it particularly helpful to confirm that overprints have been applied properly in OMEGA, and that I've checked off the correct boxes in GSPPlot for backing white foils, etc.

+1

 

[mopar691]

I agree and it is not me who would outsource it anyhow...the company making the product will be doing that. The mock up is for a sales pitch to a large pharmacy chain. I am only doing what my client needs to get through the foot in the door meetings. May I add that this type of labeling is printed directly onto the bottles in the final run and not a stick on label.

Same here, most bottle and jars would be hot stamped in my case. And yes many of these were done for specific retailers for the first few sales pitch meetings.