The short version
You send your printer a clean, print-ready set of packaging files that fit the dieline, hold up at real size, and include barcode and copy placement that won’t trigger a rework request.
I’ll take your printer’s requirements, build packaging design around the actual dieline, and hand off press-ready art your vendor can run. Next up is a short intake so I can line up specs and dates.
I start by checking the dieline and the printer’s spec sheet, then I build the front panel first so you can see the shelf read early. Once the direction is picked, I place regulatory copy and barcodes, build print files, and run a preflight pass against the printer’s requirements.
About me
I’m Morgan Caldwell, a packaging designer. I got into this work the hard way, by watching good-looking labels fall apart at press time because the dieline changed, the type got too small, or the file handoff was missing something the printer needed to run the job.
Most clients come to me right before their first real production run. I stay close to the printer’s specs, I design at actual size, and I build files the way press operators expect to receive them. The goal is simple: the printer can release plates, cut a proof, and keep your schedule moving.
Selected work
A few recent packaging design jobs where the goal was the same as yours: send files the printer can run without a long email thread.
Portfolio
Carton redesign, retail shelf. Rebuilt the front panel hierarchy and side-panel copy so the product name reads from six feet, then re-laid the art to the updated dieline and delivered a print-ready carton set.
Jar label system. Created a label system that holds one brand look across multiple scents and sizes, with consistent net weight, warnings, and UPC placement so SKUs can be added without redesigning every label.
Case pack and shipper graphics. Designed a one-color shipper and case pack set that matches retail packaging, includes clear box counts and orientation marks, and prints cleanly on kraft without losing legibility.
“The printer accepted the files the first time, and the proof matched expectations.”
Founder, a small batch consumer brand
Concept routes
2 to 3 distinct packaging directions for your product, each with a front panel layout and a clear visual system so picking a direction is a simple decision.
DIELINE-BASED CARTON ARTWORK
Print-ready carton art built on your approved dieline, with panels aligned, bleeds and safety respected, and the layout checked at actual size for legibility.
LABEL SYSTEM FILES
A label system for jars, bottles, and cans, set up so ingredients, warnings, net weight, and variants can be updated without breaking the layout.
Case pack and shipper graphics
Retail-ready case pack and shipper graphics with the information a warehouse and a receiving team actually use, laid out to match the vendor’s panel map.
PRODUCTION FILE HANDOFF
Packaged, press-ready files with linked assets handled correctly, plus a short set of printer notes so your vendor knows what files to use and how they were built.
PROOF REVIEW NOTES
One consolidated round of notes on printer proofs, focused on things that affect the run, like color shifts, trapping questions, small type, and barcode placement.
What it costs
Pick the tier that matches how many SKUs and formats you need to get to press, then I’ll confirm the exact dielines and file list before I start.
Priced items
Getting started
If you want me to hold a start date, the next step is to lock the scope and get your printer specs in my hands.
1. Sign the proposal so I can book the work. 2. Pay the 40% booking invoice within 14 days. 3. Send the dieline, printer spec sheet, and your packaging copy so I can start intake.
CAN YOU WORK FROM MY PRINTER’S DIELINE, OR DO YOU NEED TO MAKE ONE?
I can work from your printer’s dieline, and that’s the usual setup. I’ll check it for size, panel naming, bleeds, and any callouts on the spec sheet. If anything is missing, I’ll flag it before layout starts.
WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME FOR INGREDIENTS, WARNINGS, AND THE BARCODE?
You’ll send the exact copy for ingredients, directions, warnings, and net contents as text, plus any required statements from your manufacturer. For the barcode, send the UPC/EAN number and the barcode file if you already have one.
Signature
Fee summary
How many concepts do we get before we pick a direction?
You’ll get 2 to 3 concept routes up front. After you pick one direction, I take that route through revisions and production build. That keeps the early stage broad without turning the schedule into endless branching.
WILL THESE FILES ACTUALLY BE READY FOR THE PRINTER, OR JUST MOCKUPS?
They’ll be printer-ready. I build the final art on the dieline, set up color the way your printer specifies, and run a preflight check before I send anything out. Mockups are for preview, not for production.
Payment
40% is due to book the work when you sign. The remaining 60% is due when I hand over the finished production files. Each invoice is payable within 14 days of its date.
Change requests. If the dieline, printer specs, or SKU count changes after layout starts, I’ll pause and tell you what needs to change in the files and what it adds in cost or time before I continue.
What I need from you. Before I build production files, you’ll send final text for ingredients, directions, warnings, net contents, and any required manufacturer statements, plus the UPC/EAN number and barcode file if you have one.
Printer coordination. I’ll build to your printer’s dieline and spec sheet. If the printer revises the dieline or callouts midstream, I’ll update the art to match once you confirm you want to proceed on the revised template.
Proof reviews
You’ll review and approve layout PDFs and any proof files I send. I’m watching for fit, bleeds, type size, and barcode placement, and you’re approving the accuracy of your product and regulatory text.
File handoff. Final files are supplied as press-ready production files on the dieline, plus the proof PDFs I used for review and a short set of printer notes. Working files are not included unless we agree on it in writing.
Schedule and pauses. I’ll hold your spot once the booking payment is in. If I’m waiting on dielines, specs, or final copy for more than 10 business days, I may need to reschedule the remaining work time.
Cancellation. If you cancel after booking, the 40% booking payment covers time already reserved and work already completed. If you cancel mid-project, I’ll invoice for completed stages and hand over what’s been finished so far.
