The Power of Packaging Comps and Realization: Bringing Designs to Life

In the world of product design and packaging, visualizing concepts and ensuring their feasibility is crucial. This is where packaging comps and realization play a significant role. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of comps and realization, their various applications, and the services offered by BluEdge's Comp & Realization experts.

Comp & Realization Explained

A comp, short for comprehensive mock-up, is a full-size model of a design or device used for product presentations or other purposes. It allows designers and marketers to visualize a package in real life 3D, providing a tangible experience of touch, hold, and visual assessment. By creating physical prototypes and graphic mock-ups, comps enable a fast-paced speed-to-market approach, helping evaluate design concepts and identify potential pitfalls throughout the entire development and production process.

Hero and beauty comps represent a higher-end version of comps and mock-ups. These color-corrected models are used in above-the-line (TV commercials, videos, etc.) and below-the-line (out-of-home billboards, etc.) advertising. The process involves using films instead of rubber or metal printing plates, meticulously registering each ink color to achieve precision. Hero and beauty comps allow for specialty finishes and are crafted by hand.

How to bring your vision to life

Because Comp & Mockup products are required to be absolutely perfect, it takes a team of specialized artisans to bring these short-run or one-off products to life. Here’s what goes into the unique projects:

Packaging Comps & Mock-Ups

Packaging comps and mock-ups bring design theories to life. By testing color, form, and graphics, these prototypes provide a holistic perspective on brand and design intent. They are valuable for routing and feedback, research, assessing balance and continuity, and aligning with production. Services include:

• Influencer Kits
• Creating packaging hero/beauty comps
• Proof-of-concept on various substrates or structures
• Color and graphic variants for testing and research
• Shelf sets
• Silkscreening
• Rubdowns and transfers
• Embossing
• 3D printing and model making
• CGI and 3D renders
• Animation

Color Development

Consistent color development is crucial for maintaining a cohesive brand identity across various platforms. Comp & Realization providers understand the significance of color management and provides comprehensive solutions to ensure your brand maintains its consistency across all touchpoints. Their expertise extends to exploring color options on different materials, reviewing design proofs for approval, and testing artwork consistency within manufacturing constraints. They offer a wide range of capabilities, including color studies, unlimited color matching, proofing and color drawdowns on different substrates, color conversion across technologies, as well as manual color, paint, and finishing services.

Product Prototyping

Whether it's designing the next iconic brand, testing product efficacy, or solving ergonomic challenges, product prototyping plays a crucial role. Comp & Realization partners help generate assessments through physical product prototypes at all stages of the design process. Their services may encompass CNC machining and 3D printing, molding and casting, vacuum forming, painting and finishing, and more.

Digital Printing

Digital printing offers a cost-effective solution for various applications within the design workflow. Your Comps & Realization partner may utilize digital printing for reviewing four-color process design iterations, spot color conversion of design files, hero packaging, and short-run sales sample needs. They provide an extensive color gamut, a wide range of substrates, white and metallic emerging capabilities, short-run samples, large-format printing, and high-volume printing.

Direct Imaging

Direct Imaging enables the simulation of special effects critical to the look and feel of your brand or product. This process is ideal for packaging prototypes that appear in print or on television. It allows for unlimited color matching, proofing on most substrates, unlimited special effects (foils, metallics, spot varnishes, etc.)