Create distinctive packaging
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Create a new layer and name it Leaves. With the Ellipse tool and Big Maple Leaf selected, create an ellipse around the name “Chalet”. You can control the placement of the leaves on a closed path by selecting the Scissors tool and splitting it.
The Brush library works on closed paths like a rectangle or an ellipse.
Illustrator comes with filters and effects, such as texture filters and transparency effects. However, to make the maple leaves an integral part of the background image (more photo-realistic than drawn looking), I prefer to import the file to Photoshop and refine it there.
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Copy the selected ellipse with the maple leaves, start Photoshop, and create a new file. With the copied leaves in the clipboard, the dimensions and color mode will automatically be the same as in Illustrator, so just hit OK in the New dialog box.
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Open the file you used as a background image and paste the leaves as pixels into it. You can adjust the position and size by grabbing its anchor points until the leaves in the photo look like the basic layout in the Illustrator file.
To keep the proportions, it’s important to hold down the Shift key while positioning the leaves.
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Select Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options. In the Layer Style dialog box there are a lot of different effects to choose from. But to keep a more realistic feel, click only on the Drop Shadow and Outer Glow options, and lower the Opacity so that the leaves blend better with the background.
The effects can be further refined by double-clicking on them. The screen shot shows the Drop Shadow effect with the Drop Shadow pane of the Layer Style dialog box. Once you’re satisfied with the size and position of the leaves, press Return/Enter.
Playing with the angle, distance, spread, and size of the drop shadow makes the leaves an integral part of the background image.
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Select Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation to make the leaves stand out by slightly altering the Hue by +2 and Saturation by + 10. Click OK.
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The last step of the refinement is to slightly blur the image to get rid of the “drawn” look of the original Illustrator leaves and make them appear more realistic. Select Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur with a radius of 1 pixel. Click OK.
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You will be greeted with a dialog box asking if you would like to update the links to modified files; click Yes. The background image in your Illustrator file will be updated to match the work you did in Photoshop.
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Now you have two sets of leaves. You no longer need the original ellipse with the stroked-on leaves, so select the object and press Delete/Backspace. The more refined version of the background image is now visible in position on the label.
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Click OK in the upcoming dialog for replacing the modified file and you’ll see the refined photo in the right position of the label.
With the final image in place, the front of the label is almost finished, and it’s easy to finalize the entire label.
Only a few things remain to be done: designing the layout for the back label, and doing minor refinements to the front.
The overview of the finished label clearly shows the relationship between the front and back of the label.
In packaging design, it’s helpful to stick with a few selected fonts and a specific color scheme. This way, the different elements don’t compete with each other. This also helps to establish a hierarchy of information. On this label, for example, you would first read the brand name, followed by the product descriptor, and then the year. Another advantage is the possibility of brand extension. Should the Chalet winery decide to produce a sauvignon wine, you could create a label for it simply by changing the color coding, and replacing the burgundy-colored circle and top line with another color. That way, Chalet would retain its established look while building recognition.
