DESIGN
How to design product packaging: A step-by-step guide.
The way your product looks on the shelf (or even online) influences buying decisions instantly. From bold colour palettes and elegant fonts to eye-catching graphics and clever box designs, all these tell your brand’s story before the customer even reads the label.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to design packaging in Adobe Illustrator, plus how to build the design confidence and skills that help small Indian brands compete with global names.
What is product packaging?
Product packaging refers to both the physical materials and the design elements used to store and feature a product. The former can take the form of boxes, bottles, pouches and sachets, cans, tubs and tubes, and more, while the latter encompasses your logo, colours, typography, and imagery.
Why is packaging design important?
Packaging is your opportunity to present and market your products in a way that aligns with your brand identity, story, and principles. Every item at your local kirana store or your go-to beauty shop has been designed with visual appeal and brand recognition in mind.
An effective packaging design:
- Meets the preferences of its target audience
- Makes the product easy to transport, store, and use
- Stands out against the competition
- Includes clear messaging and labels
- Stays consistent with other company materials
Sustainability and accessibility also matter. Many modern Indian brands now highlight recyclable materials and easy-to-read labels to connect with conscious consumers, so that is something you might want to consider as well.
How do I design my packaging?
Creating your signature product packaging is not a one-and-done ordeal. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Do your research.
You need to gain a deep understanding of your product, its uses, and its potential buyers. You also need to consider your competition and how they are marketing their products. Understanding these will help you make smart decisions regarding your packaging design.
2. Define your packaging type and dimensions.
Decide on the specifics of your packaging: format, type of materials, and measurements. Making the right decisions this early on ensures minimal waste of resources, optimised space and shipping, durability, and quality of end-products.
3. Brainstorm ideas and concepts.
Sketch your designs, regardless of how rough and incomplete they might be. Having multiple versions allows you to visualise options for your packaging. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try out different ideas: fun and whimsical, polished and professional, bold and colourful, simple and minimalist, and more.
4. Bring your design to life.
Import your assets (logos, colour palette, illustrations, images, and typography) into a digital working space like Adobe Illustrator and play around with all your elements. Try out various hierarchies, add texture, customise fonts, or add/remove text blocks. You can always undo or make subtle alterations if you’re unsatisfied with the results.
5. Review and test on prototypes.
Print out your design and test it out on a prototype before giving the green light for mass production. This allows you to assess functionality, identify errors in design, check visual appeal, and gain feedback from others.
Helpful tools in Illustrator for designing product packaging.
Adobe Illustrator has a powerful toolkit that helps you create precise, professional, and print-ready packaging designs. Whether you’re designing a small product label or a full box layout, these tools make it easier to bring your creative vision to life.
Here are some of the most helpful tools in Illustrator for packaging design and how they can support your workflow:
- Pen tool: Draw smooth curves and sharp lines that are perfect for intricate logos, icons, or unique cut-out shapes on your packaging. With a bit of practice, you can use it to trace hand-drawn artwork or create original vector illustrations that scale beautifully for print.
- Type tool: Experiment with fonts, adjust spacing (kerning, tracking, leading), and ensure every word is legible. Combine it with Area Type and Type on a Path tool to gain full control of all text on your packaging.
- Shape Builder tool: Combine, merge, and cut overlapping shapes to create custom illustrations, layout structures, and other design elements. It utilises simple shapes to create more complex ones just by erasing paths.
- Artboard tool: If your packaging involves multiple sides (front, back, top, and bottom panels), artboards make it easy to design and view them all in one workspace. You can export each artboard separately or as a single print-ready PDF for your packaging manufacturer.
- Color Guide panel: Create colour harmonies and manage your colour palette to ensure that your brand colours remain uniform across packaging batches. You can use your color groups to recolor your existing artwork and see what combinations work best for your design.
- Layers panel: Keep your design organised by using layers. Separate elements, such as logos, dielines, backgrounds, labels, illustrations, and text, into different layers to make it easier to edit them individually.
Once you’ve mastered these core tools in Illustrator, you can elevate your packaging workflow even further with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps. For instance, you might refine product photos in Photoshop, use creative assets in Express, or lay out detailed text-heavy packaging in InDesign. Together, these apps give you an end-to-end ecosystem that you can leverage from concept sketches to print-ready files and realistic visualizations.
If you’re exploring the best plan for your needs, you can compare Creative Cloud Pro plan options to see which premium features and collaborative tools are most suitable to support every stage of your creative process.
Design tips for creating exceptional packaging.
Keep it simple.
Sometimes, less is more. Give your elements room to breathe, and avoid overcrowding the packaging design with too many colours, icons, or images. Prioritise what matters most: brand name and key product information.
Use high-quality images.
Blurry prints are a no-no in packaging. To achieve crisp, scalable designs, work with vector graphics and high-resolution images (300 DPI and above, if possible).
Stay consistent with your branding.
Ensure your logo, colours, and typography look uniform across all product lines to strengthen brand recognition. Use Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries to store and share approved assets, so every design stays cohesive and on-brand.
Think tactile.
While visual appeal is crucial, it's equally important to think about how premium your product feels. Try out different finishes, suc h as gloss, matte, soft-touch, lamination, or holographic finish. You can also consider foil stamping, embossing, debossing, or UV coating.
Design for real-world conditions.
Your ideas may look good on paper, but you also have to think about the realities of handling, shipping, and storage. There’s also the issue of climate conditions, especially in India’s extreme temperature and humidity levels. Think about this when choosing materials and format.
Consider regional preferences and cultural nuances.
India’s diverse market means design choices should reflect local tastes and sensitivities. Use bilingual or multilingual labels where needed to make your packaging more inclusive and accessible to wider audiences.
Don’t forget legal and mandatory information.
There are regulatory standards in packaging design that you must follow in the Indian market. Some of the labelling requirements include product name, FSSAI logo, licence number, use by date, list of ingredients, and net quantity. Be sure not to miss anything important.
Bring your packaging ideas to life.
Great packaging is more than a container, it is a brand experience that tells your story through design, texture, and detail. Whether you are designing boxes, labels, or even creative merchandise, Illustrator gives you the flexibility to design, refine, and stay consistent across every product. Visual artist Amrit Pal Singh brings this to life by combining Illustrator with other Creative Cloud apps to craft playful, cohesive packaging and merchandise that reflect his distinctive style. He shares, “I use Adobe Creative Cloud subscription as it makes my life much easier. Everything latest and greatest by Adobe is at your fingertips.”
Frequently asked questions.
How do I make dielines for packaging in Illustrator?
What’s the best file format for printing my packaging design?
How do I ensure colour accuracy when printing packaging?
Can I visualise my Illustrator packaging design in 3D?
What are the standard packaging sizes for small businesses?
How do I prepare packaging files for mass production?
How do I make my packaging design eco-friendly?
Can I create 3D packaging mock-ups in Creative Cloud?
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