Buddies Buzz Blog

In the Buddies Buzz blog, you'll find the latest news about the community, tutorials, helpful resources and much more! React to the news with the emotion stickers and have fun!

5 Ways to Minimize Issues While Preparing Artwork for Box Packaging

What is box packaging? 

Box packaging is also known as carton packaging. The packaging is a traditional box that holds the product in it. Most types of products have box packaging. For example products like electronics, cosmetics, toys and many more have box packaging. Businesses have used box packaging for decades. It is protective and keeps the product safe and prevents damage in most cases. However, with rising competition and the desire for businesses to excel in visual aesthetics to attract buyers has led to experimenting with this type of packaging. 

It is no more just a simple carton. Intricate details and artworks are being added to make this type of packaging interesting. It is being turned into a piece of artwork. However, with experimentation comes the risk of mistakes and complications. Let’s analyse of the most common issues with box packaging

Issues with box packaging 

Preparing artwork for box packaging can be a multilayered process. The development requires skills and patience. A lot of issues can arise with box packaging and before we figure out how to handle or avoid these issues it is important to know the most common issues that arise with box packaging. Without knowing and understanding the actual issues it is not possible to easily comprehend the solutions. 

The issues of box packaging can arise in many different areas. The areas may include the orientation of artwork and fonts. It can also include resolution, bleeds and space. A lot of the time teams forget to upturn the cutter die line. Using images that are of low resolution can also cause major issues. Producing and developing the artwork in the RGB environment can also cause issues. Using fonts that are too small or too big can also cause trouble. This happens when fonts are not outlined. Not proofreading the print and forgetting to maintain a safe margin are also some common issues that arise with box packaging. 

Ways to minimize issues while preparing artwork for box packaging 

Now that you know some of the most common issues with box packaging let us discuss ways in which you can reduce the risk of these issues rising and hindering your business. 

It is important to finalize the specification for your artwork

Do not wait to have the complete specifications of your artwork. Do not wait till you get till the artwork stage. Make sure to get the exact measurements of dimensions size from the buyer. Do it right at the beginning. Also include correct and exact information about the material that you will use and the printing and coating. Having this set of information will prevent you from having any issues while creating the artwork and provide proper planning. Take the appropriate amount of time to plan and prepare the artwork before you actually start preparing it. Online proofing system enables businesses to fast track the input and approval workflows for packaging artwork. Additionally, with access to online markup tools, businesses can also improve the quality of their creative output without sacrificing time.

Arrange the Dieline

The Dieline is the primary outline where you will place your artwork. It is extremely important for box packaging artwork. It is essential to prepare it as exactly demanded by the customer. The template for the dieline that is to be used should be exactly as requested by your customer. It can also be created by an artist but in that aspect a lot of attention should be given to details. Some important details that should be focused on while creating a Dieline from scratch would be the cutting, crease and bleed lines. 

Use CMYK over RGB

A lot of times colors may differ from the screen when artwork is being uploaded onto the Dieline which leads to disappointed customers. This happens mostly when trying to print with RGB. The color effects can be significant. Using the CMYK color space can help minimize this issue since it is the right color mode for printing. 

The final product should be prototyped

After the final design is created it is necessary to inspect its various aspects. This is prototyping and it should be done before the ultimate production gets going. It helps to manifest a perfect packaging since prototyping can check all parts of the design, such as dimensions and structure. This also helps to identify any kind of final alterations that need to be made. The final color can also be checked with prototyping. It helps you to scan the package and make final tweaks for the most superb package look.

A detailed approval procedure 

An efficient approval process is helpful to check the quality of the package and artwork. An approval process also becomes extremely important when the chance for prototyping is not available. It helps to reduce issues during the whole development of the project. Multiple cycles and procedures at different stages of development and creation reduce issues and save time.

Conclusion

There are many other small checks and methods that businesses and artists use to minimize issues with their artwork. It is therefore important to set up plans and checks to deliver the best quality box packaging artwork.

Important guidelines for an optimal Brochure Design

Unless you have arrived here from another planet or have been living under a rock your entire life, you and everyone else has been handed a brochure at least once. Even though the medium of print has been a dying art for quite some time now, especially the newspapers, Brochures, on the other hand, are still considered an effective and very powerful tool to get the word out there. There are many brochure design services out there that are still thriving and can help get that ultimate impact you are looking for through their experience and highly capable professionals.

Brochures are conventionally defined as a small book or a magazine that contains pictures and information about a particular product or service. Brochures in essence provide the businesses with that perfect space where they can convey a detailed piece of information to the potential customers who want to know more about the products and services the business is offering.

Brochures are relatively very easy to create and distribute as well. Since they can be distributed by hand, this means that while they are being received the receiver is attentive and if the design and the information that the brochure contains is interesting, they will surely be excited to explore more. The efficacy in the delivery of the message this way is enhanced drastically.

Even in the digital space as well, a replacement for brochures is still nowhere to be found, and the purpose they fulfill is still unparalleled. Modern and effective brochure design services these days know the importance of brochures in the digital marketing landscape and so deem it to be imperative that they are designed keeping the digital space in mind as well.

Moving on, one of the most important elements of an optimal brochure is its design. A great design and content will not only help turn a potential customer into an existing customer, but it will also compel the audience to explore more. A well-designed brochure is also a very important branding and marketing element, by carefully incorporating your brand’s identity in your design you can provide your overall brand with an extra edge.

Designing a brochure is not an easy task and it requires a lot of planning and revisions; the following is a little guidebook that we have designed that may set you on the right path towards an optimal brochure design.

 

Before you start designing:

Now, all professional brochure design services would agree that when it comes to designing anything, it requires a complete process, and that the final design will never be optimal if the basis of the whole process is incompetent. Make sure that you know your brands’ personality fully and have realized the key elements that will form a clear connection between your brand and your brochures so that the consumers can identify it.

Knowing your ideal customer will also help you in identifying the content that needs to be integrated or left out. The content also needs to be fully optimized and you have to be clear in the sense that exactly what needs to be said. Also, setting an objective or a metric for success will also help in redirecting you towards success.

The designing process:

Now, this is where experienced brochure design services can be the best option if you want to final design to come out terrific. Since all your marketing materials, including the brochures, are an extension of your organization, rest assured you will be judged upon them so make sure that they are all in line with your brand standards. The entire design should be kept keeping the readers in protest and if you know your target audience identifying the relevant content will not be difficult.

Brochures provide you with the perfect space to let your customers know about the many aspects of your organization that can later impact their buying decisions. This means that you can through pictures and images show a side of your company they had never seen before. So make sure that you include the very best of the pictures.

Evaluating and Printing:

Now that you are through with the initial processes and ready with the design, we will recommend going through everything again in order to make sure that everything is perfect. A little revision never hurts.

Once you are through the revisions and the designs are ready to be printed another logical step would be to look at the budget and if there is sufficient space then you can consult and optimal brochure design services. The type of paper on which these brochures will be printed is also important and if your budget allows it you can opt for a higher quality of paper in order to have an added impact of feeling upon the customers. Remember every detail counts!.

Effective KYC Compliance: The Road to Glory for Your Business

How well do you know your customer? Well, this is what every enterprise should figure out before associating ties with business prospects. Know Your Customer (KYC) is not only a corporate responsibility but also a regulatory obligation for financial institutions. It plays a key role in identifying illicit criminals with fake identities when they try to onboard with a business. 

 

Lack of KYC verification measures allows fraudsters to carry out nefarious acts like money laundering to make black money which is later used in other criminal acts. To address prevalent problems faced by financial businesses, regulatory bodies ensure strict enforcement of KYC compliance.

What is meant by KYC Compliance?

 

KYC compliance is a mechanism to make sure financial entities keep intact secure customer onboarding and Anti Money Laundering (AML). When it comes to banks, they have to deal with a lot of monetary operations regularly. This makes it increasingly important for them to conduct KYC verification of every customer who opens an account or does transactions using their platform. 

KYC compliance is also applicable to financial entities not regulated by a central banking authority such as:

  • A Non-Banking Financial Institution (NBFI)

  • Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs)

  • Insurance Firms

  • Credit Unions 

  • Loan Association 

Since these entities fall under the legal financial system, they have to follow KYC regulations to meet compliance standards. 

KYC Compliance – What is Required?

 

For a bank or financial business, a KYC compliance policy should take into account certain due diligence procedures to identify who their customers are and what kind of risk they pose. Here are some measures/practices that businesses take to prepare for KYC compliance.

 

Customer Acceptance Policy

To ensure KYC/AML compliance, banks usually create a set of rules known as customer acceptance policy. It lists all the KYC due diligence requirements that a customer must fulfill to open an account and get onboard. Some of which are:

 

  • Customers with a fictitious name or unknown identity are unacceptable

  • The actual beneficiary’s identity must be verified 

  • Additional due diligence should be applied to beneficiaries associating frequent ties with new customers or transacting frequent large transactions

 

Risk Management 

Once a customer comes to a business to open an account, they undergo a series of checks for identity verification. Since KYC authentication is part of the financial institution’s larger AML program, it follows a risk-based approach towards customer identification. The risk model is based on KYC verification laws such as the US Patriot Act, and the UK Proceeds of Crimes Act. Once the customer is checked against all possible parameters, they are given a risk rating that is attached to their profile for future verifications.

Customer Identification Process

KYC compliance requires businesses to develop an identification process for their potential customers. One important requirement for a Customer Identification Program (CIP) is acquiring the identity information of the end-user. Details such as name, address, date of birth, and an identification number are the basic elements required to carry out a CIP. 

 

A CIP is not only limited to obtaining personally identifiable information of the customer but is concerned with verifying how accurate are the details provided. Financial businesses usually perform KYC verification in light of AML obligations that help address overall risk in verifying the customer identity. 

Extended Due Diligence

Last but not the least comes ongoing monitoring of customers. Under AML/KYC regulations, financial organizations first do a risk assessment of the customer, after which they decide whether there is a need to perform Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) or not.  If the customer is a Politically Exposed Person (PEP) or has their name placed on a sanction list, they pose a greater threat of money laundering due to their past activity and the current position they hold. This makes it necessary for businesses to keep an eye on their transactional behavior using ongoing monitoring

 

KYC Verification – Is There a Quick Way?

Definitely. Since KYC verification plays a crucial part in making a business platform secure from financial crime, service providers are offering automated solutions to meet KYC compliance. These often come with state-of-the-art tools to identify users based on KYC laws to meet regulatory compliance.