Artwork Flow Can Help With Changes In Packaging Regulations

In the packaging industry, change is the only constant. New technologies, advancements and trends mean that product packaging keeps on evolving. 

Brands experiment with product packaging for many reasons. They do it for their marketing campaigns, to suit different demographics and to bring a unique element to their products.

However, product packaging has to be more than just design. It needs to give relevant information to the consumer and assure them of the product’s quality. 

That’s where packaging rules and regulations come into play. 

Compliance Matters More Than Ever

A recent report says that consumers are more aware of the information on product packaging and many consumers often look for specific ingredients. For instance, many cosmetic enthusiasts might look for products with retinol in them. 

Therefore, complying with packaging regulations is essential. Here are the top 3 reasons why:

1) To show that the products on a supermarket shelf or e-shelves are safe to consume or use. 

2) Strict regulations control and reduce the sale and production of fraudulent products. 

3) When countries import products, they need to adhere with certain regulations to suit customers in that geography. 

If you are a food brand, then you need to have the FSSAI logo on your products to show credibility. Your cosmetic product might get misbranded if the label doesn’t state the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor and the net quantity of its contents.

When products don’t comply with packaging rules and regulations, authorities have the right to recall your products from the market. 

Recent Changes In Packaging Regulations

Most industries are closely monitored by established regulatory bodies. These authorities constantly revise their packaging rules and regulations. Their aim is to cultivate responsible brands and improve a customer’s experience.    

Recently, FSSAI released its plans to implement mandatory colour coding on food product labels. This will help consumers easily read ingredient amounts and make a conscious decision. Colour-coding ingredients might also become mandatory for cosmetic products.   

A few studies suggest that up to 20% of drugs sold in the Indian market are counterfeit. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (aka CDSCO) has issued mandatory regulations to curb the number. Healthcare brands have to apply QR codes and barcodes even on the packaging of their raw materials. This will help track and trace products from manufacturers to consumers.   

In light of such reports, brands need to keep up with evolving packaging rules and regulations. If you ask any brand or company, they will agree that revising packaging artwork due to compliance is a long process. So, how can you smoothen the process?  

Instantly Update Your Product Packaging Artwork

Your legal department forwarded the recent revisions in regulations and the deadline. To comply with them, you will need to update the product artwork and send them to your manufacturer well in advance.   

For instance, the regulation dictates the presence of a certain accreditation logo on the back of the pack labelling.

Here’s how can Artwork Flow help you do it faster and with accurate results:

• Cloud Storage - Store all your assets on the cloud library, easily pull up the artwork file. The platform also offers version control, so you can view and share the latest artwork. 
• Checklists - Artwork Flow allows collaborators to create checklists 

• Annotations - With this feature, you can directly add comments to the artwork file and let the designer know where the logo or any other element will be placed.
• Digital Proofing - Free proofing tools can help you review and roll out error-proofed product artwork files. The suite includes proofing tools such as pdf compare, font finder, colour picker, online ruler and spell checker.

Final Thoughts

With stringent packaging rules and regulations established for almost all industries, brands have to be quick to implement them. When importing or exporting, products need to comply with regulations across geographies, with respect to language translations and valid accreditations.   

Adopting Artwork Flow can kickstart all these processes and decrease the product’s time-to-market. Teams will receive updated product artwork files in a jiffy and your next batch of products will comply with all the regulations.     

What recent changes in regulations are you facing? Do you think a tool like Artwork Flow can help you while revising product artwork? Share your thoughts below.