At SunDance, we are always looking for new ways to innovate and offer creative solutions to support our clients and partners — so much so that one of our core values is "Be Extremely Innovative". With innovation in mind, we recently expanded our Flexible Packaging capabilities to include Die-Cut Pouches. This new addition to our pouch manufacturing capabilities has opened up a world of opportunity for our clients, who can now create a pouch in any shape imaginable with us.

To celebrate our expanded packaging offerings, our team designed and produced a Shamrock Die-Cut Pouch for St.Patrick's Day.

Shaped Pouch Concept Development

The journey from concept to completion begins with ideation. With St. Patrick's Day approaching, our team brainstormed ideas for pouch shapes that would capture attention and resonate with the holiday spirit. Many icons and shapes are associated with St. Patrick's Day, such as gold coins, leprechauns, and rainbows. Arguably, the most popular image that comes to mind when thinking of the holiday is a shamrock or four-leaf clover. After considering all of our options, our team moved forward with designing a pouch in the shape of a shamrock.

Once we decided on the shape of the pouch, we needed to determine what would go inside it. When designing and manufacturing pouches, it is essential to know what the pouch will hold, as that will dictate what film structure is needed. For our Shamrock Pouch, we determined that chocolate coins and green Hershey Kisses would go inside. Since we want to keep our food items as fresh as possible, we chose a 48G MET PET film with 3MIL PE COEX for its superior barrier properties.

Designing A Shaped Pouch

After our pouch concept began to "take shape", we moved into the design process. Working with the experts at Sun Centre, we developed a custom-shaped die to produce our Shamrock Pouch. The die serves as the blueprint for the pouch's form and dimensions. It's essential to create a die and die lines first when creating custom-shaped pouches to avoid having to remake or rework graphics and text layouts down the line.

The first round of design drafts included general design and content ideas. Once drafted, our technical experts provided feedback on zipper placement and the pouch's overall structure.

Once we completed the process of creating die lines, our design team got to work, carefully laying out and arranging the text and graphics. They put a lot of thought and effort into choosing a color palette that would perfectly complement our branding as well as the festive holiday theme we were aiming for. The end result was a stunning and visually appealing design that perfectly captured the spirit of the holiday season.

Adding Appeal with Cast & Cure

Cast & Cure is a type of holographic film that can be applied to amplify shelf appeal or enhance brand security. Our design team worked with the experts at Breit Tech to select a Cast & Cure that worked well with our pouch's design. With the variety of Cast & Cure options available through Briet Tech, we chose to use two holographic patterns on the pouches.

Special considerations are needed when designing with Cast and Cure. The holographic patterns work well and are more vibrant when applied over darker color palettes. When creating your packaging design, you must also include a design layer to account for where the Cast and Cure will be applied. There are endless possibilities when working with holographic; it can be applied over an entire piece or as a spot treatment to highlight a specific area. In our Shamrock Pouch, we applied Cast and Cure over the entire shamrock, leaving the text out of the holographic coverage. Our design team also included a spot Cast and Cure treatment of a shamrock pattern in the design's outer grey area.

Manufacturing a Shaped Pouch

Following the design phase, the manufacturing process commenced. The pouch graphics were printed on 48G MET PET/3MIL PE COEX using our HP Indigo digital press. After printing, a 1.0mil OPP Gloss Thermal Laminate and a spot treatment of Cast and Cure were applied to the film using our Gonderflex Laminator. A custom flexo plate was created to apply the spot Cast and Cure treatment with the design of the holographic layer.

Once the substrate was laminated and embellished, it was time to move to our Sun Centre pouching line. Our specialized flexible pouch equipment can not only form pouches but also add gussets, zippers, hang holes, tear notches, and even die-cut custom shapes—all on one integrated line of equipment! Our Shamrock Pouch includes a bottom gusset to provide stand-up capabilities, a hidden press-to-close front zipper, holographic embellishments, and a custom die cut shape.

Bring Your Packaging Ideas to Life with SunDance

In the realm of packaging, innovation knows no bounds. There are already numerous benefits of using flexible packaging, and with the added appeal of custom shapes, the list of benefits has grown. The journey from concept to completion of a custom-shaped die-cut pouch is an excellent example of how creativity, technical expertise, and a commitment to quality can come together to produce something extraordinary.

At SunDance, we take pride in pushing the boundaries of possibility, empowering our clients to stand out in a crowded marketplace. As we celebrate the success of our Shamrock Pouch project, we invite you to explore the endless possibilities of custom packaging solutions for your own brand. From concept development to manufacturing and beyond, SunDance is your trusted partner in bringing your vision to life. Let's explore the endless possibilities of custom packaging together!

Want to get your hands on a Shamrock Pouch? No need to search for the end of the rainbow! Contact us today for a free sample!