What Is Artwork Automation?
Manual artwork processes are tedious and error-prone.
While there will always be a need for employees to interact with package designs, there are significant benefits to automating steps in the process.
Artwork automation dramatically simplifies the process of updating existing files.
For example, let’s say you want to make an update to some marketing copy that exists on multiple products.
Rather than manually making the update product by product, a designer with artwork automation tools can simply search for and select all necessary files, specify the change needed, and complete the updates with the click of a button.
Imagine the time, stress, and money your team could save with powerful artwork automation at your fingertips.
The Benefits of Automated Artwork Solutions
By using automated artwork solutions to complete those simple changes, packaging managers can accomplish the following:
Reduce Human Error
Did you know that about half of all product recalls are related to labeling or packaging artwork errors? And that 60% of all recalls are caused by human error?
It’s simple to understand how this happens.
If you spend significant portions of your day copying and pasting the same update across hundreds of different files, it’s increasingly difficult to notice small mistakes that may occur, such as only copying a portion of your change.
Over a large enough timeframe, human error is an inevitability.
So why not mitigate the chances for human error as much as possible?
Increase Speed-to-Market
Artwork automation is a key solution to improving speed-to-market for many brands.
Automation simplifies processes and increases productivity, so you can get your updated product packaging on the shelf faster.
Improve Workflow
You’re a growing brand.
Each day, you’re rolling out new products, updating existing ones, and exploring new markets with new regulations.
That’s why many brand teams experience intense discomfort when it comes to their packaging workflow.
How are you supposed to manage a plethora of specific needs across varying products while simultaneously remaining agile enough to respond to changing consumer preferences?
The appeal of artwork automation becomes apparent when you consider the complexities that brands must address in addition to their large product portfolios.
Who Should Automate Artwork?
Packaging artwork directors who experience the issues below could benefit from an automated artwork solution in their packaging process:
Significant Pressure to Create and Update Packaging Faster
The need to meet demand is crucial to a product’s success. The inability to create packaging fast enough to satisfy consumers can lead to a tarnished brand reputation.
Increased Number of Brand SKUs
Adding SKUs to a brand’s portfolio can be difficult to accomplish. Manually making changes to master templates and other necessary alterations complicates what would seem like a relatively simple process.
Need to Reduce Packaging Risk
Recalls hurt your bottom line and impact your brand’s performance and perception.
Understandably, many brands are risk averse and see the investment in artwork automation as one that will pay off in the long run.
Brands that utilize these solutions the best will place themselves in front of the competitors for years to come.
How Esko | Brand Solutions Can Improve Your Artwork Automation
Artwork automation solutions help brand companies reduce errors, increase speed to market, and improve workflow processes.
WebCenter is a workflow solution that includes automated artwork generation and automation engine.
These functions allow brands to automatically update simple content, text, tables, codes, and symbols.
This effectively eliminates human touchpoints during artwork updates — such as copy and paste — that create risk for errors when making content changes.
Automation engine eliminates manual processes and automatically performs versioning and quality control checks, ensuring that every package is accurate before it hits the shelves.
