Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/918844
January 2018 WINES&VINES 117 PACKAGING nally the live comp. The progres- sion is important to marketing and production teams because, she noted, many people can't en- vision 3D concepts from flat representations. The live comp process brings clients as close as possible to the finished product, using rubber embossing and debossing and transfers to metal label sub- strates. It's something anyone can see, feel and believe in. Affinity's Ed Rice explained the process typically starts with a flat design, then the design firm provides an initial creative range. The client picks two or three designs to refine, and Af- finity presents enhance- m e n t a n d v i s u a l i z a t i o n through a computer pro- gram. Clients may finalize the process after seeing 3D representations of the work, or decide to go for the live comp. Lilienthal re- vealed that Cline is currently working on a redesign for another package. "Live comp pro- totyping helps o n s o m a n y p o i n t s , f r o m production to m a r k e t i n g a n d sales," she said. Once the final design is veri- f i e d , l a b e l p r i n t i n g f o r Cline bids out in a competi- tive process. Sample some software When we chatted with Washington s t a t e d e s i g n e r Sara Nelson of Sara Nelson De- sign at W&V Pack, she com- mented that 3D rendering is "very cool, but very expensive." Heath Luetkens, director of technical innovation for Creative Edge Software in Minneapolis, Minn., gave Nelson a sample 3D visual comp created on his com- pany's IC3D application (photo on page 118). It happened fast— only a few days after Nelson pro- vided her elaborate 2D design for Struggle Wine from 2,000- case Palencia Wine Co. of Walla Walla, Wash. Creative Edge market- ing executive Alexandra Specht acknowledged that the wine market is new to the company, although it has extensive experience with spirits and other bev- erages. "Brand owners need to innovate at a q u i c k e r s p e e d , w i t h real-time design," she said. The 3D comps do not provide physical models of the package but use a propri- etary version of Adobe Il- lustrator that c a n c h a n g e g l a s s c o l o r, embossing, var- nish and other tactile elements. C l i e n t s c a n preview the examples be- fore produc- tion happens, even produc- i n g p r o d u c t shots for publica- tion prior to wine release. Specht com- mented: "There's KEY POINTS Prototyping for packages is still largely unknown in the wine in- dustry, but it may become a best practice in the coming months. Wineries can opt among several layers of prototyping, from labels to full 3D bottles to "live comp" models of the full package. Costs vary based on the project and clients' requirements. Custom bottles F R O M C O N C E P T T O R E A L I T Y GP166698 Select from our premium bottles or custom design the ideal bottle, pewter label or other packaging solution to promote and sell your agship wines. Glass bottle specialists West Coast info@globalpackage.net 707 224-5670 globalpackage.net East Coast usa@estal.info 305 443-7451 www.estal.com/en Cline Cellars was able to preview the package for its 2015 Old Vine Zinfandel using a prototype from Affinity Creative Group.