Experienced Packaging Artwork Designer – Print-Ready Production & SKU Adaptation

We are a communication agency looking for an experienced freelance packaging artwork designer for an ongoing collaboration across multiple food packaging and retail projects. The selected professional will be responsible for creating print-ready packaging artwork and product line extensions (SKU adaptations) based on master packaging designs that have already been developed, defined, and approved by our agency. This is NOT a creative design or concept development role. The main task is to adapt existing master packaging artwork to new product references, applying the approved design to the supplied dielines and updating all product-specific content while ensuring absolute consistency across the entire product range. The original master packaging design must always be respected. New SKUs must never be treated as an opportunity to redesign or reinterpret the approved artwork. 1. Materials We Will Provide For each project, we will provide: Approved master packaging design and visual layout; Packaging dieline, where available; Product images and photography; Logos and graphic assets; Marketing and descriptive copy; Ingredients and allergen information; Nutrition facts; Storage and usage instructions; Legal information and company details; Barcodes, symbols, icons, and certifications; Examples of previously completed packaging within the same product range, where available. 2. Master Packaging Adaptation – Essential Guidelines When developing a new SKU from an existing master packaging design, the designer must strictly follow the established graphic structure. Elements that MUST remain unchanged: Typography: Original fonts, font sizes, weights, styles, line spacing, and character spacing. Layout: Positioning, dimensions, proportions, and alignment of all graphic elements. Spacing: Margins, text boxes, distances between elements, and established spacing throughout the artwork. Visual hierarchy: Relative importance, size, and placement of product names, claims, logos, and other graphic information. Graphic structure: Original shapes, graphic treatments, decorative elements, and overall composition. Brand identity: Logos, corporate colours, and all mandatory brand elements. Elements that CAN be adapted according to the new SKU: Product name: Updated according to the new reference, while maintaining the original typographic treatment and designated layout area. SKU-specific colours: Colours may change to differentiate products within the same range, while maintaining overall visual consistency. Product photography: Images may be replaced according to the new product, maintaining the same visual style, proportions, and positioning. Claims and product benefits: Text may change based on the actual product characteristics, but typography, positioning, and graphic treatment must remain consistent. Technical and legal information: Ingredients, allergens, nutrition tables, barcodes, weights, storage instructions, and other product-specific information must be updated. Packaging dieline: The dieline may change when required by different packaging formats, dimensions, or production specifications. Any necessary artwork adaptation must preserve the approved visual hierarchy, graphic proportions, and overall design logic. Important: If a new product name, claim, or technical content does not fit within the existing layout, the designer must not independently change font sizes, spacing, proportions, or positioning. Any necessary exception or structural adjustment must be discussed with and approved by our agency before implementation. The master packaging is a fixed visual reference, not a starting point for a redesign. 3. Main Responsibilities The designer will be required to: Create new packaging SKUs by accurately adapting approved master artwork; Apply the existing design to the supplied packaging dieline; Replace and update product-specific colours, images, texts, claims, and technical information; Preserve the original typography, layout, spacing, visual hierarchy, and graphic proportions; Correctly arrange ingredients, nutrition tables, allergens, and mandatory legal information; Check bleed, safety margins, folds, cutting lines, and glue areas; Correctly manage CMYK colours, spot colours, clipping paths, and overprinting; Prepare clean, organised, and technically correct artwork files; Check text readability, alignment, and consistency across the product range; Identify and report any missing materials, layout issues, or technical inconsistencies; Flag any necessary deviation from the approved master design before proceeding; Deliver the editable Adobe Illustrator file and final print-ready PDF. 4.

Requirements

We are looking for a professional with: Proven experience in packaging artwork production and SKU adaptations; Excellent knowledge of Adobe Illustrator; Experience working with existing master packaging designs and extending them across multiple product references; Strong understanding of packaging dielines and print-ready artwork; Solid knowledge of prepress processes and printing requirements; High accuracy when handling text, nutrition tables, and technical information; Ability to follow an approved graphic concept without introducing independent creative modifications; Exceptional attention to detail, particularly regarding typography, spacing, alignment, and layout consistency; Reliability, precision, and respect for deadlines; Availability for ongoing collaboration. Previous experience in food packaging, supermarket private-label products, and large-scale retail distribution (GDO/FMCG) is highly preferred. 5. Required Deliverables For each packaging project, the designer will be expected to provide: An organised, fully editable Adobe Illustrator source file; Linked images, graphic assets, and fonts where required and permitted by licensing; A high-resolution, print-ready PDF compliant with the supplied printing specifications; A preview PDF, if requested; Final artwork correctly prepare