Wooden Sandpaper Book; sandpaper packs

Designing and producing packaging for a pack of motivational sandpaper

This blog is a continuation from this post where I print a set of 9 woodblock print plates onto sandpaper. Although I plan to continue with creating a book, I printed some loose sheets of each design to also produce packs.

The process:

I wanted the pack to be the same design as something you would grab in a shop, in cellophane bags with a label stapled up together. With that in mind I measured around the printed sandpaper sheets to establish the size of the card for the packaging, then I started designing the visual elements. 

First, I put the three characters together, as if they were hanging out, to make 'The Sandpaper Gang', which is what I wanted to advertise the pack as. It creates a cohesive branding point, and it's fun! Then I added the text I wanted, using the same fonts as used for the print block designs. I also used bits of the designs done for the print blocks to add decorative elements to the packaging, such as the sanding hand to create a pattern to appear behind the sandpaper pieces.

I printed them using the risograph printed so that I could print onto sandpaper without having to do screen-printing (sandpaper doesn't go into digital printers which would have been the quickest method). I printed onto white paper stock and also tried out other colours, which are most effective as they are more fun, reflecting the product.

I was very happy with the outcome, however it doesn't fit the plastic very well, so I made another design that is bigger and fits better. I also made a mistake with the writing, so I fixed that too.

I also wanted it to feel more substantial but didn't want to print onto different paper stock, so I decided not to print double sided and instead print separately and join the two sides after printing. I used double sided sticky tape to stick the two printed pieces to each other, creating one thick sheet. I also printed onto more colours of paper stock this time as well.

This all worked very well and fits the plastic great!

The outcome:

The packs have had very positive feedback where people have commented that they reflect the product and the colour choices are a nice touch. It has been suggested to go to shops to stock them, such as Fred Aldous or Colours May Vary, or sell online or at markets!