Packaging artwork is treated as a design task and usually behaves like a process task: the delays come from approvals rather than from creativity, and the expensive mistakes happen after the artwork has been released.

This article sets out the sequence from dieline to press, the copy that has to be right, and the change control that prevents a reprint.

What is the packaging artwork workflow for a charger?

Dieline, layout, proof, approve.

The workflow runs from an approved structural dieline through layout and copy review to a proof stage, with a signed approval gate before the print run.

The sequence matters because each stage constrains the next. The dieline fixes the panel sizes and therefore how much copy fits; the layout places copy and imagery; the proof verifies colour and registration on the actual board; and the approval authorises the print run.

Skipping the structural stage and designing to a guess produces the most common failure in the category: artwork that will not fit the box the factory actually uses.

Dielines and structural approval

A dieline is the cutting and folding template for the box. It comes from the packaging supplier and should be approved alongside the charger’s dimensions and weight, because a heavier product with the same panels may need a different board grade.

The structural approval should also confirm whether the box carries a hanging tab, a window or an insert, since each changes the artwork and the cost.

Copy rules: wattage claims, warnings and languages

The copy on a charger box is a specification document. Wattage claims must match the product’s tested capability, warnings must follow the destination market’s requirements, and the number of languages determines how much text the panels can carry.

Proof types and what each verifies

Proofs progress from digital to contract to press. A digital proof verifies layout and copy; a contract proof approximates colour; a press proof verifies what the machine will actually produce on the chosen board. For branded colours, the press proof is the stage that prevents a reprint.

Practical discipline is to review the proof against the dieline with a ruler rather than on screen, since fold and bleed errors are invisible in a flat PDF view.

Colour control on coated board

Coated and uncoated boards render the same ink differently, and a Pantone reference on coated stock will not match the same reference on kraft or recycled board. The board grade belongs in the specification alongside the colour reference.

Metallic inks and foils add a second consideration for charging products: they cannot be used over a wireless charging coil area, because a conductive layer interferes with the field.

Change control after approval

Once artwork is approved, every change should be versioned and re-approved, with the reason recorded. That includes copy corrections that appear trivial, because a change to a wattage or port claim can trigger a new round of retail or marketplace scrutiny.

Keeping the approved artwork file with the purchase order means a reprint can be matched to the version that was actually produced, which is what a compliance reviewer will ask for when a listing is audited.

How artwork connects to the product specification

Artwork should be built from the same specification document as the product, so that the claims on the box correspond to the tested behaviour. Where a product line shares one platform, the artwork can share a layout while the claims vary by tier.

WECENT handles packaging artwork as part of its OEM/ODM programme, producing retail and bulk formats for charger programmes, with batch records at the quality control gates and transit performance validated against a published protocol (ISTA). Market-specific requirements such as efficiency or EMC statements follow the destination rules (Regulation (EU) 2019/1782 and 47 CFR Part 15).

Timeline and where the delays come from

Most delays come from three sources: late structural approval, copy that changes after the proof, and colour decisions made at the press stage. Planning an approval gate for each stage, with a named approver, removes all three.

Working backwards from the ship date, the artwork schedule usually needs three to four weeks for a new box and one week for a copy change on an existing dieline. Building that into the launch plan is cheaper than expediting a print run.

Two reviews belong in the schedule. The first is a copy review against the product specification, so that wattage, port and input claims match the tested behaviour. The second is a market review, which confirms the language set, warning symbols and any disposal or battery marks the destination requires.

Where packaging carries efficiency or compliance statements, those follow the destination rules (Regulation (EU) 2019/1782 and 47 CFR Part 15), and transit performance for the finished pack can be validated against a published protocol (ISTA). Keeping those two documents with the approved artwork file means a reprint never depends on recollection.