We work alongside contract and private label manufacturers as the design partner for their brand clients. Many of the supplement brands we've launched came to us through a manufacturer referral. The manufacturer handles formulation and production; we handle the brand, the label, the packaging, and the files, built to the manufacturer's exact specs. Clients launch faster, prepress goes smoother, and the brand that comes out the other end actually sells.
Why manufacturers partner with a design studio
Manufacturers partner with a design studio because a client without finished packaging is a job that can't run. New brands often show up with a formula and a deadline, but no brand, no label, and no idea what a dieline is. That stalls your schedule and fills your inbox.
Many manufacturers offer basic label design, and for some clients that's enough. When a client wants a brand that can compete on the shelf, a referral keeps the relationship intact: you keep the production, they get a real brand, and you get files that are right the first time. A brand that sells also reorders, which means more runs on your line.
What do production-ready files include?
Production-ready means a printer can run the file without a single question. For supplement and private label packaging, that includes:
- Dieline accuracy: artwork built on your dieline, with bleed and safe zones respected and seams and wrap areas kept clear of critical text.
- Color set up for the press: CMYK or spot colors as specified, white underprint for clear and metallic stocks, and varnish or foil on separate layers.
- A compliant Supplement Facts panel laid out from your formula sheet in the format required by 21 CFR 101.36, ready for your QA or regulatory review.
- Required label elements: statement of identity, net quantity, ingredient list, and the distributor statement, placed where regulations expect them.
- Barcodes and blank areas: UPCs sized and placed for scanning, plus clear space for lot numbers and expiration dates printed on the line.
- Clean files: outlined fonts, linked or embedded images, and a PDF proof for client and manufacturer sign-off.
It sounds basic. It's also where most packaging delays come from. See our packaging design process.
Private label packaging that doesn't look private label
Private label packaging design has a specific challenge: the formula inside may be identical to products sold under other names. The packaging and brand are the only differentiation the client has. That's where templated label work hurts, because it looks like every other product built on the same stock formula.
We build distinct brand systems for private label clients that still fit your production constraints, including standard container sizes, label formats, and existing print vendors. For manufacturers who want a better starting point for clients who need speed, we can also design a flexible label template system for your private label catalog.
How does a manufacturer partnership work?
A partnership is simple and runs alongside your existing process:
- Introduction. You introduce a client who needs branding or packaging. We take it from there.
- Specs first. We confirm dielines, label sizes, substrates, print method, and the formula sheet with your team before any design starts.
- Design. We build the brand and packaging with the client, with feedback at defined checkpoints.
- Approval. Your team reviews the final proof against production specs, and the client signs off on content and claims.
- Delivery. Print-ready files go to you or your printer, and the client gets the rest of the system: guidelines, renders, and website if they need one.
What founders gain from production know-how
If you're a founder reading this page, here's why it matters to you: a studio that works with manufacturers designs for how your product will actually be made. That means fewer prepress rounds, a Supplement Facts panel that's structured correctly from the first draft, finishes that work on your container, and a realistic sense of what's affordable at your order quantities.
It also means your launch visuals don't wait on production. We build photoreal 3D renders from the same dieline, so your website and pre-launch marketing are ready before the first unit ships. See product visualization.
Who we partner with
We partner with contract supplement manufacturers, private label and white label manufacturers, and wellness CPG producers making powders, capsules, gummies, and functional products. If your clients are health and wellness brands, we're likely a fit. Our work for brands is covered on the supplement brands page.
