How to check a designer knows print, materials and compliance

A designer who understands packaging doesn't just create something that looks good on screen—they know how it behaves in production, what materials can actually do, and what compliance rules apply to your product. Finding someone with this depth is harder than it sounds. Many designers have never sent work to a printer, never specified substrate or finish, and have no idea whether your labels meet food safety or consumer protection law. The risk is a design that fails when it hits production, lands you in legal trouble, or wastes money on reprints.

The good news is you can verify these skills before you hire. Start by asking for proof, not promises.

Material knowledge and print production

A designer with real print experience will speak naturally about substrate weight, coating types, bleed, colour separation and finishing techniques—and will ask you questions about your manufacturing process before suggesting a direction. Ask them to walk you through a past project: what material was chosen and why, what went to the printer, what surprises came back, how they fixed it. Someone who has only ever worked digitally will struggle to answer with specifics.

Request samples or case studies that show the final printed piece, not just the mock-up. Ask to see the print specification sheet they sent to the supplier—the technical brief that covers stock choice, ink type, die-line tolerances, and finishing. If they can't produce one, they probably didn't write one, which means the printer had to guess at their intent.

Find out how they typically work with printers. Do they have established relationships with local suppliers and understand lead times and stock availability? Can they recommend a printer or do they expect you to source one blind? Someone with deep production knowledge will have preferences based on which suppliers handle edge cases well—metallic inks, soft-touch varnish, embossing on board that won't crack.

Compliance and labelling checks

Packaging compliance rules differ by product type and destination market. Food, cosmetics, supplements, chemicals and pharmaceuticals each have their own red lines. A designer who has worked in your category will know the regulatory landscape. Someone new to it needs to know how to find the answers.

Ask them directly: have they worked with your product type before? If yes, ask which regulations they accounted for—on your next briefing call, they should mention specific rules without prompting. If no, ask how they approach compliance: do they work with a consultant, rely on the client to provide guidelines, or research the relevant authorities themselves? A weak answer here is a red flag.

Request a reference from someone in the same industry—a food business, a cosmetics brand, a supplement manufacturer—and ask that reference specifically whether the designer caught compliance issues or flagged gaps. This is the real test. You can also ask the designer to show you labelling work they've done and the compliance checklist or notes that guided it.

Checking credentials and practice

Look for evidence of formal training in graphic design or packaging design. A qualification from a recognised design school or print-focused course matters; it means they learned production rules, not just software. Ask whether they belong to a professional body—design associations or print guilds in South Africa can confirm membership and ethical standards.

Request at least three references, ideally from businesses in your sector or similar packaging complexity. Phone them. Ask not just "Were you happy?" but "Did the design work first time in production, or were there changes? Did the designer anticipate any issues?" and "Would you hire them again for something more complex?"

Final check: search their past work online or in their portfolio and ask whether each piece made it to shelf as designed. If a designer has worked on ten food packaging projects, you should be able to see evidence of at least some in the wild—on shop shelves, in online store photos, in case study images.

A designer who knows print, materials and compliance will expect these questions. They'll have documentation, references who answer confidently, and a track record of work that survived production intact. When you find one, you've found someone who protects your investment and your brand. Strove's verified designers include those who specialise in packaging with production expertise—you can review their portfolios and past work, read client feedback, and ask them these checks before you brief them.