A practical walkthrough of our packaging workflow for hydraulic parts — box and label artwork, the marking that has to be right, and the revisions in between.
Private label is how most importers in emerging markets escape a price-only competition on hydraulics. It is also where most projects stall — not on product, but on packaging artwork.
Step 1 — the brand asset
You need at least one of three things: a logo file, a brand name, or existing packaging you want improved. From any of those, the design team develops the identifier and the visual language. If your logo only exists as a phone photo, that is workable too.
Step 2 — artwork for every touchpoint
- Product box — front, back and side panels, with barcode and part number placement
- Part number label — this is not optional on hydraulics: the box must carry the OE reference and the bore, or the workshop cannot check it before fitting
- Bag — barrier requirement for humidity and transit protection, plus an anti-rust wrap for cast iron bodies
- Master carton — marking, quantity, weight, dimensions and handling symbols, sized to a pallet module rather than to a round number of units
- Fitting leaflet — bleeding procedure and fluid specification, in your language
Step 3 — revisions and locking the master
Plan for two or three revision rounds. The critical step is locking a print-ready master file at the end: that file is what guarantees order number twenty looks exactly like order number one, even if a different factory runs it.
What to avoid
Do not approve artwork from a phone screen. Ask for a physical printed sample of the box, or at minimum a colour proof on the actual substrate. Substrate and print method change colour, and a mismatched red across your product line is the fastest way to look like a generic seller.
Second warning, specific to hydraulics: never let the artwork drop the OE number to make room for the logo. Buyers scan the box for the reference. Take the space from the marketing copy instead.