Transparency, Tricky Patterns, and an FTA-Winning Finish
The Challenge
Scotch Tape’s corrugated packaging needed to do something few designs can pull off: make bubble wrap look like bubble wrap on a rough, uneven substrate.
The image was subtle by nature—minimal shadows, mostly highlights and midtones—and had to hold up on press without disappearing into the board. On top of that, the brand’s signature plaid pattern (black, yellow, and red) added complex trapping and registration challenges that required pixel-perfect precision.
Our Approach
This was a print challenge on multiple levels: rendering near-transparent elements, preserving design intent, and ensuring press stability on a rough board. Here’s how we tackled it:
Bubble Wrap Rendering: With little contrast and no true shadows to rely on, we had to control dot gain within the midtone and highlight range to make the texture pop without overpowering it.
Plaid Pattern Precision: Scotch’s well-known tartan background features intricate linework with overlapping colors. We adjusted trapping carefully and even converted some solid lines to dotted lines to improve registration and visual clarity on press.
Material Consideration: This wasn’t a premium board—it was a strong, shipper-grade corrugated with less-than-ideal surface quality. We adapted our plate build accordingly to preserve detail despite a less forgiving substrate.
The Results
Highly realistic bubble wrap effect—held up across highlights and midtones
Flawless plaid pattern reproduction—with custom trapping and registration adjustments
Award-winning print quality—recognized by the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA)
Launched a full packaging series for Scotch/3M using the same pattern and imagery
“This one pushed our limits. We had to make translucent elements pop and keep their signature pattern perfectly aligned. Winning at FTA proved we nailed it.”
The Impact
What started as a single complex job became a launchpad for a much larger print series with Scotch/3M. That same visual system—bubble wrap and tartan—was applied across a wide range of packaging needs, thanks to the durability and precision of the original setup.
Transparency + Texture? We’re Built for That.
If your brand relies on subtle detail, layered effects, or high-precision trapping, Dynamic Dies helps you bring those designs to life—even on challenging substrates.
Let’s talk about your next project and make sure your design holds up in every layer.