Well heck, this design will do just fine as a poster, but what will it look like when it’s wrapped around that high-end wine bottle for which it’s intended? Until now, answering this question required the purchase of expensive software such as the $1,600 Studio from Esko, something especially problematic when it was done for the client before they had even opened their check books. This week, that all may be a thing of the past with the launch of a $9/month application called Context. (If this sounds familiar, PaperSpecs first mentioned it earlier this year during its beta-testing phase.)
Simply put, Context works with Illustrator to allow you to fit your 2D design to a 3D product on the computer screen, thanks to more than 350 “surfaces” within the program. It can reproduce printing and finishing techniques, too, such as screen printing and embossing, even foil stamping.
Creative Review was also quick to pick up on another benefit (or complication, depending on how you look at it):
Designers can also share an ‘editable surface’ via email. Good news for clients, perhaps, who can tweak elements (see, that logo can go bigger), but certainly a collaborative element to the software that should help speed up the dialogue during any project.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMtFHWeVN8M]
