Project at a glance
Challenge:
Turning a designer's blue sky concept into artwork a press can actually reproduce. Gifting ranges are high stakes, sit on a long and unforgiving critical path, and carry dozens of moving parts between the original idea and the final print-ready file.
Solution:
Spark manages the full process from concept adaptation to final artwork. That covers design roll-out across the range, CGIs, mockups, cutters, ingredient listings and technical copy, colour management and contract proofing, final artwork and repro, and e-commerce box shots. Every stage is sequenced and tracked in an Airtable-driven workflow that gives the No7 team visibility of every gift at every point in the process.
Impact:
Duplication reduced, delivery accelerated, and colour consistency improved across every territory. Significant time saved through a single, reliable workflow that runs from concept adaptation to print-ready artwork.
What we mean by process
Spark works from concept adaptation through to final artwork that is ready for print. We do not buy print or manage print production. We manage the process that gets a perfect file into the printer's hands, and we manage the dates that process has to hit.
THE CHALLENGE
A designer's idea does not translate to a printing press on its own.
The No7 Beauty Company, part of Boots, needed a partner who could embed in their brand culture, work to their brand visual identity standards, and appreciate how critical gifting ranges are to consumer buying habits.
The real challenge sits in the gap between two points. At one end, a concept designer's blue sky thinking. At the other, a file a press can print, on the right substrate, in the right colour, with every technical and regulatory element correctly in place. Closing that gap means carrying a single creative idea across an entire range of gifts, building print-ready artwork for each one, and pulling together cutters, ingredient listings, barcodes, CGIs and colour references without losing any of the original intent.
There are a lot of moving parts, and a lot of hands. Without one managed process holding it together, multiple stakeholders, sites and handoffs create duplicated effort and unnecessary risk.
Managing the critical path matters just as much as managing the artwork. Spark is one part of a far larger schedule. Artwork dates drive CAD dates, which drive packing dates, which drive on-shelf dates. Ranges are planned months and often a year ahead, but the deadlines inside that plan are fixed, and missing one has a knock-on effect through everything that follows.
THE SOLUTION
One managed process. Full visibility. Every stage accounted for.
Building on Spark's long-term partnership with Liz Earle and the No7 Beauty Company, we manage the entire route from concept adaptation to final artwork ready for print. Every stage sits inside a single workflow, so the client can see where each gift is at any moment, and every element that has to come together for a pack to print correctly is briefed, tracked and approved in one place.
A SYSTEM THAT RUNS THE PROCESS
The workflow is built on Airtable and powered by Flow, Spark's production platform. The client briefs in through the front end, which generates the brief for our production team. Approvals are routed through Ziflow, where artwork is viewed and signed off, and final files land in Connect, where printers collect them. Both are driven by the approval logic held in Airtable, so nothing moves forward until the previous stage is genuinely complete.
The result is a single source of truth. The No7 team can see the status of every gift, at every stage, at any time, without chasing anyone for an update.
- A management workflow and communication channel packaged consistently.
- An optimised process to ensure time savings and delivery standardisation.
- Full client visibility of every project, at every stage.
FROM CONCEPT ROLL-OUT TO PRINT-READY ARTWORK
The process begins with the roll-out of the design that arrives from the concept designers, applying a single creative idea across every gift in the range. From there, the pack is built out in stages: CGIs and mockups to visualise the finished product, then the technical guide, the first proper look at how the artwork will behave in print.
Copy collect follows, bringing in ingredient listings, barcodes and the technical information that has to appear on the back of pack. Cutters are managed alongside it. Once everything is gathered and approved, we move to final artwork and repro, and the file goes to print.
- Design roll-out across the full gifting range
- CGIs, mockups and technical guide
- Copy collect, cutters and back-of-pack technical content
- Final artwork and repro, ready for the printer
PRESS-READY CONFIDENCE: PROOF EARLY, DELIVER FASTER
Colour management sits inside the process rather than alongside it, and Spark front-loads it through a dedicated contract proofing service. Working early with specialist proofing partners, rather than tying up final printers' large presses, we create signed proofs and clear, transferable print instructions.
This locks colour decisions up front, holds consistency across multiple print sites, and removes late-stage production risk while saving significant time.
PRECISION COLOUR MANAGEMENT FROM CONCEPT TO GLOBAL STANDARD
Spark translates creative intent into print-ready reality across substrates, presses and territories. We align on true colour intent using any relevant reference, then formulate cost-efficient colour builds for the chosen materials and processes.
On press we calibrate and refine in real time, delivering a signed contract proof to a Delta E (ΔE) tolerance of +/- 1.5. That proof becomes the global colour control for every printer, ensuring consistency market to market and run to run.
BUILT-IN AGILITY FOR FAST DESIGN CHANGES
Proofing early creates a safe contingency for in-flight refinement. Colours, finishes or treatments can be adjusted quickly, including subjective client input, without restarting the process. The result is faster iteration earlier in the timeline and smoother delivery.
- Adapting colour and finish at pace while keeping quality, cost and timelines in sync
- A rigorous, process-led playbook that improves consistency and deliverability without adding drag
- Craft and technical precision that deliver standout packaging
THE IMPACT
The partnership became a playbook: a single, reliable workflow embedded across the gifting ranges, cutting duplication and speeding delivery.
Up-front colour sign-off improved consistency across all No7 territories and strengthened shelf impact. Significant time was saved while quality and technical precision increased.
Weeks of colour work pulled to the front of the process, cutting late-stage amends and keeping gifting launches on track.
One signed contract proof became the global colour north star, delivering consistent shelf impact across every printer and territory.
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A single, embedded Spark workflow replaced fragmented handoffs, speeding delivery while raising technical quality and brand confidence.
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