Using Photoshop for offset printing projects (packaging) - simple or complex?

Hi,
I'm about to start a new project. It's a product package (box).
Normally, I would do this in Illustrator. However, I was wondering if I could do it all in Photoshop by saving the final output as a PDF.
I've only ever used Photoshop in 4-color process scenarios and numeric printing. In other words, "sky's the limit" scenarios, where all I need to care about is how it looks on the screen. I'm not sure how to attack this from the perspective of offset printing.
I've checked with the printer, and he says a CMYK PDF is fine. But that the basic rules of offset still apply.
First, is it realistic of me to envision doing this box in Photoshop? It would really save me a lot of time not having to switch back and forth from PS to AI the way I usually do in projects like these.
How would I go about telling a text layer to use a specific offset pantone, or pure black, for instance?
Am I making too big a deal out of something simple, or am I being unreasonably simplistic regarding something more complex?

...or am I being unreasonably simplistic regarding something more complex?
Probably yes (no offense). Just a few random thoughts:
- you can't do die, glue and fold lines in PS as you can't do specific other custom print marks required for stamping, foil coating, varnishing or whatever
- process colors in PS are limited to multichannel/ duotones/ tritones and since they will be raster, they will never print sharp, especially when printing on something like uncoated C or G flute
- similarly, barcodes and other required markings may not print correctly
So no, there is possibly no way you can do this in just PS. In particular the cutting part will require a complementary EPS/ PDF based on genuine vector data and it really doesn't hurt to have proper alignement crosshairs, either.
Mylenium

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I'd agree with what Peter says but for a possible few points.
1. As you have calibrated monitors, you presumably have a spectrophotometer and a monitor calibration / monitor characterisation package. The package should autoinstall the ICC profile for the state of the display and set the ColorSync Utility and the Display control panel correctly. However, take care that you don't override these settings manually. The typical mistake is to use the display profile as the profile for colour correction. The reason this is a mistake is that your display typically has a smaller colour space than your offset printing condition, except if you are printing on lowend gray newsprint or lowend gray magazine paper as in US SWOP. For any half-decent printing gamut, use a larger colour correction space such as ECI-RGB or AdobeRGB or if you are digital then PhotoGamutRGB by the pro photographers in Germany. If you can't define a colour in the colour correction space you can't define the colour in the output space - you have to have the colour to be able to print the colour.
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Probably a bit rambling, sorry about that.
hh

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i agree with both of the above posts. there's no "magic bullet" which will get every picture correct in every circumstance, it depends on:
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the resolution of the platesetter (assuming the artwork is being commercially printed using CTP);
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Using Photoshop for offset printing projects (packaging) - simple or complex?

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