Packaging 101 | BE Educated
In our previous post, Packaging Design Basics: Tackling the Important Questions, creating retail packaging requires consideration of many different elements. The results should be an attention-grabbing, product-protecting, sales-driving symbol of your hard work and effort. Here are some ways that materials are being utilized to bring out the best in packaging design.
Paperboard – The Swiss Army Knife of Packaging
Paperboard is one of the most common forms of packaging used today. It is everywhere throughout our homes. Quickly scan the room you are sitting in. It is likely that there are at least a dozen paperboard items in your view. Paperboard has tremendous versatility. It is produced in a variety of weights and thicknesses, then cut and folded to meet any specifications. From the tiniest box of eye drops to a sturdy container of cat litter, its uses are vast and resourceful. The best part is that paper-based packaging accounts for 71.3% of the packaging that’s recycled in the United States.
To Die (Cut) For Design
Paperboard works with a plethora of shapes and sizes with different styles of folds incorporated for maximum sales power. With advances in technology over the past few decades, you make have noticed that packaging has gotten more sophisticated and a lot more fun. Who said a box had to be boring? There are plenty of ways to create custom folds and unique designs with a custom die cut. This is a great option for making window cutouts to show off your product inside. It is also handy if you plan to use the same packaging style for multiple SKUs.
Tactile Experience
Adding a sensory experience to your packaging can entice browsers to stop and take a closer look. There are a few ways to accomplish this. Create some WOW with a soft touch flood coating! This finish is applied during the print production process to give it a velvety feel. If you’re looking for a sleeker effect consider a gloss coating instead. Embossing and debossing are also ways that you can grab a buyer’s attention by raising or depressing of the paper or materials into a shape or pattern. Another alternative is to select a material with a sensory experience built in such as a natural pulp fiber with earthy elements providing the texture.
Your Time to Shine
Foil stamping is a hot trend in packaging design. This is not just in a gold or silver. A holographic effect, foiling matched with deboss and embossed elements, heavy maximalist designs over black and dark substrates, and foiled effects overlaid onto images. These are just a few of the endless possibilities that can add bling to your packaging design.
At B&B Print Source, we have the power to help you create high-quality packaging solutions for your products. We are collaborators at heart and would love to help you with your next packaging project.