In a market full of options, finishes are what make your product stand out and tell the story of your brand. As cartonboard packaging manufacturers, at Alzamora Group we understand the importance of selecting the right finish for each project. This guide details the various finishes available and their applications, helping you to make informed decisions for your packaging.
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A finish is the coating or treatment applied to the surface of packaging to enhance its appearance, durability or functionality. In addition to influencing aesthetics, finishes provide product protection and enrich the consumer experience. The choice of the appropriate finish depends on factors such as product type, brand message, budget and storage or transport conditions.
The acrylic gloss finish provides a glossy coating that highlights the colours and graphic details of the packaging, creating a vibrant and eye-catching image. It is ideal for products that need to stand out visually.
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Main applications: cosmetics, perfumery, food, gourmet and luxury goods.
The matt acrylic finish provides a smooth, non-reflective texture, giving it an elegant, understated look.
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Main applications: cosmetics, perfumery, premium food, beverages.
UV printing uses inks that are cured with ultraviolet light, ensuring high quality finishes in gloss or matt versions. The glossy UV finish enhances colours with a reflective effect that adds intensity and dynamism to the design.
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Main applications: cosmetics, perfumery, premium food and beverage and exclusive products.
The UV matte finish offers a velvety texture without reflections, ideal for a sophisticated and elegant image. Its smooth surface reinforces the perception of quality and exclusivity of the product.
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Main applications: luxury packaging, cosmetics and gourmet products.
Iriodin or pearlescent finishes create metallic and textured effects that vary according to the angle of vision, adding a luxurious and dynamic touch to the packaging. This finish is ideal for brands looking to differentiate themselves, creating a sophisticated and visually appealing presentation.
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Main applications: cosmetics, perfumes, collectibles and limited edition, premium beverages.
Drip-Off finishing is a coating technique in which a gloss varnish is applied to selected areas of a package, while the rest remains matte (slightly textured). This effect creates an attractive and elegant visual contrast, highlighting certain parts of the packaging design with a subtle sheen, while others maintain a smooth, elegant texture.
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Main applications: gourmet food, limited edition products, wines and spirits, cosmetics, perfumery.
The Soft Touch finish is a finish that provides a matte texture with a velvety feel. It can be achieved with an application of varnish and requires a top coat (i.e. an extra layer). It could also be done by plasticizing.
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Main applications: cosmetics, perfumery and luxury goods.
Embossing is a print finish that uses a gold foil applied to packaging through a process of heat and pressure. This finish gives a luxurious and sophisticated appearance, making it a popular choice for high-end products.
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Main applications: luxury and high-end products.
These laminates provide a protective layer against moisture and wear. In addition, they provide resistance to rubbing. All these materials improve the durability of the packaging.
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Main applications: food, beverages, cosmetics.
Polypropylene lamination provides a protective layer against humidity and wear. In the case of dark prints, it is better to use matte anti-scratch polypropylene. Both materials improve the durability of the packaging.
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Main applications: food, beverages, cosmetics.
Matte finish with silky touch. Provides a protective layer against moisture and wear. In addition, it provides resistance to rubbing. All these materials improve the durability of the packaging. It is the most matte of the different laminates, but it is the one that alters the printed colors the least.
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Main applications: luxury products, cosmetics
Eco-friendly silver laminate offers a metallic finish without the use of conventional plastics, making it a more sustainable option for environmentally conscious brands. This finish uses biodegradable or recyclable materials to achieve a similar effect to traditional silver laminate.
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Main applications: eco-friendly products, organic and natural foods, natural cosmetics and personal care products, luxury packaging for brands with a sustainable approach, limited or special editions of products.
Flexo-Indian printing is particularly used in the pharmaceutical sector, thanks to its high precision and reliability in the reproduction of small texts and images. Security microtext improves the safety of pharmaceutical products, ensuring that texts are readable only under specific conditions (50x magnification magnifying glass).
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Main applications: pharmaceutical, medical products.
This finish uses special inks that allow smartphones to recognize the authenticity of the product through an app, which combats counterfeiting and facilitates product verification. For its part, the security ink makes it possible to verify whether the product is original by detecting the ink with ultraviolet light.
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Main applications: pharmaceutical, cosmetics, high value products, easy to copy products.
Reserve flocking is a technique that incorporates a layer of soft, velvety fibers over a base, creating a texture that is inviting to the touch. This finish is ideal for giving a premium, luxurious feel to packaging, as it mimics the softness of materials such as velvet.
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Main applications: cosmetics, perfumery and luxury products.
Embossing and embossed varnish add dimension and texture to packaging, creating a tactile effect that invites touch. They are perfect for highlighting important details, such as logos or brand names. It should be noted that the embossing process is done separately.
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Main applications: wines and spirits, chocolates and cookies, cosmetics and perfumery.
Nailing refers to a technique in which a raised print or texture is used that simulates the sensation of elements being “nailed” or embedded into the surface of the material.
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Main applications: cosmetics, perfumery, beverages and premium food, electronics.
This list of finishes is not over yet. In the packaging industry, there are innovative solutions such as thermochromic ink, laminated window, laser die-cutting and many more, which allow you to customize your packaging in a unique way.
As you can see, the finishing options for carton packaging are virtually unlimited. Choosing the right finish will depend on your objectives, budget and type of product.
Written by © Lien Design (edited for )
In the world of product design, packaging is an essential consideration when it comes to influencing consumer opinion. Frequently, initial impressions come from packaging rather than the content within. The design process for black and white packaging must consider how a product looks in a store environment, including the contrast of colors and the impact of lighting. Black and all white packaging are some of the most striking color schemes when one wants to make a statement. But who has the better black or white monochrome packaging? In this section, we shall compare black and white packaging that will help you understand which shadow will match your brand story more appropriately.
White represents purity, cleanliness and modernity. Like a blank page for people to project their thoughts and imaginations onto an object.
When thinking of packaging design, the colors you chose for your packaging can be very important. Current trends are showing single colors that create a visual architectural block, help these products to stand out from the competition. White packaging design has been popular in the past, lending a sense of purity to the product while giving off a distinct modern appeal and a clear, uncomplicated overall vibe allowing customers to digest the message of the product. Other tones that are popularly used include creams, blues and black. This article will look more closely at this solid color design for packaging paying particular attention to black packaging design.
When we look at a wall of products at the grocery or drug store, white can really pop giving the product a natural appeal. However, because it is used so commonly, it may be starting to lose its appeal, making black a more popular choice.
Pros:
Versatility: White can be used with any accent; hence brands can be changed according to trends or needs of clients. Think about bright reds for winter seasons or summery blues popping against the clean background.
Hygiene: White packages can look pure and clean which might convince buyers to get them as they associate them with sanitary conditions.
Minimalism: The customers' attention in our fast-paced world is drawn towards clutter-free designs. This kind of style of packaging is a symbol of minimalist chicness that appeals to contemporary tastes.
Luxury: When it comes to features along with quality materials and sleek finishes, white packages could bring up perceptions on premium products and enter luxury market.
Cons:
Lack of differentiation: Your product may fall short from all other white products in an ocean of similar ones. This is why strong branding and uniqueness created through texture are important to avoiding being lost in a crowd.
Susceptibility to dirt marks: Because white surfaces easily show fingerprints smudges need extra vigilance in handling, storage and production.
Limited emotional connection: However versatile it is, at times white feels sterile devoid of emotions. Thus think about warmth inclusion through imagery or subtle texture that bridges this gap.
Black has often been used to advertise luxury items like ice cream, chocolate, wine and spirits. It is rarely used on snack items. It can be fresh and sexy. It contrasts well against white and other light colors and looks great on screen, and in presentation design and print outs.
However, before these factors cause your design team to fall in love with black packaging design, they must be aware that the way the product looks on paper or in mockups does not always communicate well as compared to the way it looks on the shelf at a store. This is due to the fact that, despite the overhead fluorescent lighting and overall appearance of a brightly lit store, a lot of supermarket and retail locations are surprisingly dark.
The overhead lighting can serve to cast shadows on the products and they can be further obscured if the shelves themselves are black. While the first few products on the shelves may have adequate lighting, once these are removed, the ones located further back will not look as attractive.
Of course, this doesn't mean that black can not be used on packaging at all. When planning your modern package design, it is important to consider the environment it will be in. If your product is going to be in a location next to other items that tend to have brightly colored packaging, your black packaging will stand out.
Pros:
Premium appeal: Association of black with luxury and high-end products may result in higher perceived value and its ability to attract premium customers.
Drama And Intrigue: This color creates an enigma that forces people to wonder what could be inside.
Versatility (with limitations): Although not as flexible as white, black combines well with metallic touches, bright splashes of color, and bold fonts to produce outstanding visual contrasts.
Timelessness: Black never goes out of style hence a safe option for brands looking for classical and long lasting aesthetics.
Cons:
Can appear heavy or oppressive: Depending on the product or context, black packaging may be too dark or even scary. It is necessary to balance it with lighter elements.
Limited visibility in store shelves: In stores brightly lit aisles, black packaging may recede into the background making it harder for the products to stand out.
Not ideal for all products: Black might not be the best choice for products associated with freshness, naturalness, beauty, or lightheartedness. Think about the message you want to convey through your product and who will buy it before going ahead with black as your brand color for instance.
Truly speaking, whether a producer chooses black or black and white packaging is dependent on the kind of target market he is trying reach his goods out for.
If you seek clean, modern and versatile looks for your company go white. Think Apple, Aesop, Muji etc.
On the other hand if you are more into sophistication luxury exclusivity and elegance then consider black as your next move. Think Chanel, Tom Ford Dyson etc.
Let us not forget that black and white packaging have their own pros and cons. The secret is to know what your brand stands for and who you are targeting as an audience then be free to use the color you chose to tell your story to the people you want.
Remember, both black and white packaging offer unique advantages and disadvantages. The key is to understand your project or brand's core values and target audience, and then leverage the chosen color to effectively communicate your story and resonate with your ideal customers.
Bonus Tip: Don't be afraid to experiment with textures, finishes, and pops of color to add depth and personality to your monochromatic packaging. A touch of gold foil on black or a subtle embossing on white can elevate the design and make your product or label truly stand out.
Don't worry about trying these tricks for adding dimension and character into a one-colored package design. Add a touch of gold foil on black or consider a light embossing treatment on white; such tiny details will give more prominence to it leading in something quite unique.
By considering their advantages and disadvantages carefully, you can choose the perfect shade that will paint an attractive image of your product hence attracting the right consumers. So now tell me about your colors.
Design and creative teams should also consider adding something to the structural packaging design that makes it unique, memorable and recognizable, to help the product stand out.
In general, consider the color of the location where your product will be sold. Creating packaging that matches the environment it will be in will cause the features on the pack and label, like the text and images, to stand out.
Whether you are thinking of creating a solid color background for your design for packaging or going for another unique packaging design, Lien Design can help. This San Diego branding and graphic design firm has been helping companies create design for packaging for years, making for products that really stand out on the grocery store shelves. If you want your product to be the one customers see first, contact Lien Design to see what they can do for you.
© Lien Design. All designs and trademarks are the property of their respective companies and are being shown for educational purposes only.
Generally, black is used for high-end products, and the colour conveys a sense of luxury. It evokes class and elegance. Like white or grey, black can also be accentuated with other colours. Metalized gold or silver printing on matte black packaging creates an expensive look.
Packaging colour psychology uses different hues to influence your target consumers' behaviour. The use of different colours can invoke specific emotions. For example, red communicates excitement, passion, and youthful zeal, whereas blue signifies dependability, calm and trust.
You're going to need incredibly high quality black and white packaging. Find a designer who can create your vision, or run a design competition to see design inspiration in other countries. Start a competition Designers from all countries give you suggestions for the contests. You provide feedback and pick the best one. Get started on projects: Find your ideal designer to match the budget. Afterwards, we will be working individually to create the custom packaging.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Drawer Paper Box For Boutique Stores. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.