With the holiday season comes an influx of new customers that you need to impress. 

While it may seem too late to start thinking about your seasonal packaging, you can still gather inspiration for 2023! 

Brands around the world have to plan for the holiday rush in advance as manufacturing and shipping of your final product packaging needs to be factored in to ensure consumers are getting seasonal products and packaging at the right time. 

Read more about how to meet the deadlines for this holiday season rush! 

The unboxing experience becomes the main contributor to your sales as customers look for striking and ready-to-give gifts for their friends and family. 

Here we’ve laid out our top 19 design ideas for you to use as inspiration for your product packaging in the coming year.

Expanding on Festive Colors

1. Black and White

Take a modern twist on holiday packaging. 

Black and white are classic, and are typically used year-round for brands to showcase minimalism and luxury.  

Why not switch it up and use black and white for your holiday packaging designs this year? 

While it may seem counterintuitive to pick colors that aren’t on the traditional holiday color scheme, black and white packaging is timeless, and for good reason. 

In a sea of red and green packaging, black and white may just be the competitive edge your brand needs to stand out this year. 

2. Frosted

Rather than go full-blown Christmas, why not celebrate the winter season instead? 

Frosted packaging is a subtle and unique way to pay homage to frosty winter mornings. 

This packaging design idea is ideal if you’re looking to make minimal changes to your design for the holiday season. 

Many brands focus on Christmas-themed packaging designs, with little paying attention to the winter season. 

Focusing a little more on the season rather than the holiday could be what sets your brand apart from the rest on the shelf. 

Especially with so many different holidays on the horizon like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, there is a demographic of consumers who are looking for gift options that aren’t specific to Christmas festivities. 

Frosted packaging is the perfect option for brands who are looking to be more inclusive during the holiday season and offer designs that fit in with a range of different holidays this season. 

3. A Touch of Christmas

We all know that the primary colors for the Christmas season are red, green, and gold. 

While many brands will choose to plaster these colors across their packaging designs, we recommend a more modest approach to these colors. 

Rather than opting for busy designs that feature all the Christmas colors at once, why not sprinkle one color throughout your design for a more subtle and sophisticated holiday feel? 

Adding festive colored ribbons, tissue paper, or minimalist designs, make customers feel less overwhelmed by the noisy shelves. 

Designs that feature empty space but still feature a holiday feel will allow customers to spot your product on shelves that feature busy and over-the-top holiday designs. 

It’s like taking a breath of fresh air in a crowded mall, be that breath of fresh air! 

4. Metallics

As briefly touched on, golds and silvers also fall under the festive color scheme. 

Foil stamping is a wonderful way to add a little shimmer to any packaging design this holiday season. 

The great thing about foil stamping is that you don’t necessarily have to opt for classic holiday designs for it to exude a high end, festive feel. 

Foil stamping is typically used to enhance brand logos, text and aspects of designs. However, for the holiday season, many brands decide to go all out and embellish their packaging with metallic designs using foil stamping. 

It takes half a step away from your cliché holiday packaging designs and elevates them to create sophisticated designs on shelves that feature reindeer, snowmen, and santa. 

Design Styles

5. Rustic designs

Rustic designs have played an integral role in holiday packaging designs over the years. 

Especially in the wake of eco-conscious consumers, brands around the world are tailoring their packaging designs to not only spark a festive spirit but still enhance sustainable initiatives. 

Kraft paper packaging does a wonderful job at creating an organic warmth in the wake of the holiday festivities. 

Natural earthy brown tones, while not in the traditional holiday design scheme, create a cozy feel that is perfect for the winter season. 

The great thing about rustic designs is that you can really make them your own. 

Kraft paper works flawlessly with monochromatic colors, adding a pop of green, red or gold really brings the holiday season to the forefront. 

The rustic style is incredibly versatile and almost any product type can benefit from this style for the holiday season! 

6. The Ugly Christmas Sweater

While the ugly christmas sweater is out of fashion, packaging designs this year can still benefit from these classic patterns. 

Simply put, it’s the most straightforward way to announce your exclusive holiday packaging. It’s extremely recognizable and appeals to the holiday feel consumers are looking for.

Opt for classic holiday patterns like pine trees, reindeer and snowflakes to really play into the ugly christmas sweater feel.  

To further play into the cozy warm feel of the ugly Christmas sweater, brands have been emphasizing texture in their designs, making it look like the packaging is wrapped in your favorite material for the holidays. 

The sweater texture creates depth and enhances this classic design even further this year. 

7. Minimalism

Minimalism has long been the safest way to go, anytime of the year. 

But this holiday season, minimalism is a necessity for many brands. 

It’s predictable that most brands will opt for classic christmas patterns, tones and images. 

So, why not set yourself apart with minimalist designs featuring elegant fonts and prints.

The holiday season is stressful for both consumers and businesses.

Consumers are looking for the perfect gift in stores while brands compete to catch consumers’ wandering eyes. 

Minimalist designs may just be the breath of fresh air your customer needs on the busy and often suffocating shelves of retail stores.  

Packaging Styles

8. Tubes

Packaging tubes are often overlooked by brands during the holiday season. 

However, tubes can be a unique way to package your products for the holidays. 

Ideal for stocking stuffers, tube packaging can hold a wide variety of product types. 

Anything from apparel, fashion, candy and jewelry, tube packaging is a unique way to offer your customers a gift-like unboxing experience without any additional wrapping paper or ribbons! 

It’s convenient, beautiful and unique which gives any brand a competitive edge this holiday season. 

9. Magnetic Rigid Boxes

Magnetic rigid boxes have long been the superior choice for gift packaging, and rightly so. 

Magnetic rigid boxes create a luxurious unboxing experience from the get go, making them ideal for gift giving during the holiday season. 

Popular for packaging exclusive holiday gifts in the cosmetics and skincare industries, rigid magnetic boxes are a convenient way to showcase the quality of your brand during the holidays. 

Overall, rigid boxes of all types feature a gift-like unboxing experience, making them ideal for the holiday season. 

However, the magnetic rigid box sets itself apart as they are easily resealable allowing customers or gift receivers to enjoy the packaging time and time again with many keeping this type of box for home decor or storage. 

While a little pricier than your average packaging options, rigid boxes pay for themselves during the holiday season with many brands season an increase of sales of up to 80% during the winter months. 

Additional Materials

10. Gift tags

Adding a gift tag to packaging of any type, is cost effective as well as personal and consistently creates holiday packaging that your customers will appreciate time and time again. 

It’s a classic way to give your holiday packaging a purpose. 

Similar to promotional inserts, gift tags can be used to offer discounts, gift cards and greetings that make your packaging feel more personalized and ready for the gift giving occasion. 

Your gift tag doesn’t necessarily have to pertain to your brand persay. 

Adding “To:” and “From:” or a simple “Happy Holidays” can also significantly add to the holiday cheer of your product packaging. 

It also further plays into the purpose of your packaging, it essentially maked it a ready-to-give gift on it’s own! 

11. Printed Packing Tape

As we’ve seen, e-commerce businesses have taken the retail world by storm, especially during the pandemic. 

Making the holiday season that much more important for online retailers. 

Custom packing tape is the subtle touch that sets e-commerce packaging apart from a mail room of brown boxes. 

While the unboxing experience lied within the packaging itself, the initial interaction with should spark anticipation and excitement for the holiday season. 

Packing tape is something you’ll most likely have to use to secure your packaging efficiently for shipping anyway, so why not add a little cheer to even the simplest of things. 

Not only is it cost effective, but it also communicates the purpose of your packaging should customers mail them out to friends and family for the holidays! 

Themed packing tape adds extra branding elements to your packaging that can enhance the overall customer experience, especially during the holiday season. 

12. Stickers

Probably the easiest way to spice up any packaging design is to opt for some custom stickers! 

This is an incredibly convenient way for small businesses who can’t necessarily afford a whole redesign for the season. 

Bought in bulk, custom stickers are extremely cost effective and communicate a whole lot. 

You can use stickers to showcase holiday designs, patterns or messages that help your customers get in the holiday spirit. 

Gold detailing on stickers do exceptionally well for the holidays as it adds that glimmer of holiday cheer in a subtle yet elegant way. 

Stickers can also be used to seal packaging and wrapping paper. 

Functional and beautiful! 

13. Printed Tissue Paper

Printed tissue paper or wrapping paper was quite literally made for the holidays. 

Many brands choose to gift wrap their products for the holiday season, once again playing into the ready-to-give gift aspect of any packaging design for the holidays. 

Use tissue paper or wrapping paper to wrap apparel, cosmetics or electronics for an ultimate gifting experience. 

Wrapping paper is probably the most common way people like to receive gifts. 

While this may not necessarily be the most efficient way for brands to package their products, tissue paper and wrapping paper is popularly used within product packaging to enhance the unboxing experience. 

Commonly paired with rigid boxes or corrugated boxes, both e-commerce and retail packaging can benefit from tissue and wrapping paper to create a festive unboxing experience. 

14. Ribbons

Another classic holiday gift accessory: ribbons. 

Ribbons are the ultimate indicator that “this box contains a gift”. 

Brands have been using ribbons in unique ways for the holidays to complement and showcase their branding and product during the holiday season. 

Make sure you strategically place your ribbons to compliment rather than cover the design of your product packaging, even if it isn’t necessarily the most festive!

15. Box Inserts

While custom box inserts may seem like a useless component to customize, they actually add a lot of value to your overall unboxing experience. 

Afterall, it’s the inside that counts! 

While it’s not common to print text on box inserts, you can still create a festive interior to your packaging using color and pattern. 

Bring the exterior into the interior by replicating any patterns or designs you feature on the exterior of your packaging to create an overall festive unboxing experience. 

Box inserts carry a real ‘wow factor’, although subtle, it elevates and adds value to the quality of your products and brand. 

Read more about product packaging inserts

16. Wood Wool Paper Shred

Wood wool paper shred is a great way to showcase your sustainability efforts, but also add a little fun to the unboxing experience of your products. 

Wood wool paper is a cost effective alternative to custom inserts, as they still offer cushioning and protection to products but doesn’t necessarily need to be custom fit. 

The best part? You can get them in all different types of colors to match both your branding and festive occasion! 

Ideal for creating sharable packaging, using gold, red or green wood wool paper shred creates an instagrammable moment from every angle. 

Specialty Printing and Finishing

17. Inside-the-Box 

E-commerce businesses heavily rely on the unboxing experience to create impactful first impressions on customers. 

That’s why printing personalized messages or designs on the interior of your product packaging can create a festive experience for any e-commerce brand. 

Ideally you’ll want to spark excitement for your products, offer a personalized experience and enhance the experience of your products. 

Many brands create sharable packaging this way using quirky quotes or sayings on the interior of the box that appeals to the holiday feel. 

Adding something as simple as “happy holidays!” adds an element of personalization that customers will appreciate regardless of how cheesy or generic it is. 

The holidays is all about getting close and personal! 

18. Window Patching

Is your product already holiday themed? 

Showcase them with custom window patching and let your products create holiday cheer! 

Window patching is a popular way to showcase products. The packaging is die cut and overlaid with a plastic sheet to create a window for your products to peep out of. 

Customers love to know exactly what they are shopping for. Window patching is the most straightforward way to show your customers exactly what they’ll be getting. 

Ideal for food, cosmetics and apparel, custom window patching is the ultimate way to showcase your products clearly amongst the christmas clutter on shelves. 

19. Embossing

Possibly the most subtle way to create holiday packaging, embossing creates raised  designs on the surface of cards and paperboard packaging. 

Ideal for monochrome themed packaging, embossing brings the holiday cheer to life without shoving it in your face. 

Embossing is elegant, subtle and quite impactful as it gives your product packaging a 3D element customers can interact with before opening it for the holidays! 

Inviting customers in to interact with the packaging allows your product to stand out on shelves with more customers looking to shop in stores now. 

Embossing can enhance visual aspects of your branding like logos and artwork designs, but most of all it can create some pretty spectacular designs that customers will feel drawn to! 

There are many more ways to design and create some spicy holiday packaging designs. 

With so many options and capabilities at our disposal it can feel quite overwhelming to create packaging designs that will stand out in the most competitive season of the year. 

Lucky for you, we’re here to help!

The post 19 Inspiring Holiday Packaging Design Ideas in 2022 first appeared on PakFactory Blog.

The post 19 Inspiring Holiday Packaging Design Ideas in 2022 appeared first on PakFactory Blog.

Top tips for increasing your packaging ROI

• How to Calculate your ROI for Packaging
• Establish a Connection with your Customers
• Protect your Products at all Costs
• Consider the Customer Experience

Packaging design is about making a long-term investment. 

The way a product is packaged can impact how customers perceive the product and ultimately determines the brand and product success. 

For companies looking to get serious returns on their product, making packaging a focal point can be incredibly beneficial in a marketing strategy. 

So, what are some things you can ensure through your branding and packaging strategy  to ensure the maximum ROI? 

How to Calculate your Packaging ROI

Your ROI will highly depend on your industry and packaging goals. 

ROI can take form in many different ways. 

In simple terms, your ROI calculation will look something like this: 

(Return – Investment) / Investment x 100% 

This formula can provide a simple bottom-line ROI on any capital purchase. 

However, let’s take a look at some of the factors that may contribute to your packaging ROI. 

Sales Results

For many businesses the main contributor to investing into custom packaging is boosting their sales results. 

Therefore, tracking your sales after launching a new packaging design for your products will give you a pretty clear indication of what your ROI actually is. 

You’ll want to take your investment and subtract it from your sales results (or vice versa) to figure out how much profit was made with your new investment. 

Reducing Damage

Packaging is designed to protect products from any potential damage. 

For businesses who have had prior issues with damaged products, this will be one of the main contributors to calculating your packaging ROI. 

How much money did your business save on recalled products due to damage since your new packaging design release? 

The best way to calculate this is to take a closer look at your business expenses in the past that have contributed to product recalls, refunds or replacements. 

Establish a Connection with your Customers

Well-executed packaging design can do a lot for your brand. 

The unboxing experience itself can help establish a connection with your consumer and show off what your brand is all about. 

The first to an impactful unboxing experience?

Thoughtful visual design. 

The better your packaging looks, the more likely it is to appeal to customers in a meaningful way. 

Color, imagery, font, shape – all of these different elements can come together to create something that customers resonate with and want to keep coming back for. 

Of course, the strategy is highly dependent on the industry your product is serving. 

For example; food packaging benefits from clear and concise designs as the product is already very visual. A cosmetics brand, on the other hand, will want to embellish their packaging to match their products. 

Understanding your target audience, what they like, and what they don’t like will help tailor a design that actually works to create brand equity. 

Balancing form and function is also crucial as the packaging not only needs to look good but also perform well. 

The best way to increase ROI is to take a deeper look at competitors and industry giants to see what packaging types, designs and materials worked best for them. 

That can help you establish a baseline for what your packaging design needs to accomplish and what kind of sales results are possible. 

Powerful branding can have immense benefits for a brand if executed well. 

Think of it as another salesperson, and use that approach in your design. 

How can your packaging design showcase your brand effectively? 

The right answer will highly depend on your product, industry, missions and target market. 

But one rule applies throughout…

Be genuine and thoughtful! 

Consumers are looking to make more authentic connections with brands, so let your packaging tell your brand story for an increased ROI. 

Working with a packaging expert can be incredibly beneficial to ensure you’re investing resources in the right elements for your custom packaging design. 

Protect your Products at all Costs

No matter how good your packaging looks, it needs to perform well too. 

Packaging design that gets you the most ROI blends performance and aesthetic appeal together to create the right fit. 

So, once you have an idea of what branding elements you’d want to incorporate, it’s time to think about safety.

One of the top priorities for packaging design is reducing the chance of damage to your products for a consistently effective unboxing experience. 

Your product will likely travel far and wide to reach customers, and the goal is to keep it intact throughout the journey. 

Investing in the protection of your products will be saving you an immense amount of costs on damaged product recalls in turn increasing your overall packaging ROI. 

The structural design and material of your packaging will be the main contributor to your products safety. 

Minimizing the dimensions and avoiding excessive materials will not only save you on costs, but will keep your products much safer. 

In other words, strip your design down to only what you need. 

Not only will your product be adequately supported, but you’ll also be saving a ton on shipping costs for your custom design. 

Think of your structural designs on a long term basis as well. 

Easy-to-assemble packaging structures like collapsible boxes and auto bottom boxes will save you on time during the packaging process of your products making it more efficient and ultimately increase your ROI. 

Consider what materials are being used, the product journey from packing to shipping to customers, and what you can do to optimize design’s safety and performance.

An optimized supply chain with consolidated vendors can also help reduce costs and positively influence sales results.

From producing the custom box to packaging your products, maintaining a healthy supply chain will play a critical role in increasing your ROI.  

Consider the Customer Experience

Lastly, and perhaps, most importantly, increasing ROI goes hand in hand with improving the customer experience. 

The feeling customers get from your packaging and your brand can significantly influence how they feel about the product itself. 

Customers value convenience, clarity and authenticity. 

Really, it’s simple to incorporate these pain points into your packaging design to create the ultimate customer experience. 

Going for lightweight packaging that is efficient and compact helps since it drops fees for you and customers, which ultimately adds more value to your brand. 

Furthermore, using thoughtful packaging elements like promotional inserts,  tissue paper or stickers also elevates the overall packaging experience. 

It shows that you have put care and thought into how the packaging looks and feels, which resonates more with customers looking to build connections with the brands they purchase from. 

Especially in the wake of the eco-conscious shopper, using sustainable materials and shipping methods can also help increase ROI given that your brand has created a clear brand narrative and mission that customers resonate with. 

Not only is your brand doing something for the greater good, but it’s also adding value and a bigger brand story attached to your product. 

Customers are also just more willing to spend a little extra for products that are sustainably produced and sourced. Therefore, sustainable packaging solutions may just be the thing your brand needs to increase your packaging ROI. 

You can also work with packaging experts to ensure your design has all the right components to really connect with customers and that you are spending your resources on suitable materials and structures. 

Finally, having metrics set up to evaluate packaging performance and success can help you further improve the design and create the best custom packaging for your brand. T

The more you measure and improve, the better results you’ll see when it comes to ROI!

The post How To Increase Your ROI For Custom Packaging first appeared on PakFactory Blog.

The post How To Increase Your ROI For Custom Packaging appeared first on PakFactory Blog.

With the right design and shape, brands can create a memorable experience and a great first impression for customers before seeing the product! 

Custom packaging design can accomplish so much in such a short time frame, and it’s clear that customers really appreciate the effort that goes into it. 

There are a lot of ways that customers benefit from packaging design, and here are just a few of those:

1. Creating Demand

The design makes a huge difference in how your product is perceived, even before someone looks at the actual product. 

You can create demand just through your packaging design and entice customers to pick up the product and learn more about your brand and business. 

Custom packaging design is a way to hook customers in and encourage them to pick your product off the shelf versus someone else. 

With more and more emphasis on visual displays, packaging design is one of the best ways to create demand and sell more products.

Furthermore, building a strong brand reputation heavily plays into this concept too. 

Think of it this way; you may have a beautiful artwork design, but does it speak for your product and brand? Or does the artwork design have nothing to do with your branding?

Making sure your packaging design falls in line with your branding initiatives and narratives also pushes for more demand.

It sets your brand apart from the rest and allows for distinctive elements of your brand to be recognized, which helps with the launch of any new product lines. 

Create demand for your brand as a whole, not a single product

2. Creating an Experience

Customers value experience just as much as the product itself. 

Packaging design allows you to curate the experience with more control and ensure that customers are surprised and delighted each time they open your product. 

Custom packaging allows your brand to express itself and create a connection with the customer from the very start. 

Consumers look to make authentic connections with brands, especially in the wake of the eco-conscious shopper. 

Creating more than just a product, but rather a full spectrum experience, allows your brand to make authentic connections with your target market. 

Furthermore, creating an unboxing experience that is unmatched by your competitors encourages your customers to share your brand and products on their social media channels!

Think about what you want customers to feel when they see your packaging and when they are opening the product. 

Use that as part of the packaging design process to create something extraordinary and unique to your brand. 

You can also incorporate your brand story, initiatives and why customers should care. This will help you craft a more meaningful experience tailored to not only your brand but to your target market too! 

3. Enhancing Brand Association

Customers have started to pay increasing attention to a brand and what it stands for. 

Customers want to purchase from a brand they are familiar with, whose values they understand and share, and want to be associated with. 

Custom packaging design allows you to express more of these values and connect with customers in the best way possible.

 You can use your packaging to add to your narrative, give customers a reason to care about your product and add visual appeals with the brand guidelines.

As mentioned previously, make your brand memorable.

Brand association is the key to building a loyal customer base and communicating an array of brand initiatives with your customers.

It also allows your customers to spot any new product launches from a mile away!

The packaging gives you a chance to communicate with customers and create stronger brand associations, so take advantage of the opportunity!

4. Highlighting Brand Initiatives

Your packaging is not just about looks but also about what it stands for. 

Using your custom packaging, you can communicate the values your brand is passionate about and what it does for others. 

For example, brand packaging that is made with the intention of pursuing sustainable initiatives can be highlighted and brought to the forefront of your packaging design to fall in line with eco-conscious shoppers.

You can use different materials, inks, and other elements to create packaging that is good for the environment and for your customers. 

Communicating this on the messaging of your packaging, will allow customers to identify more with your brand and support your initiatives as a business.

It delivers a great impression while also establishing a deeper connection with customers

Maintaining a very transparent and clear brand narrative helps customers understand and stay informed on your business on a more personal level. 

Furthermore, customers just really appreciate honesty when it comes to products and brands, so keep it real! 

5. Enhancing Seasonal Promotions

Packaging design can also be a fantastic way to communicate seasonal promotions, special deals, and other enticing offers. 

Think of the design as two elements that work together: visual design that attracts customers and informative design that keeps them hooked. 

Adding in how your product provides value can be incredibly beneficial in the overall packaging design.

Seasonal packaging can include unique designs, limited edition looks and products as well as information about the promotion so that customers are excited to purchase the product and support your brand! 

While every brand takes advantage of seasonal promotions, not every brand creates an experience for customers that sets their products apart for said promotions. 

Creating an experience, as you can tell, is a recurring theme in packaging design.

Creating interactive and engaging experience for customers is ultimately what will make your brand shine brighter than the rest! 

6. Adding Value to a Product

Lastly, packaging design is part of the overall brand value.

The better the design, the more high-end and it looks, the more value customers will derive from it. 

You can make an impression right from the very start, by simply putting thought into your packaging design that will give it a serious edge! 

Look at competitors, what they do, and how you can stand out. 

Each time customers buy your product; they should feel confident about their purchase and the value it has for them. 

Premium packaging and design can contribute towards this value of your products and help you stand out from the rest of the market every time. 

There are so many ways that customers benefit from packaging design that it is hard to pick just six! 

Packaging your product can do wonders for your brand and customer loyalty, so it’s crucial to give the design process your full time and attention. 

Think about what your brand stands for, what resonates with your customers, and what value you’re hoping to bring to customers. 

Using these different elements, you can work with packaging experts to create great packaging for products that customers will love and keep coming back for. 

The post 6 Ways Packaging Design Benefit Customers and Brands first appeared on PakFactory Blog.

The post 6 Ways Packaging Design Benefit Customers and Brands appeared first on PakFactory Blog.

If executed correctly, a holiday strategy has the potential to transform businesses and bring a lot of revenue in a short time period, leading to a more profitable brand. 

That’s why it’s so crucial to pay attention to every aspect of your holiday offerings and ensure you’re offering customers the best experience possible. 

One of the best ways to accomplish this is through well planned holiday packaging. 

It’s an investment that can pay off and help you see a successful holiday season.

So what kind of items are customers gravitating towards? 

And how can you position your holiday strategy and packaging to drive more success?

• Over 50% of consumers buy clothing and accessories
• 30% of shoppers are looking for electronics
• Shoppers are willing to spend over $100 on themselves
• Holiday shopping accounts for 30% of all retail sales.

So now that we’ve looked at how integral holiday shopping is for retail businesses let’s look at how holiday packaging can help.

Why Holiday Packaging is a Major Asset for your Brand

It Fulfills an Important Need

First and foremost, holiday boxes and gift packaging serve an important function during this time period. 

Consumers are looking for convenient options, ideally ones where they don’t need to do a lot of the wrapping and can potentially be gifted as is. 

Brands that simplify the gifting process by offering perks such as holiday packaging are more likely to succeed with customers and stand out from the rest of the competition. 

Plus, it takes away the hassle of wrapping presents – and that’s something everyone can get on board with!

It Makes Your Goods More Appealing

We all know that packaging makes a huge difference in the buying experience, which is no different during the holiday season. 

A product’s packaging can add to its appeal (or detract from it), and customers use many visual markers when making purchasing decisions.

 7 out of 10 customers state that packaging design is a major influence on their purchasing decisions.

Why is that occurring?

Some of it boils down to simple truths, such as customers making decisions based on visual appeal. But it goes deeper than that! 

Packaging creates the experience of a product. 

Customers are looking to be wowed and amazed when they purchase something and buy gifts that create the experience. Packaging can accomplish that. 

Unique seasonal packaging can make the product stand out and entice customers to choose the product over others.

It Builds Brand Recall

For retail brands to be successful, it is absolutely vital to building lasting relationships with customers. 

That can be hard for most of the year as it’s sometimes difficult to differentiate from the competition. 

But Christmas and holiday packaging can be great ways to stand out and build meaningful relationships with customers.

Holiday packaging is an opportunity to show how different your product is, really let creativity shine and make something that customers will always remember. 

It’s an easy route towards building brand recall that can significantly impact even after the holidays. 

Holiday packaging has a domino effect on customers: They gift your products to others, post about it on social media, and generally promote your brand, thereby creating meaningful visual content. 

You’ve essentially created a channel of communication that ensures your brand stands out from the rest through packaging.

The Basics of Holiday Packaging

So now that we’ve established why holiday packaging is so crucial for your retail business, let’s get into the logistics of it. 

Creating successful gift packaging requires balancing multiple elements to create customised packaging perfect for your brand.

The first step is to think about your brand identity and what fits it best. Is it all about flash and glam, with bright colors? 

Or are you more likely to go for minimal themes with thoughtful design? Do you want bold colors or pastels? 

You can also go for classic Christmas colors such as gold, red, and green for a traditional approach.

Remember that holiday packaging can be as much or as little as you want. Some brands go all out and create lots of luxe packaging.

Others go for simple touches such as seasonal tissues, bags, and small boxes to create a festive look. 

As e-commerce begins to take up more market share, especially during this time period, holiday boxes and packaging take on even more importance.

Key features of holiday packaging for 2021 include:

• Protective packaging that is both flexible and durable
• A consistent supply to ensure customers aren’t left waiting
• A strong packing process for maximum efficiency such as automation, assembly lines, and more to keep up with demand
• Sustainable packaging to create a better relationship with customers and the environment

Revisiting your Holiday Budget

Another aspect to consider with holiday packaging is cost. What’s your budget, what are you willing to invest in, and what options give you the best value? 

Remember that holiday packaging will need a separate set of funds than your regular packaging and may be more elaborate, so earmark it a bit more than you normally might. 

Once you’ve established a per-unit budget, you can start looking at options. More affordable options include simple boxes with designs printed, but others may choose to go for a more customised option that could drive the price up.

Don’t forget about shipping

You can’t really think about cost without considering shipping and how that impacts your budgets. Shipping costs can vary during peak seasons, and demand can lead to shipping prices skyrocketing. 

In addition, prices have steadily increased across different shipping routes, so mapping out potential options and how that could impact the bottom line is important before carrying out holiday packaging plans.

Looking out for Competition

If you’re not sure where to start with holiday packaging, your first step is to see what others are doing. 

Many companies go all out for the holidays, and while you may not be able to reach the same level, it can provide ample inspiration. 

For example, companies such as Starbucks are renowned for their holiday packaging, and they make an occasion out of it when their seasonal cup designs release. 

It’s a clever way to capture seasonal attention while also driving up sales through limited edition drinks. 

Choosing the Right Holiday Packaging

When selecting the right kind of Christmas packaging, many options are available depending on your product and budget! Here are some of the best options to select from

Boxes

Holiday boxes are one of the most versatile packaging options available. You can go for wooden, plastic, steel, cardboard, and more to create truly beautiful and unique packaging. 

Sustainable options such as cardboard have become more popular in this respect. You can use product boxes, known for thinner walls and used for retail shelves, or thicker-walled mailer boxes built for e-commerce.

Less is always more

We’ve mentioned it earlier, but design is a very important part of holiday packaging. While the traditional options are always there, going for something non-traditional can be a great way to be memorable with customers. 

There has been an increase in illustrations, drawings, and other types of art on packaging to make it stand out and increase brand value.

However, it’s easy to get carried away with design and make the packaging look cluttered and busy. 

Remember that there is a balance between design and simplicity, and ultimately you should be looking to create a timeless design but still reflects your brand.

Sustainability is key

No matter what kind of holiday packaging you’re choosing, sustainability needs to be at the center of it. 

The holidays are a lovely time, but they also lead to a record amount of waste. Studies show that much of the waste thrown around this time of year includes packaging elements such as ribbons, gift boxes, laminated designs, plastic and cellophane wrapping. 

Not only is that a lot to throw away, but many of these materials are not recyclable, leading to bigger issues! 

There is a greater responsibility for retailers to create packaging that generates less waste, thereby ensuring that customers can feel more comfortable about the packaging.

With increased scrutiny on retailers around their carbon footprint, creating packaging with lots of non recyclable and environmentally unfriendly materials would be counterproductive! 

Use Social Media Channels to your Advantage

We’ve all seen a trend around unboxing experiences on platforms such as Youtube and Instagram and the impact they can have on sales. 

The better the unboxing, the more people are likely to gravitate towards the products. So how do you create that kind of buzz? 

Of course, you can work with influencers to share your product, but you can also encourage customers directly. 

Make sure to include your social media handles and holiday hashtags on the packaging so that customers can quickly and easily share their unboxing experience and show off how great your product is! 

Word-of-mouth and recommendations make a significant difference in sales, and incorporating social media appeal into your packaging will reap great results.

With the holiday season approaching quickly, it’s time to start thinking about when to order your holiday packaging. 

Get in contact with PakFactory today to get substantial advice on everything from your design to your logistics planning! 

The post How To Design Holiday Packaging For Your Brand first appeared on PakFactory Blog.

The post How To Design Holiday Packaging For Your Brand appeared first on PakFactory Blog.

Companies need to balance sustainable materials, preserve food adequately and extend its shelf life while also looking good. 

Although there are many different elements to balance, custom food packaging can help ensure that all of these requirements are met while elevating the brand.

For this article, we’ll look at some ways to create impactful food packaging design that is eco-friendly and a favorite among customers.

1. Melding Form and Function

In general, packaging design needs to be a balance between form, function, and beauty. 

When considering packaging materials, all of these elements need to be balanced to ensure that products remain undamaged and customers are happy. 

So essentially, it’s about thinking about what materials are best for protecting the content of the package itself and how to make it look aesthetically appealing enough for customers to choose it. 

With food brands getting more creative around blending these different ideas, there is a lot of inspiration to choose from.

Alongside aesthetics, creating eco-friendly food packaging is also crucial. 

You’ll find there are many materials to choose from, which is why it’s critical to evaluate each one in the context of your product. 

What will ensure that your product retains its freshness and will remain undamaged during transport? Are any of the options biodegradable and sustainable? 

Are you able to create packaging that is reusable and useful for customers?

Because food packaging also needs to include nutritional and product information, the design needs to be thoughtful enough while still fitting into aesthetic appeal. 

Consider some of the most marketable aspects of your product and bring that into the packaging design for maximum appeal.

Some aspects to consider during the packaging design process includes:

• What packaging materials are best for my product?
• How can I construct the packaging to ensure it supports my product and has shelf appeal?
• Is the packaging easy to ship to retailers, and what is the risk of damage?
• Can products be easily stored and stocked while in the packaging?
• Will the packaging withstand long stretches on the shelf?
• Does the packaging include the information needed to help customers make their decision?
• How does our packaging measure up against competitors?

2. Maintaining Health and Safety

Looking at health and safety in more detail, food packaging needs to be mindful of different considerations and packaging guidelines. 

Health and safety information will need to convey several aspects, including healthiness and marketing information, serving ideas and nutritional content, and making the packaging convenient and simple. 

The way food is packaged and how it communicates health and safety makes a big difference in shelf appeal. 

Customers are more likely to gravitate towards products that have comprehensive information on the packaging itself, making it easier for people to try new things. You can also incorporate safety features into the packaging to maintain its integrity. 

For example, some bottles and caps come up with pop-up capabilities if the seal has been tampered with or damaged. Other products add seals or coatings to offer another layer of security. 

Additionally, for grocery stores and retail, packaging must be designed to make it easy to track and recall products if necessary. 

Keeping in mind the various requirements that retailers need regarding health and safety is crucial when designing packaging, as it reduces the risk of spoilage or wastage down the line. 

Any measures you can take for quality control, contamination, and spoilage will make a huge difference – especially if it is displayed on the packaging somehow. 

It helps make customers feel more secure about what they are purchasing and gives them more confidence around product safety.

3. Ensuring Product Integrity

A common complaint that comes up when someone is asked to try a new product is that the brand is “hard to trust.” People are naturally wary, particularly when encountering new products, so establishing trust is so important. 

One of the best ways to build that connection is to protect and maintain the integrity of your product. 

A simple method to avoid this is to keep images as natural and close to the real thing as possible on product packaging. 

Think about the image that’s included on the packaging and whether that matches up with the reality. 

While there is merit in editing photography to make it appealing, if it’s drastically different from the real thing, then…well, people get annoyed. 

That also applies to how large or small the food items are because that’s another avenue where many mislead, leading to angry and disappointed customers more often than not.

Food packaging is tricky in that way, and striking that balance will take some time. 

But it’s better to stay accurate rather than creating false expectations that leave customers angry, as it will alienate them from your brand. 

So if you’re looking for inspiration on how not to package food items, here are some ideas to avoid!

4. Simplicity and Clarity

Because food is already so visual, the custom food packaging you design needs to be thoughtfully matched to the items themselves to make them stand out.

It’s tempting to make the packaging super busy and add many visual elements, but it ultimately detracts from the product itself.

When thinking about food product packaging, the goal should always be simplicity and clarity. That means using fewer colors and ensuring that the font is clear and readable. 

Think about your brand and how to bring those elements into your custom food packaging without overcomplicating it. 

You want customers to instantly understand what your product is the minute they see the product and avoid confusion and false expectations.

Alongside these elements, it’s also crucial to include product information to help with decision-making.

That can include information around ingredients, preparation, the best way to dispose of the packaging, and anything else that customers may want to know.

Incorporate any feedback you get from retailers and customers around usability and aesthetic appeal that will help bring in future customers while showing current customers you value their opinion. 

If you’re looking for additional information around the topic, you can find great resources here and look at current trends for more inspiration here. 

5. Creating Shelf Impact

Shelf impact is a key consideration in food packaging. Many of the earlier points come into play here, particularly around simplicity and clarity, but there is more to think about. 

Food packaging design plays a huge role in how products are displayed on the shelf and what customers end up reaching for. 

Shelf impact is all about getting customers to pay attention to your brand and standing out from the rest.

Shelf impact isn’t always in your control, as it’s very much individual to each retailer. Some prefer to place complementary products together, match up patterns, or create unique displays to catch customer attention.

That’s why you’ll see more and more packaging with busy designs and too much information – and why it’s all the more important to stay away from that. 

The more you can strip away the extra bits and draw attention to what’s important about your product, the better it will be for shelf impact. 

If you’re able to look at a sample of displays where your product is featured, you can look at what is surrounding your product to get a better idea of how to stand out. 

Another way to create shelf impact is to opt for eco-friendly food packaging. Customers and retailers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and showcase brands doing good for the planet. 

Biodegradable packaging, reducing or eliminating plastic altogether, can be a great way to grab customer attention and create shelf impact. 

6. Versatility 

Although it’s often not mentioned, versatility is also incredibly crucial for creating the best food packaging. 

Brands are constantly adding more to their product lines and taking up more market share without creating packaging from scratch. 

That’s why packaging design has become more fluid and flexible, allowing for multiple adaptations as product lines expand – think of the design as more of a template rather than an absolute design.

It should be easy to change elements to create a consistent brand identity across different products. 

Some choose to make the layout adaptable, while others use different colors to make the packaging look versatile but still identifiable as a brand for customers. 

Think about your product and how many options it can be split into if you were to grow the product line. 

For example, if you serve multiple portions, could your design be adapted for single-serve or mega party packs? 

Is your design general enough that it could be adapted if you launched a completely new product than what you are currently offering?

Creating impactful food packaging design is about balancing various elements that help the overall look and functionality come together.  

Keeping your food packaging label designs versatile, simple, and clean is essential while maintaining product integrity. 

Working with packaging experts, you can create custom packaging design that strengthens your brand, builds trust with customers, and has the shelf impact to stand out among competitors.

The post 6 Tips For Creating Tasteful Food Packaging Designs first appeared on PakFactory Blog.

The post 6 Tips For Creating Tasteful Food Packaging Designs appeared first on PakFactory Blog.

Not only does it create a fantastic experience for the customer right from the start, but it can be a massive boost for your brand reach as well. 

Good packaging design needs to be a balance between form and function. 

Not only does it need to withstand the inevitable wear and tear of shipping and handling, but it also needs to look good and be unique enough to make an impression.

In this post, we’ll look at some of the most important factors that help make packaging design successful and what that means for a brand.

1. Melding Functionality & Practicality

While we all understand that a box needs to perform adequately in functionality. 

The functionality and practicality element actually falls into the customer experience of your packaging. 

Packaging needs to be practical and get from Point A to Point B without being damaged or jostled too much. 

People love practical packaging that makes things easy and convenient. 

If you look at your packaging on its most basic level, how functional is it? 

Is it easy and convenient for customers to open, or do you see complaints floating around about the packaging? 

While the practical side of things may not always be fun, it does heavily play into your unboxing experience which ultimately makes the most impact for customers as well as potential customers.

Make your packaging shareable! 

With innovative designs, tailored to functionality and practicality, you can create something your customers didn’t even know they needed.

This can be something as simple as using resealable mailers for easy returnability of your products or collapsible rigid boxes to promote reusing your packaging and simpler shipping logistics.

With the help of Structural Engineers you can create innovative packaging designs that make an impactful statement!  

2. Building Brand Consistency

Your packaging is an extension of your brand. 

Whether you’re going for something fun and youthful, or something more appealing to a specific demographic, your packaging differentiates you. 

It’s one of the factors used to intrinsically attract customers at first sight and narrow down their choices on the shelf. 

The aim is to create packaging that reflects your brand in a visually appealing way.

In a retail environment, you’re aiming for shelf impact as that’s what draws customers in.

E-commerce packaging on the other hand relies more on the unboxing experience itself. 

With rough handling and damage risks during shipping, companies tend to avoid spending too much of their budget on the exterior designs but rather on the protection and durability of the packaging.

Therefore, e-commerce relies much more in the interior to really establish their branding.

Things like;

• Interior printing
• Printed packaging inserts
• Personalized thank you cards
• Branded tissue paper
• Labels and stickers  

… offer great opportunities to establish your branding without breaking the bank on designs that will ultimately parish and damage your brand reputation. 

3. Making an Impact

Who doesn’t love something unique and interesting? 

It’s a fundamental truth across marketing, and packaging is no different. 

Think about what your audience likes 

What do they value about your brand? 

How can you reflect your competitive edge onto your packaging design?

How do you position your product on the market?  

Unique structures, lettering, design elements, and adding interactive elements further attract customers to your packaging.

It’s crucial to your brand differentiation both on-shelf and online.

Look into what is lacking in terms of packaging by going straight to customers and reading about your industry niche products. 

This way you’re serving an unmet demand in your industry which will set your brand apart from competitors. 

Think about your target audience and what they would feel more drawn to. 

Bright colors, decorative elements, structural design elements are just some of the features to consider when designing your packaging strategy.

4. Maintaining Simplicity & Clarity

Alongside uniqueness, it’s also crucial to think about what your packaging design is communicating to someone who’s not familiar with the product. 

Ideally, your packaging should be able to tell someone what the product is and more about the brand. 

If your packaging doesn’t communicate crucial information such as, brand name, product name, ingredients, function and a brand story, it’s likely your customers will be confused and will opt for a product that has clearer communicative elements. 

Simplicity and clarity need to be the foundation of any design strategy.

By simply looking at your packaging you should be able to answer the following questions within a targeted time frame;

• What is the product?
• What brand created the product? 
• What does the product do? 

Customers value transparency when it comes to shopping for new products. Make sure your packaging communicates what your customers need to know to sway their purchasing decision. 

This leaves no room for confusion and ultimately boosts your sales and brand credibility. 

Establishing a strong brand credibility through clear and concise communication allows you to build a loyal customer base that will recommend your products to new potential customers!

5. Ensuring Extensibility

And finally, your packaging needs to be visually flexible. 

This might sound odd, but let’s go with it. 

Essentially your product shouldn’t be so exclusive to one product but rather be transferable to other items in your product line.

For example, if you’ve created a meat-based food product, the design elements shouldn’t be too specific with meat elements in it if you want to use the packaging for a vegetarian option you may offer. 

Product packaging should evolve with you, and you shouldn’t have to start from scratch every time you introduce a sub-product within the product line.

Successful packaging design is about carefully balancing many different elements while still prioritizing customer’s demands.

As you work through the design strategy and concepts, think about your customer now and in the future. 

What foreseeable trends do you see moving forwards, and how can you incorporate those into making innovative packaging designs without sacrificing simplicity or clarity. 

It might seem difficult initially, but working with packaging experts can help demystify the process and help you in creating amazing, memorable packaging designs that add value to your brand and business. 

The post 5 Elements Of Substantial Packaging Design first appeared on PakFactory Blog.

The post 5 Elements Of Substantial Packaging Design appeared first on PakFactory Blog.

Effective packaging design is about balancing form and function, ensuring that it looks good while keeping it easy and straightforward for customers. 

In this article, we’ll look at what packaging design is, what makes for good packaging design, and considerations that need to be kept in mind throughout the process.

We’ll first look at what is packaging design, mainly focusing on custom packaging design and how that can help a business. 

We’ll then go into packaging design considerations, the design process itself, and other tips and tricks along the way to ensure your custom packaging is an accurate reflection of your business.

Custom Packaging Design

When we talk about custom packaging, here are some of the critical elements that make up the actual design process:

• Aesthetics/design
• The shape and size
• The volume of the product itself and how that might affect your product 
• Structural engineering, which means optimizing your packaging design to serve your products effectively. 

As you move through the packaging design process, each of these elements needs attention in different ways. 

We’ll look at some of the necessary considerations for the design process before moving through the rest. 

Design Process Considerations

When we think about what packaging design is, we first need to think about who we’re designing for and why? 

What are the overall goals that need to be accomplished with box custom packaging or other types of custom packaging? 

Let’s look at some of the key things that go into the packaging design process:

Know your target market

First things first, who are you designing for? 

This is especially salient when thinking about what is good packaging design because the end-user is the priority – always. 

Your packaging solutions must align with customer expectations, particularly when thinking about sustainability. 

And of course, the custom packaging needs to be relevant for your product, brand, and customer needs.

Functionality

Customer expectations and design are also tied to functionality. 

How practical is the packaging you have in mind versus what customers need? 

Does your packaging work effectively to ensure the product arrives safely and is aligned with your brand and customers? 

So when thinking about what is good packaging design in the context of your product, you’ll need to think about how the packaging works. 

Will customers open it with ease? Will it ship safely? 

Your custom design may need to change based on how it is stored and displayed, so measurements and structural engineering will play a significant role here. 

Structural engineering will ensure your packaging is tailored not only to your products but to your brand and customers. 

Keep it clear and simple

Packaging design is only effective if it is easily identified and spotted on a shelf packed with many other products alike. 

A lot of this will come down to your branding and the kind of information you include. 

So think about making your message clear and concise so that customers can immediately know what the product is for and the brand behind it. 

Customers value honesty, so maintaining transparency of information is crucial. 

This means making ingredients, warnings and instructions clear, concise and easy to read for your target market. 

Let’s say your target market is much older. The typography and font used to convey information may need to be larger and easier to read. 

Branding

Branding relates more to the aesthetic appeal of packaging design that we touched on earlier. 

The way you design packaging can help build a strong brand experience for your customers.

Branded packaging design ensures that you have the ability to build an authentic connection with your customers, making the product and your brand more meaningful. 

Through good packaging design, you can speak directly to your customers, create a memorable unboxing experience and align brand narratives through your packaging design. 

Each of these elements is crucial for both emerging and established brands. 

Packaging design helps tie it all together to create an amazing experience for customers from start to finish.

Know your competition

Before you set out with any big design plans, do a quick check on the competition. 

What are they doing? What seems to be working, and where do they still need improvements? 

You can use these findings to improve your own packaging experience and create a larger market share for yourself. 

How are competitor products displayed on the shelves, and what is your competitive edge to those products? 

This will help you create successful packaging designs that keeps you ahead of the rest, while giving customers the best experience possible. 

Furthermore, understanding where your competitors stand in the market with regards to packaging specifically, allows you to make well rounded design decisions that will set you apart from your competitors. 

Prototyping and testing

After thinking about the design and the brand experience you want to communicate, the next thing to consider is testing the packaging to make sure it does everything you need it to do. 

To accomplish this, you must request a prototype to ensure your packaging is what you envisioned it. 

You can weed out a lot of issues early on with this step. 

Once you have a final design, user testing will help iron out any other minor or major issues. 

Send out packaging to some loyal customers for feedback, as they will likely spot things that you might have missed or point out elements that you may be overcompensating on.  

And most importantly, be extremely thorough in the testing process! 

Before mass production, do many quality checks to ensure that all design elements are as they should be, and check for spelling and grammar issues with regards to any typography. Also it’s important to check the quality of printing and finishing to ensure your customers get the best unboxing experience possible. 

Taking the time to prototype and test your packaging will also ensure that any re-orders of your packaging will remain at the same quality level throughout, offering an enhanced brand quality, narrative and customer experience. 

We’ll now look at the design process for packaging design and the different choices available each step of the way. 

Design Process

The design process is when you pick your materials, your structural design, and it’s when the product packaging begins to take actual shape. 

When we think about what packaging design is, we think a lot about the overall packaging, but there is a lot that goes into how the packaging is actually created. 

Material Choice 

Your material choices will depend on the design considerations we went through above, as well as other things. 

The materials you choose offer varying degrees of design opportunities, so this part is focused on what you want to accomplish through your packaging. 

Your material choices are heavily reliant on what purpose your packaging will serve. 

Corrugated packaging is a popular choice for shipping products because of it’s thick, fluted texture. 

The fluted material offers your products optimal protection and even the fluting can be customized depending on the degree of protection your products need.

Corrugated packaging is often recommended to e-commerce businesses for shipping purposes. However, corrugated packaging also comes into play for heavy and fragile items that may need to be on display at a brick and mortar store.

Furthermore, Folding Carton remains a popular choice in the packaging industry for it’s cost effectiveness and versatile printing and finishing capabilities. 

The cosmetics industry, for example, opts for folding carton because it opens up endless doors of opportunity with regards to artwork design, ease of structural engineering and versatile shapes and sizes. 

While folding carton isn’t particularly protective of your products, it does offer a very high end, sleek feel for a much lower cost in comparison to rigid packaging. 

Rigid packaging is also known as premium packaging, because it is costly but also offers a very luxury feel with nearly endless design opportunities. 

Rigid packaging is mostly used by luxury jewelry, cosmetics and electronics brands because it does add value to you products through it’s high end feel. 

Furthermore, rigid packaging often has a life beyond product packaging, as customers tend to keep them for storage purposes and can’t bare the thought of placing these boxes in the trash!

There are many different ways to do box packaging design, so it’s vital to work with a packaging expert that can give you the best recommendations based on your needs and budgets.

Structural Design

The next part of the design process is the structural design. This is when shape and size take on more importance. 

The key elements that make up a good packaging design include structural engineering for:

• Durability and protection
• Sustainability
• Convenience (easy to open, can be resealed for returns, etc.)

Making decisions around this will entail looking at what your product is first. 

What is the competition doing, and what will be the most convenient option for customers?

Depending on your market, such as e-commerce or retail, you may have different considerations. 

For example, with e-commerce, you won’t need to worry about displaying your products on shelf space. But you will need distinct packaging to create an unboxing experience that leaves a lasting impression. 

For retail-friendly products, you would need to look at how the product will be shipped to stores and how it will be displayed to create the best kind of packaging to accommodate your products from shipping, to displaying and ultimately into your customers’ bag. 

Once you have your design mapped out, it’s time to look at artwork and what that can look like! 

Artwork Design

The artwork for your packaging will need to include branding, various color choices, and factor in how these elements will be placed. 

The first thing you’ll need to think about is branding elements such as logos and catchphrases. 

Where will they be placed and how prominently do they need to be? Are your color choices distinctive enough for your logo and catchphrase to not need to take up as much space?

You can match your brand colors with Panton color matching to get the best shades for your packaging design. 

Think about printing capabilities for better color matching opportunities and what type of printing will get the most accurate match!

We’ve touched on placement a bit in terms of catchphrases, but let’s delve a little deeper. 

Retail and e-commerce have different considersations for packaging design, which means the placement of elements will change depending on the purpose of your packaging. 

For example, with retail, the focus will be on aligning images of boxes on the shelf to give it a uniform look and make your product stand out on the shelf. 

However, with e-commerce, because the focus is on creating an impactful unboxing experience, you may want to opt for interior vs.exterior printing on the packaging to balance the costs as well as the impact of your packaging.

The final element of artwork for packaging design is typography. 

Its placement matters, so you’ll need to decide what works well for your brand. 

Aligned or not aligned? Where does it need to be placed? 

The other typography issue to consider is size, such as distinguishing the hierarchy of information to keep the information on the packaging concise and straightforward. 

Furthermore, choosing your typography based on your target market is important, make sure to keep the information clear and easy to read. 

Now that your artwork design is ready, we’ll look at the final step, printing, and finishing. 

Printing and finishing

Printing 

Once packaging is designed and the artwork has been finalized, it’s time to get it printed. 

There are two main types of printing available, offset vs. digital printing. Your choice will depend on the size of your designs and your budget, as there is a quality difference between the two. 

Because digital printing does not use plates, it’s better suited for smaller designs and limited quantities. 

If you’re looking for high-quality finishes for mass production, offset printing will give you better results. 

With regards to sustainability, you have various eco-friendly options in the printing process. 

You can opt for water-based inks and coatings for a more sustainable packaging design, which will look good while doing good as well. 

Make sure to communicate a message through your design by choosing environmentally-friendly and sustainable options as much as possible to reduce your carbon footprint throughout the packaging design process. 

The final step is finishing.

Finishing

So now your packaging design is finalized and being printed; it’s time for finishing options and get it ready for shipping. 

There are various options available for shipping, depending on your product and overall branding.

If you’re looking for a touch of luxury with your packaging design, opt for foil stamping. 

It gives off a premium look and can enhance your logo, thereby bringing attention to your brand name. 

It’s a great way to add an attention-grabbing element to the final product and give it a more high-quality look. 

Another option is spot UV printing, a coating technique that applies ultraviolet (UV) light to white card stock or color-printed paper to give it a more glossy look. 

Spot UV finishing is best for a more subtle touch. It can easily enhance artwork design, brand logos, and key features easily, without making it too flashy. 

Matte lamination is one of the best options for adding a high-end feel to your packaging design. 

It’s usually used on rigid packing, but it can be applied to folding carton too!

It’s soft and more natural and offers a more multisensory experience for customers.

Gloss varnish is another option for finishing, as it’s not only more high-end but can add to a more interactive customer experience by adding a sheen to your design.

When it comes to understanding what good packaging design is and what yours needs to look like, it’s about creating an experience for customers. 

Taking into account multiple elements, you can construct a packaging design that is functional, beautiful and that does not sacrifice sustainability either. 

Depending on what options you pick, you can create a unique packaging design that enhances your branding and makes you stand out from the rest. 

The post What Is Packaging Design? first appeared on PakFactory Blog.

The post What Is Packaging Design? appeared first on PakFactory Blog.

To be metaphorical, typography should nourish the text as a vital organ would nourish the body, by staying true to its core function as an instrument that ensures the very existence of the corpus. The correct typography of say, a custom gift box, should neither grab attention or give attention. If the font type utilized in the custom package is objectively beautiful, the literal message should align with that evocation and be clearly communicative of that beauty.

The typography is the text, it serves to depict both its implications and denotations. This idea may seem daunting, but a solid example from the world of successful cosmetic packaging design should give us an idea of how typography should be correctly employed in your next project with custom boxes.

Korean Beauty

The South Korean cosmetics market leads many national competitors in technology, innovation, and marketing. The current Korean cosmetics market valuation of $13 billion makes the peninsula a hotspot for global investment from top international brands such as Givenchy. Moreover, the South Korean per capita cosmetics expense of $45 significantly surpasses the $37 spent by Americans. South Koreans rightfully pride themselves on their natural beauty and take great care in enhancing that beauty. The importance given to presentability is clearly reflected by the local cosmetic industry’s success.

We all know from our own personal experience or the observation of friends and relatives that having an appealing custom box accounts for 80% of the decision-making process. Manufacturers of custom cosmetic boxes are well aware of this reality, and hence see South Korea as a hub for their operations.

I Dew Care, I Really Do

It’s no surprise that the Korean cosmetics industry houses some of the best typographists. K-beauty powerhouse I Dew Care recently released its super-popular face masks. The line-up includes catchy motivators such as Hang Tight or puns that bring a modest grin to your Monday morning frown like Kitten Around. If you’re feeling Berry Bubbly, you might want to look at how simple yet supremely attractive their face mask boxes look:

Notice a trend? Although the font style remains consistent across I Dew Care’s face mask products, the relative placement or curvature of the letters change in accordance with the feeling or experience projected by what is written in the text. The header text placed on the custom box for the Kitten Around mask collection – which contains an actual cat-ear headband – is playful and honors the energy of the act described by the pun. In other words, the typography conveys the text.

The Disco Kitten peel-off mask follows a similar concept with a little added nuance: if you intonate your pronunciation of ‘Disco Kitten’ upwards or downwards based on whether the next letter is higher or lower than the previous, you find yourself uttering these two words in a funk that strengthens the disco-kitten vibe.

Feeling Bubbly

Berry Bubbly exhibits a comparable form of audio-visual typography through its hilltop text design. The parabolic curvature of the word ‘Berry’ invites the customer to read it in a starting low pitch. The reader is then enticed with mouthing a progressively higher pitch at the ‘hill-top’. Towards the downward curve of the last two letters, the pitch lowers. We tend to verbalize the word ‘Very’ in this manner. Berry Bubbly becomes Very Bubbly and vice versa. The successful elucidation of the double meaning behind Berry Bubbly is completely attributed to the strong functionality of the typography. The font is designed not to be decorative, but to act as a clarifier.

Deviating slightly from its companions, The Hang Tight Tea Tree Clay Mask initially employs a hanging bend and then tightens its typeface at the word tight. In this particular case, the font serves to describe the literal act.

I Dew Care sets strong examples of how you should apply the proper typography for your next custom packaging endeavor. Your custom box should always apply typeface as a unifying element of the text that acts to mitigate any losses in translation. Functional typography increases the efficiency of your product text, especially when space is limited.

At PakFactory, our product specialists understand the complexity of custom packaging design. This is especially true when it comes to the placement and graphical components of the outer text. Speak with us today and let us help you make the most out of your brand message.

The post I Dew Care: Typography is Content first appeared on PakFactory Blog.

The post I Dew Care: Typography is Content appeared first on PakFactory Blog.