Packaging design is a combination of art and technology, the use of appropriate packaging materials, structural modeling, color patterns, text descriptions and packaging protection methods, and the use of modern and advanced technology to create a packaging entity process. In order to ensure the safe circulation of goods, facilitate consumption, promote sales and protect the environment. The packaging itself is part of the product's production. Its design and quality directly affect the quality and price of the product. Packaging design plays a very important role in the conversion of products into goods. Packaging design is usually divided into packaging and decoration design and packaging structure design.
Packaging and decoration design includes patterns, colors, text, trademarks and other content. The packaging and decoration design of many foods, toys and daily necessities in Germany is often based on physical photography. The design process is simple, and the form of presentation is straightforward. From the screen, the shape and color of the contents of the package can be directly known. The food packaging and decorating design is colorful and the images are realistic, allowing people to look after their appetites. The design effects of toys will make children unable to buy or sell. Some parts of daily necessities can be immediately assembled on the screen. This photographic work also facilitates later computer processing and printing. Relative to its pattern color, the text description of the packaging design of such items is relatively simple. The packaging of medicines and cosmetics in Germany compared with foods is relatively simple in the design of packaging and decorating colors. Many of the packagings do not have any visible patterns other than trademarks or logos. On the contrary, the written description accounts for a large part, because consumers are concerned about raw materials, actual effects and instructions for use of drugs or cosmetics.
German packaging and decorating design is very particular about the use of color. In general, spot colors are rarely used, because that would complicate the printing process and increase costs. It is best to complete the three-color overprint with Huang Pinqing. The use of patterns and texts is also moving in a simplistic direction. Cumbersome text descriptions on the interior design often make consumers lose patience. Naturally, they will not buy such items easily. In addition, most of the interior design is accompanied by the German green sign “Gruener Punktâ€, which is conducive to the classification, recycling and disposal of packaging waste. At present, Germany collects deposits for disposable plastic bottles, cans, etc. Consumers must return them to supermarkets to get their money back. Therefore, the packaging design of these types of packaging must be accompanied by a deposit sign. Some of them must also indicate the name or abbreviation of the supermarket or even the group company, such as “ALDI†and “REWE-GRUPPEPENNYâ€. Bar codes are indispensable because supermarkets are billed quickly and accurately. The effective period of food, medicine, cosmetics, etc. is even more essential and it must be practical and realistic.
Packaging structure design involves the packaging structure of different packaging materials. Nowadays, Germany also refers to the internal packaging structure design (including buffer packaging, protective packaging, etc.) in transport packaging, and it is closely integrated with pallet packaging and container packaging. This design must reflect the aesthetic and practical functions of various packaging containers. Many small packages or small collections are eventually placed on the shelves, so they must have a certain modeling beauty to attract consumers. However, at the same time, they must be practical, not only suitable for production and processing, but also convenient for storage and transportation, and their capacity size should take into account the requirements of pallet containers. German food packaging mainly consists of carton packs and cardboard composites. The common model is a paste box and other folding cartons, such as towers, spheres, and Christmas tree shapes. Followed by different shapes of plastic boxes and plastic bottles, fruit packaging for the small plastic box with a small breathable eye, breakfast with ham slices is a cylindrical plastic box, mineral water and some beverages using polyester bottles. Cosmetics and detergents are mainly glass bottles, ceramic bottles, plastic bottles, and plastic tubes. This area is a good place for designers to display their talents. Column type, pyramidal type, flat body shape, thick waist and waist, smooth and soft type, with angular corners, really varied, each show supernatural powers. Of course, it takes into account the aesthetics and needs of various consumer groups.
One issue that must be considered in the design of packaging structures is that since these specific small packages must be shipped from manufacturers to supermarkets, and are often stored in warehouses during this period, they must be considered for ease of handling when designing their packaging structures. , And will not cause damage to the package or small package during storage and transportation. The most common method in Germany is to integrate packaging design by designing a packaging container and then loading a certain number of small packaging into it. The size of the packaging container must take into account the size of the standard tray and the height requirements of the tray components. Therefore, the packaging of this type of packaging should be designed to have a size that is not too heavy, whether it is placed horizontally, vertically or horizontally and staggered. The total area of ​​the floor is controlled within the standard range. The packaging material used and its strength must meet the requirements for stacking on pallets. This type of packaging container is currently dominated by small cartons in Germany and gradually evolved into coverless cartons, windowed cartons and corrugated cardboard trays. There are also some companies that have designed several special open boxes that fit together exactly in the size of the container. First, the parts, small packages or assembly packages are loaded into the special box, and then the boxes are stacked in the container, which fully occupies the reasonable space of the containers. The structural design of the buffer packaging is mainly based on the shape of the packaging products. The material selection and size must be completed in strict accordance with the relevant design standards. Foam as a cushioning material also holds a certain market in Germany, and according to expert analysis, the use of improved foam has shown signs of regaining its head. At the same time, various attachment structures processed from corrugated cardboard are also used as buffer packaging to penetrate into various fields of application.
Drawing on some of the best practices in Germany, we must pay attention to several issues when designing packaging. First, whether the decoration design or structural design professionals must understand the corresponding processing technology, the decoration design must understand the plate printing process, and the structural design must understand the post-press processing and container manufacturing processes so as to avoid detours and save processing. cost. If there are no conditions for internship companies to work for a few months, at least we must often go to the processing unit to visit and communicate, and see how their design is processed in kind. The second is to fully understand the preferences and taboos of exporting countries and local people for the packaging design of export products. It is also necessary to pay attention to which packaging materials cannot be used and which packaging materials must be pretreated. Export packaging and decoration design can not be limited to sales packaging, transport packaging and decoration design must also be strengthened, but also pay attention to the internationally unified provisions of some signs and written description must not be less. Third, the packaging design of various foods should take into account different family structures and consumer groups. The size of packaging capacity should not only consider the big family, but also think of a family of three, a family of two, and a single group. Many people usually do not have time to purchase, but only buy the next week's food on the weekend, so these aspects must be taken care of in the packaging design. The fourth is the palletization of transport packaging, which has been widely used in Germany and the West. This can save manpower and time, achieve high-speed automation, reduce costs, and reduce damage. Palletized packaging is particularly important for China's export products. (Text / Xiangming)