Colour plays a crucial role in the world of packaging. According to findings by the Institute of Color Research, up to 85% of customers’ first impressions of a product on the supermarket shelf are based on colour alone. Achieving colours that stand out on the shelf and also in an e-commerce context can make a real difference in how well a pack performs. But how can this be achieved, especially in a context of increased sustainability demands, and what are the challenges that have to be overcome? Elisabeth Skoda takes a closer look.
FINDING THE RIGHT TONE: COLOURS AND INKS IN PACKAGING
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ohannes Betz, Head of Academy at GMG Color, observes that on the one hand, colours are getting more saturated to attract consumers, but on the other hand, sustainability and design are getting more important, and this also has an influence on colours, materials and varnishes. The role of e-commerce is growing, which brings with it a change in the role packaging plays. “How colour is used on pack is changing. In e-commerce, you could argue that packaging can be a lot more simplistic, as it’s already been bought, so shelf appeal isn’t so important. On the other hand, brands are very aware of how people see their products even after purchase, and so packaging has a very important role to play there.”
Avoiding expensive mistakes Colour has an important part to play when it comes to branding and brand consumer recognition, and a failure to recognize this can be costly. “One of our customers changed the design of all of their packaging and realized that after printing some of the new packaging in Germany and some in Asia, the brand colour, which was key to brand identity, had come out completely different,” says Mr Betz. An in-depth analysis of printers, print techniques and substrates at the start of the colour management process can help to avoid these sorts of errors. “As a first step, we perform a detailed analysis on printers and print techniques, substrates and areas of focus. We help our customers to work out an in-house standard, and work closely with printers and pre-press houses, to achieve consistent colours in daily production.” Mr Betz has observed an increased move towards digital print in packaging, and this has had an effect on the printing process. “In segments such as labelling, digital print is already very established, and it is also becoming more widespread in corrugated board, folding carton and flexibles. This brings extra challenges, as shorter runs make it uneconomical to make tweaks on the press. It makes no business sense to for example print
1000 metres, but at the same time needing 500 metres to set up the press. GMG solutions and services help to ensure consistent colour all over the world and increase efficiency in print production.”
Colour in an omnichannel world In today’s omnichannel world, packaging has to work hard not just to grab consumers’ attention on the shelf but also on the screen. “Clever graphic design and colour impact is absolutely essential as retail competitive intensity increases. At its simplest, it is a visual representation of the brand and can trigger thoughts, feelings and emotions about a product directly impacting the purchasing decision,” says Deanna Klemesrud, Global Director Brand, Content and Promotions, Flint Group Packaging Inks. “In order to help with this, at Flint Group Packaging Inks we offer comprehensive colour management support for our customers with our web-based VIVO Colour Solutions system. VIVO supports brands and printers alike to ensure brand colour consistency wherever a product is printed and whatever
Deanna Klemesrud
Johannes Betz Packaging Europe | 29 |
