Luxury Packaging Colour lux
Many items are looked upon as a luxury simply because the purchase made is unusual, out of the ordinary, not an everyday event, says Tom Kerchiss, chairman of RK Print Coat Instruments
for less pigment loading and will make for a thinner ink fi lm. Doing so will enable the print operative to make ink colour adjustment as they go and over the course of the run without compromising too much on quality. Regardless of
the diffi culties, the packaging printer must meet
the demands of the customer. If the customer is adamant that they want a specifi ed, albeit problematic deeper colour, then, if circumstances permit, the operator could try making two impressions, wet on wet.
I
f asked, many associate luxury goods and the accompanying packaging and labelling with high-profi le brands, marketing much-hyped cosmetics, fashion, electronics, electrical goods
and fi ne wines and much more besides. Diff erent people, diff erent generations: the affl uent and the not so fi nancially fortunate may have divergent views on what constitutes luxury.
What generally makes expensive and not so expensive goods stand out on a retail shelf and around is the packaging. Packaging protects but colour and other value-added enhancements elevate the status of a product, encouraging pick up and making for a more pleasurable purchasing experience.
So much rides on the eff ective use of colour. It is the one area where much can go wrong. Despite the best intentions of a designer and marketer sometimes colour just does not look right in the cold light of day. Even if graphical content, logo and other attractors seem a good fi t, if a colour looks cold, if there is a tonal mismatch or colour is not reproduced accurately then it is most likely that sales will be aff ected and the customer, the brand owner might hold the converter accountable.
Colour helps build brand image and while luxury goods can be packed in a variety of packaging mediums its paper, paperboard and cartons that provide the best opportunity for grandstanding. Furthermore, paper grade materials are seen to be environmentally acceptable and sustainable. Care is needed though, especially if a gifted box is lined with a non-compliant material that is integrated in with the box.
28 June 2025
A variable that aff ects colour reproduction is the stock. The absorptivity of paper stock can vary not only from batch to batch but also within the same batch. This can aff ect the gloss of the ink fi lm by letting more or less of the vehicle portion of the ink fi lm to dive into the stock.
Fortunately print processes such as fl exography, gravure and silkscreen are more accommodating than other print processes and can compensate by printing heavier ink fi lms when absolutely necessary. Interpreting colour and getting it right time after time still remains a challenge. A decision, perhaps for reasons of cost to change stock can raise colour issues. Paper brightness, surface quality and neutrality; deviance from colour cast all have a bearing on how colours will appear once printed.
Colour can make the viewer sit up and take notice or when used inappropriately can leave us unmoved. Colour, especially when chosen at boardroom level and even when approved by a colour psychologist can still present confusing results at press side. Sometimes the results are less than pleasing. Altering processing parameters increases the risk of disappointment. Ink fi lm thickness can impact on pigment/vehicle ratio, sometimes detrimentally aff ecting print appearance. If a high gloss appearance is required on a paper that diff ers in that the absorption characteristics are greater than expected there is a risk that the print looks lighter and perhaps even less glossy than intended. This can be for a variety of reasons, for example a higher concentration of pigment particles, protruding through the surface varnish layer.
Opting to go for a slightly lighter colour will allow
In packaging a brand’s colour must be consistent in all applications. In a global market a line of products may be packaged and printed on diff erent materials and in diff erent ways. Depending upon commercial factors such as print run length, products may be printed fl exo or if photo realistic quality and lengthier runs are required – gravure may be the print process of choice.
Inconsistency of colour, poor rub and chemical resistance will mar print/pack presentation and quite likely will capture consumer attention – but not for the right reasons. A poor quality of reproduction negatively impacts on the perception a consumer may have about a product. Inferior print can convey an impression that the product contained within is equally inferior, no wonder then that so much time and eff ort is spent on colour matching.
Colour communication, proofi ng or sample preparation devices enable users and producers of fl exographic inks to trial unfamiliar materials, highlight issues associated with inks and substrates off -line, economically and speedily. The FlexiProof 100, FlexiProof UV and FlexiProof LED UV are compact systems with the UV and LED UV versions incorporate a miniaturised UV curing module enabling printing (proofi ng) and curing in a seamless operation, enabling defects and blemishes including pinholes to be readily picked up on. Printability issues such as chemical/rub resistance, durability and fl exibility can be determined. Colour inconsistencies are readily identifi able.
www.convertermag.com
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