Talk about the soul and key of gravure packaging design

Even heard people say: Now the industrial art designers are "people with dancing!" This figurative image is just right. Although gravure packaging design in the field of industrial art and design only occupy a place. However, its distinctive craftsmanship and commercialism make it difficult to design and operate, and the standards required of gravure packaging designers are correspondingly higher.

Based on the above metaphor, the trend of packaging fashion in the current market has been hailed as "the beat of dance"; gravure designers are equivalent to "dancers"; and "镣铐" is the limiting factor in the gravure printing process. In the packaging design process, the limitation that can reasonably exclude these factors is a sign that the gravure packaging designer is truly mature. It is also a skill that gravure designers must take seriously and master. These skills include the use of color, plate making techniques, printed materials, bag making methods, etc. It is these constraints that make the gravure package design different from other industrial art designs such as book binding designs and advertising poster designs. Gravure packaging design should focus on the following principles.

(I) Innovation - the soul of gravure packaging design

4. Gravure printing is an entity integrating high technology, material science, aesthetics and economics. In addition to having protection products. Easy to store and transport outside the function. One of its important aims is to promote the sales of products in the market, increase the competitiveness of products and make them attractive to consumers. Due to the many factors that restrict the design process of gravure packaging, it affects the creative process of designers. To really achieve the original intention of design packaging still needs constant innovation and breakthroughs.

1. Be good at using the latest packaging materials or try unused packaging materials

It is worth noting that the packaging materials used must be in line with the market positioning of the product and that the goal is to achieve the best packaging results at the lowest cost. One of the more successful examples of the use of new materials is the packaging of a bowl of fragrant instant noodles by Hebei Zhongwang Group (see Figure 1). Its design has changed the design of traditional instant noodle materials (ie, changing the background color or when reversing films Replace high-end cutlery, or put food in the bowl, put effortlessly on the side dish, and boldly break through the design materials, learn from the small food packaging design style, use transparent ink to print on the aluminized film, its vivid color is listed. Quickly become the focus of many similar products in the "eye-catching", to instant noodle packaging design provides a new idea. In the market has achieved good promotional effect.

2. Be good at using the latest technology

It is mainly good at using the latest packaging design related software and new related operating methods within the software. At present, the development of computer technology is very rapid, the software version is upgraded very quickly, and an average of new software upgrade versions are listed every year. All these provide designers with a lot of new methods and methods. If using Adobe Photoshop version 3.1 to create a text embossing effect requires more than 20 steps, now using Adobe Photoshop version 7.0 only takes 3 to 5 steps to complete. Greatly improve the design efficiency. In addition, special effects within the software are also flourishing, which can also bring unexpected results to the design.

3. In the layout and form to continue to break the existing format on the market

Attempting to make the designed packaging "emerging" with new faces in many similar products is a tireless pursuit of every designer. It either boldly innovates and boldly breaks through, or crosses the industry to learn from the design styles of Other Products. However, the breakthrough is "degree", which is an important measure of the level of a designer. For example: At present, China's milk industry is developing rapidly and the packaging forms on the market are dazzling. Or use the light main colors to express the taste, or use the grassland or natural scenery to express the milk source environment. Or directly use the milk cup to contain the milk that has been washed to visually represent the quality of the product. Or use characters to represent the age group to which they apply, or to show interesting characters in vivid cartoons. If the “battle” uses traditional patterns and ancient styles to design milk powder packaging, it will inevitably be different from the market trend. Not only can it not achieve the purpose of promotion, but also affect the sales of products, even if the idea is better. The idea is wonderful again. In the face of the market, such a design is "junk"! Some designs have a poor overall effect. But in a certain part of the packaging pattern touched the popular, can also serve the purpose of promotion, between the breakthrough in the creative process and packaging fashion trends, I think the best approach is the more "Lei Chi" half-step!

(B) Economical and practical - the key to gravure packaging design

The packaging design must firstly closely combine the plate making process and the printing process. The following points must be paid attention to.

1. Avoid multicolor printing

Most of the printing materials used for gravure printing have a large thermal stretchability. In addition, thermal deformation during high-speed printing process makes printing overprinting more difficult. Therefore, when designing a pattern, it is necessary to try not to affect the design effect. Avoid multi-color overprinting. In addition, some materials not only have large flexibility, but also have poor ink adhesion. Such as: the current use of fresh milk products PE film, black and white film, so when designing this kind of packaging pattern not only to avoid multi-color overprint, but also to do a simple pattern, generous. Avoid filling in large areas. See Figure 2.

2. Try not to use the colors in the purple system

Due to material issues. The purple color obtained by the superposition of the cyan ink and the magenta ink in the printing ink is generally “dirty”, and it is difficult to achieve the color displayed to the customer or the desired color effect in the customer's mind when designing the pattern, and the related color is easily caused. Quality accident. If you really need to print the ideal purple color. The customer is advised to use pink ink for overlaying. Either use spot color printing.

3. To fully consider the requirements of the bag making process

For the back-sealed bag, the front pattern should be made according to the size of the finished product, so as to prevent the frontal pattern from appearing too small after the bag is made, and whether the joints need to be connected with each other. Whether the light spot position is set to meet the cut bag making needs. In addition, whether or not the connections between the finished product patterns need to be transparent or of the same color is also a point to note in the gravure package design.

From an economic point of view, compared with the design of other printing processes, it is even more necessary to save printing costs according to customer needs in gravure packaging design. Because gravure printing plates are costly, designers must provide customers according to their needs. Provide a reasonable typesetting scheme. If the design of the product market prospects are good. Product packaging is very large at one time. The customer can be advised to arrange multiple unit patterns vertically to increase printing efficiency by increasing the circumference of the platen roller. If the product being designed is in the stage of new marketing experiment in the sales process, customers can be recommended to use the spot color to print the main color, which can improve the brightness of the packaging pattern and color. It can also reduce the risk of unsatisfactory packaging colors when the color of the main color of the packaging does not match the popular color of the packaging market (if the main color of the product is printed with spot colors, the color of the main color of the package can be changed at any time during the sales process according to the market needs).

As a packaging designer, you should be familiar with the packaging technology standards in different industries and the laws and regulations related to the printing and publishing industry. Such as drug standards, food standards, bar code knowledge, related special industry packaging technology standards, etc., so as to avoid unnecessary losses.

(III) Good Communication - The Key to the Success of Gravure Packaging Design

A successful design is usually the best combination of the designer's wishes and the customer's wishes. The kind of design that ignores the wishes of customers will eventually lead to the design plan not being adopted, and it will only be able to reside in the “house”. People who have just entered the packaging design industry are most likely to make the mistake of not being able to listen to the suggestions of market experts and customers with an open mind, and to pursue their ideas “in an obedient manner”. Failure is inevitable. The author generally prefers functions between form and function.

Therefore, the designer's communication with customers seems to be crucial in the design process. Having a variety of communication skills is a required course for designers. The kind of person who often complains about "customers don't understand." It's better to check if your working methods are appropriate. A good designer can successfully communicate with any customer and get inspired by communication. Get inspiration to make the design and the customer's wishes come to a consensus. Packaging design can be successfully completed!

In summary, the gravure packaging design shares some common features with other industrial art designs. There are also distinctive features. There is also complicated craftsmanship, and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as a "cockroach". At the same time, it puts forward higher requirements for gravure packaging designers: it must have a good aesthetic foundation and creative ability. Must also have relevant computer software operating capabilities, but also have a good grasp of gravure printing process, plate making process, marketing, advertising and other related knowledge, in the country's thousands of graphic designers excellent outstanding gravure packaging designer few !

There is no need to complain, although "practice" promotes progress. As a gravure packaging designer. Bring "镣铐" with you. We must also do a good job of "dancing," which is what we must do now. (Wen/Shi Family)