Introduction
Any brand’s first impressions of customers play a crucial role, and managers have to work hard to ensure their products look attractive. Some people pay attention to the quality of a product or service, cooperation, and other time-saving issues. At the same time, many individuals cannot ignore the fact that they look at the package first.
According to Klimchuk and Krasovec (2006), good packaging is one of the main keys to brand success because it proves the awareness of customers’ needs, understanding of current and future trends, and the importance of competitive advantage. Some companies need regular and expensive packaging and printing methods; others consider changes the only reasonable way to gain profits. This paper will examine the decision to develop retail packaging for a new product produced in a small Chinese town and sold in the United States in small runs. However, with time, there are expectations for larger production runs, which might lead to new considerations. Therefore, the basics of retail packaging, the comparison of common printing methods, and organizational changes will be discussed to ensure the effective production of a Chinese product in America.
Retail Packaging
The essence of packaging is to introduce a product to customers and achieve the goals established by suppliers of a certain brand. This practice has a long history, and its development depends on human cultures, traditions, needs, and technologies that have changed through the years (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2006). Some designers prefer to work with manufacturers at the beginning of the project, while others like to contact retailers and choose the most successful option (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2006).
Retail packaging is based on various internal and external factors, including available materials, time frames, and processes that can be used to sell a product. In most cases, packaging aims to protect the product and catch the client’s eye to encourage purchasing. It is expected to incorporate the logo, apply business colors (if applicable), and send a message to underline the worth of the offered idea.
The success of retail packaging promotes the success of interactions between customers and a company. People see the package before they decide to buy something. If they do not like the view or find another more attractive product, they can change their opinion quickly.
Printing Methods
Today, packaging experts have access to various printing methods, and their choice depends on the product, its expected runs, and financial support. Klimchuk and Krasovec (2006) recognize several techniques for different packaging design materials (metal, paper, glass, or plastics): offset lithography, flexography, gravure, digital printing, and letterpress. Each method has its unique characteristics, pros, and cons, explaining the final choice of a producer. For example, offset lithography printing is one of the most prominent packaging techniques characterized by high image quality and versatility and based on the “principles of oil repelling water off a surface” (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2006, p. 174).
This technology allows companies to produce printing on a variety of surfaces directly from computers to save time, access options, and reduce chemical compositions, but it is not usually applicable for short runs. Gravures or rotogravures are probably the most expensive printing methods due to the presence of a rolling cylinder to engrave the printed image directly onto the surface (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2006). They are effective for high volumes with expected high-quality print, but too expensive and inconvenient for short runs because of limited coating options.
Letterpress is one of the oldest forms of printing, in which people use an image on a metal plate and transfer it to the surface with ink. Properly implemented, letterpress products have clear and sharp images generated by platemaker machines (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2006). Compared to offset lithography, letterpress images are of lower quality, which is beneficial for vintage production. This method is recommended for small quantities and special prints on convex surfaces. Flexography is a modern version of the letterpress that may be observed on various containers, cartons, plastic bags, labels, and flexible films (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2006).
Due to its high-speed printing and waterlessness, flexography is effective for short print runs. However, the latter quality underlines the necessity of cooling and special printing equipment. Many companies prefer flexography because it has low unit and investment costs, but color gradients are less smooth compared to other techniques.
Finally, modern marketers and manufacturers are obsessed with recent technological achievements, which make digital printing one of the most famous printing methods for packaging, characterized by precision and efficiency. In a short period, it is possible to transfer the image directly to the product from the computer desktop (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2006). The main advantage of this technique is the possibility of further growth and advancement to eliminate its disadvantages, like high costs for large volumes, color matching, or limited coating options. Still, high quality, low unit and everyday costs make it appropriate for small runs in any industry.
Case and Choice
In the case under analysis, it is planned to consider designing retail packaging for a newly launched product on a folding carton with a three-color print in small runs. Considering the characteristics of the chosen techniques, flexography is one of the most successful choices. Compared to gravures and offset lithography, which are typically used for large runs with costly investment, flexography’s ability to produce shorter runs and low unit costs is appreciated.
The necessity of working with three colors makes letterpress and digital printing less effective because it is difficult to match the required colors. In addition, Klimchuk and Krasovec (2006) admit that flexography is highly applicable for folding cartons, which are the material for a new product. Thus, there are enough reasons to choose this printing method at the initial production stage.
Change in Printing Methods
With time, short runs for the product may become larger production runs, and the necessity of considering another printing method emerges. In this case, flexography can be replaced with offset lithography. The chosen technique can print with high quality on the chosen surface and does not require large investments, which makes it applicable to a small town in China. Flexography and offset lithography have similar high ratings in retail packaging and high-speed web presses to save time and offer high-graphic quality for the required number of products. These reasons and available possibilities prove the correctness of the choices and changes made in small and large production runs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, developing retail packaging and using various printing methods introduces a unique opportunity for companies with different backgrounds to establish a connection with potential customers. Creating a new product may be challenging, and predicting whether the required goals can be achieved quickly is difficult. The transition from small to large production runs is possible with time, and the company has to be ready to promote change. In this case, flexography and offset lithography are the best printing methods for a folding carton package with a three-color print.
Reference
Klimchuk, M. R., & Krasovec, S. A. (2006). Packaging design: Successful product branding from concept to shelf. John Wiley & Sons.