Thursday, December 19, 2013

Packaging Design Considerations


Beyoncé Heat
Beyoncé Heat
Packaging Design Considerations

by Bethany A. Marconi, Design Engineer

Structural Design

Packaging is a complex and important part in the sale of thousands of products every day.  The role packaging plays in our lives begins long before it lands on the shelf of your favorite supermarket or department store but carries throughout the sale of the product. An important element of any package is its structure. Structural design performs many functions including containment, protection, and shelf appeal, that all contribute to the success of a product.

Product/Containment

One factor that begins to shape the structural design of a package is the product itself. The size, shape, weight, and quantity of product all help determine the basic structure and board weight that will be used for the package. This information should also include orientation of the product so designers can determine how to properly contain the product using inserts, foam, or thermoform trays. The shape of a product may initiate ideas for the shape of a structure or certain elements within a package, such as a window. 

Protection/Transportation

Along with the preliminary design elements determined by the product and how it will be contained comes the important role of ensuring that a product is protected during shipment. Any information regarding the shipping of a package may be helpful in determining the board type and caliper. It also assists in deciding the shape of a package. One that is going through a rigorous shipping environment may have to forfeit a unique shape in order to ensure that the package arrives intact. 

Cost

The price point that a customer is trying to achieve for a package is a major consideration that must be included in the design phase of a package. This goal may affect the structure of a carton, such as designing an economical Reverse Tuck rather than the more costly Automatic Bottom. With many board choices available, using a lighter caliper board or recycled material instead of virgin board can cut down on cost. Designers also try to keep in mind the most economical way to lay out a carton for die cutting. If a small adjustment can be made that will allow us to produce two cartons up on a sheet instead of one, that may reduce cost tremendously.
   
Fulfillment

When designing a carton, it is important to know how it will be filled. Machine filled cartons often have to meet precise specifications to run on certain equipment. All information related to these specifications should be outlined before the design is initiated including size parameters, correct opening position (right hand opening vs. left hand opening), load position (bottom load vs. top load), and opening force. These factors will determine structure size and style, gluing patterns, and line types within a carton.

Shelf Appeal/Innovation


A creative or innovative structure that grabs the attention of consumers will sell a product. This element of shelf appeal is always at the forefront of a designer’s mind each time a new project is begun. Structural designers try to create cartons that may be shaped differently or that perform a unique function, such as the Pull-Tab Design, that bring added value to the consumer. Innovative structures can also be combined with new materials to create an exciting visual experience for the consumer. 

Sustainability

As we have learned more about how our actions impact the environment, sustainability has become an integral part of package design. To design for sustainability, we must take into account material selection, board usage, material weight, and energy consumption during production. The challenge is creating a package that speaks to the customer, often times using less billboard space, while adequately protecting the product and increasing sustainability.

Summary   

All of these package design considerations are essential to creating a functional and appealing carton that will entice the consumer to purchase. Partnering with a folding carton supplier with experience and expertise in structural design is an important first step in the decision making process.

Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Diamond Packaging's 2014 Calendars Are Here

Diamond Packaging 2014 Calendar
Diamond's 2014 calendars are here!

Our new apple-themed calendar is a simple, yet striking design that features inline green technologies, UV gloss spot coating, foil stamping, multi-level embossing, and intricate die cutting.

Contact your Diamond representative to request an apple calendar, delivered in its own recyclable 'crate'.

Hurry, supplies are limited! more

Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Eco from the Start Webinar Now Available On Demand

Package Design magazine's "Eco from the Start" webinar is now available on demand.

The webinar focuses on the beginning of the packaging lifecycle with presentations on material selection, communicating these attributes stylishly on pack, and how to use industry-standard iconography to ensure the best end-of-life scenarios.

Visit the Package Design website for more information or launch the presentation.

Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Diamond Packaging Wins Folding Carton of the Year Award in 2013 PPC Competition

Diamond Packaging won five awards, including Folding Carton of the Year, in the 70th Annual North American Paperboard Packaging Competition, the industry’s premier showcase for all that is new and outstanding in paperboard packaging design and technology. Awards were presented last month at the PPC Fall Meeting & Leadership Conference in Dallas, TX.

Diamond won the Folding Carton of the Year Award for Elizabeth Arden’s Limited Edition Sunflowers packaging. The overall presentation imparts unusual depth and distinction through creative design, material selection, UV matte and gloss spot coating, embossing, and debossing.

Diamond also won two Gold Awards and two Excellence Awards. more

Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Diamond Packaging Selected as a P&G External Business Partner of the Year

Diamond was ranked the #1 folding carton supplier in the world and named an “External Business Partner of the Year” by Procter & Gamble during P&G's annual External Business Partner Recognition Dinner on October 23, 2013.

Diamond was one of only 15 suppliers, out of more than 82,000, to receive P&G's highest honor. Suppliers achieved this distinction by consistently scoring the highest in broad-based quantitative and qualitative evaluations by P&G employees throughout the supply chain.

Diamond also received an Excellence Award for the fifth time in the last six years. Only about 0.1% of P&G's global suppliers received this distinction for consistent high performance. more

Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative

Monday, August 26, 2013

Diamond Packaging Wins Best of Show in 27th Annual Excellence Awards Competition

Diamond won three awards, including Best of Show, in the 27th annual packagePRINTING Excellence Awards Competition, the industry's only competition recognizing the highest level of printing quality and technical achievement across the full range of packaging segments – tags and labels, flexible packaging, folding cartons, and corrugated cartons.

Winners were chosen from hundreds of entries submitted in over 40 different categories. Entries were judged on print quality, functionality, and secondary converting and finishing attributes.

Diamond won Best of Show and First Place in the Technical Achievement category for its 2013 Carousel Calendar. The judges were impressed with the creative graphic presentation and the number of elements incorporated in the calendar. “It was impeccable and hit all the marks,” remarked Joe Hamway of Mark Andy Inc. “Everything was well put together—embossing, varnish, diecutting, and a great design,” added Bob Waddington, Nazdar. more

Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Diamond Wins Three Awards in 64th Annual Premier Print Awards Competition

Diamond won three awards in the 64th annual Premier Print Awards competition, the graphic arts industry’s largest and most prestigious international print competition. Printing Industries of America (PIA) hosts the Premier Print Awards, which recognizes the creation and production of superior print communications. The event promotes excellence in printing and rewards companies and individuals who produce the very best in print media. Of the more than 2,800 entries received, Diamond's entries were among those chosen for exemplifying the highest standards in the printing industry.

Diamond won an Award of Recognition for its 2013 Carousel Calendar and Certificates of Merit for the calendar and L'Oreal's Professionnel Série Expert Holiday Box.

Winners will be featured on the PIA website and in the Premier Print Awards Supplement, which is distributed to more than 10,000 print buyers. more

Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative

Friday, June 14, 2013

Diamond Packaging Wins Four Awards in FSEA Gold Leaf Awards Competition

Diamond won four awards in the 20th annual FSEA Gold Leaf Awards Competition, the industry's premier showcase for foil stamping, embossing, and other specialty effects. Awards were announced last month during the IADD•FSEA Odyssey in Nashville, TN.

The competition, which is sponsored by the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA), recognizes creativity and superior execution of designs that reflect positively on the industry as a whole. Entries are judged on several criteria including design, execution, and level of difficulty. Winning an award is a mark of excellence in the packaging field and recognition of superior achievement.

Competing against hundreds of entries from around the country, Diamond earned recognition by winning one Gold Leaf award, one Silver Leaf award, and two Bronze Leaf awards. more

Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Global Packaging Alliance Holds Annual Meeting in Brazil

The Global Packaging Alliance (GPA) recently held its annual meeting in São Paolo, Brazil, providing an ideal forum for its partners to review packaging industry and global market trends. The group also discussed ways to further support international brands with enhanced packaging solutions that align with their sustainability goals.

Representatives from each company shared the latest developments in their packaging operations, including equipment investments, value-added processes, green initiatives, and operating data for benchmarking. Members also provided commentary on current economic conditions in their respective countries, and the impact of the economy on packaging markets. more


Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The Independent Carton Group (ICG) Celebrates its 30th Anniversary

The Independent Carton Group (ICG), an association of 17 independently owned and operated folding carton companies, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a host of special events that unfolded over the past two days in Charleston, S.C., including the presentation of several esteemed awards. For three decades, the ICG has helped independent folding carton manufacturers successfully compete against large, integrated paper companies in the folding carton industry, and today, the 17 member companies in 11 states collectively represent over $700 million in annual sales and 1,282 years of packaging history. more

Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative

Thursday, February 14, 2013


Diamond Packaging Featured on 13WHAM-TV

Diamond Packaging was featured today on 13WHAM-TV's "Made In Our Hometown" series.

Diamond is responsible for making some of the industry's most decorative boxes and packages – the kind that seem to jump right off the store shelves. 13WHAM-TV News Anchor Evan Dawson had a chance to go inside the Henrietta-based operation that has grown substantially over the past several decades.

Watch the video segment.

Diamond Packaging
Diamond's greenbox initiative