June 4, 2019
Simple geometric shapes are some of the very first things we learn as a child. The enclosed space of a square or rectangle represents safety and protection, while a circle represents harmony and completion. A simple triangle pointing up represents direction and power, but the same triangle pointed down represents instability and caution.
When driving, you do not need to read the word “stop” when approaching an intersection with a red octagonal sign, nor do you have to think hard about a warning message conveyed by an inverted triangle. Shape conveys a message. Companies spend untold dollars on advertising to burn certain shapes into our minds. Two golden arches do not make anyone think of pizza.
The Function of Color
Even the choice of color sends a subliminal message to the consumer. Deep in our psyche is an innate response to different parts of the color spectrum. White conveys purity but not deep emotions, while a red dress conveys something quite different. Yellow hints of caution, and blue portrays trust and serenity. It comes as no surprise that no company sells laundry detergent packaged in a black container.
Color can also create an identity. Shamrocks proliferate as St. Patrick’s Day approaches, and red stockings proliferate before Christmas. The color and the shape control the message. The same shamrock printed purple in July would be nothing but confusing, whatever the intended message may be.
Digital Origami
In Japanese culture, the ability to fold and shape sheets of paper into a work of art is called origami. The earliest record of the skill was not until the early 1800s, though it’s thought the art form had been practiced for some time previous. Origami introduced esthetics and beauty to a seemingly neutral product. The beauty was in the shape, not augmented by drawn images or use of colors.
Today’s packaging industry exists in a world where the complexity of origami is being married to the full spectrum of colors. In-house ink kitchens allow for small batches of flexographic inks to be produced to meet the needs of conventional converting, while new generations of digital printers allow boutique quantities to be produced quickly and economically, with the added benefit of nearly infinite customization.
Advanced folding and joining machines can create shapes thought impossible not so many years ago. The presence of high-speed die cutters and plotters allows the design and manufacture of styles and in quantities that would have been previously cost-prohibitive.
The world of packaging solutions is entering a new and exciting era in which these three key elements of packaging design can be produced in quantities ranging from those suited to boutique storefronts to nationwide rollouts. New shapes, new colors, and new solutions are out there waiting to be discovered.
John Clark is director of analytics at Amtech Software. He can be reached at jclark@amtechsoftware.com.
