Simplify the carton box packaging design
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Cardboard boxes design and production
For designer, the cardboard boxes design work mainly include draft design and some prepress works:
1> Confirm the cardboard type and the size of the cardboard box, for example, if the product size is 150*120*300, the designer should bear in mind the virtue spaces to input and out the product. The preliminary width of the flat pattern would be: 160+130+160+130, here we do not consider seal width and offset. The hight of the cardboard box can be 310 according to the same reason, then the length, width and hight of the packaging box would be 160*130*310. According to the weight of the product the designer can choose related cardboard type because the cost must be take into consideration here. For example if we choose 350g ivory board here, caliper 0.5mm.
2>Drawing the die line according to requirements with CAD software. Offset shouldn't be ignored during this process.
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Lots of people in packaging industry might not know much about the cardboard box structure, or haven't spent too much time drawing the box structure on the computer, here we can try Packmage CAD software, first user need to download and install it. Then we can login the software choose box template from the library.
In Packmage CAD software library, all the box templates are listed as folding, unfolding and half-folding status, the colored boxes have been activated, the gray boxes need to be activated, and the box templates are classified as material, structural and usages, which is more intuitive and easy for user to select the right box template. If we chose FJ039 for example.
Modify the length, width and depth with 160,130 and 310. caliper 0.5. Once the box structure confirmed, it can be exported as DXF format directly from packmage CAD software, ordinary laser die-cutter has CAD plug in for bridges and calculate the total length of die-line and folding line.
The next step is to design draft. Designer can import the structural design into photoshop for graphic design. Then import the graphic design into Packmage CAD software to match with the structural design to check the 3D color sample. When the final design confirmed, if the quantities of the boxes are huge, it should proofing first, there should have prototype machine, also called box cutting machine.
There are two more processes called Film and Print plate need to be done before producing the box. There're 3 ways to check the final effect before printing:
1> Get the high definition draft before film(It's cheap but not so accurate);
2>Get few digital print samples, after confirmed then start film and printing if the quantities are huge, else digital print directly.
3>Ask the film company print few samples when making film, that's the most traditional way, the cost is a little expensive and time consuming.
Software might be used: Photoshop and AI for graphic design, Step and repeat(CDR, In design, Quarkxpress etc.)
After this step, we will need to make printing template and send to printing factory for massive production. The last step is Packing, all the cardboard boxes are flattened and packaged into the boxes to falicitate transportation.
During these steps, the hardware machine need to be used include: Computer, printing-down machine, print machine, prototype machine, laser die-cutter, Zapi machine and glued machine.
Software: AI,PS, CDR and Packmage CAD software work together to save time.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Basic functions of product packaging
a> Security functions
Falling into the product during transport, vibration, and should be protected from discomfort. Perishable foods such as fruits, you will need laminated rigid packaging such as containers should be protected. In addition, the product packaging will not be transferred, without a lot of static and dynamic load to the subject of handling and storage, must withstand. Assets, there is another if the package is needed, temperature protection, radiation, humidity, and from climatic conditions such as sun and rain is common.
2>load and transport functionsEasy management activities, lift, move, are determined, efficiently and safely, easy to modify, is the development of the transport package. Product packaging is an effective transportation, processing, and is one of the most important factors for and save. Loading and transport function of the request to the weight of the packaging of goods outside of the package and placed inside a convenience. On the other hand, power packed a close relationship, between the functions required for the installation of goods, carrying and transportation with security.
3> Sales & Marketing functionsWith the purpose of this function, the sales process becomes easier and more efficient. Product packaging has been designed to have a positive impact on purchase decisions of packaging and promotional materials attract the attention of potential buyers. Because they speak directly to consumers for packaging promotional material, which plays an important role in the delivery. This is a small role in the original package.
4>Storage function
They are stored in different locations and packaging materials, you must have the necessary container used for packaging products. The container must be stored in the warehouse.
In addition, the package contains a package of warranty service based on features and brand, to consumer protection and product liability. The product package there is a legal requirement be labeled expiration date, nature, composition, weight, number and, clearly, etc., but have played a role in a number of features for content protection, Perhaps the most important work, are considered in order to sell their goods in the market yet.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The structure of carton packaging
When we choose the material for the carton box, next step would be applying to reasonable, scientific structural packaging design in order to keep the goods safe during transportation and storage.
In a number of packaging materials, paper and paperboard as a packaging material not only has a long history, but also accounts for a sizeable proportion. In this article I would like to take carton box packaging design as an example introduce the knowledges realted to carton box structural packaging.
According to the usages and the shapes, the paper packaging structure can be summarized as the following four aspects: the structure of carton packaging, the structure of paper bags and paper cups packing structure.
The structure of carton packaging can be divided into folding carton structural design and glued carton structural design.
Folding cartons with high efficiency, facilitate the sales and carrying, and it has low production costs, coupled with the use of folded stacked to save the packaging warehousing and transportation costs, etc., so folding carton has been widely adopted in the packaging industry.
The folding carton can be divided into tubes and tray carton packaging. Tube carton box itself was a vertical-shaped, suitable for vertical bottle of wine, cosmetics, medicines and other packaging. Tray carton packaging is the most widely used in supermarkets, from food and textiles and then to the grocery goods. The folding carton is generally no adhesive, tied to each other then locking cardboard for carton forming and sealing.
Glued carton, also known as hard paper case, it has better strength and beautiful appearance than the average folding boxes, giving a valuable sense, is commonly used in high-end merchandise and gift packaging. There are many types of glued cartons, can be summarized as roll cover carton, window style carton, displays carton, portable carton, closed carton, slide carton and set-up carton.
Roll cover carton means this structure is to cover the body and the box combined with the cover side of the body fixed on the other side to open the folding carton. Because of the structure is simple, and more convenient to open and close, this kind of structure has been quite commonly used in carton box structural packaging design.
The window style carton exhibited surface on the box to make it transparent, so that consumers can see partly or full of the contents. The window size or position mainly based on the product features and graphic design for scientific, rational, beautiful purpose.
Displays carton, also known as "POP" box available for advertising and display, and can fully show the shape of the packaging. Displays packaging can be divided into two categories: one is without lid; another is with a lid, the lid can be opened for exhibition, closed for transportation.
the box biggest feature of portable packaging is easy to carry, it can be portable carton box. This modeling structure equipped with a handle on the box body. the handle part can be attached or made by the cover and side face extension mutual lock
The characteristics of closed packaging is fully enclosed with good security, ease of use. Closed cartons inserted holes along the open line tearing open the form mainly used for beverages and other disposable packaging.
Slide packaging also known as pull-out. The form of a double structure of another part of the pull in the form, and thus has a solid, thick, easy to use features. Set-up packaging refers to the related products together with ancillary packaging, or packaging of a number of the same product with more than combinations of packaging.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Keyboard packaging design
For keyboard box structural design, I mainly used Packmage CAD software, firstly I need to pick up the keyboard box template from its library.
Input the length, width, depth, caliper value etc. according to requirements. For example, L=400mm, W=145mm, D= 35mm, Cal=1mm, then we can save the settings with DXF format to generate the keyboard die cut template to facilitate the printing.
The second step is graphic design, we can use AI or Photoshop software for keyboard packaging graphic design, the keyboard box structural design also can be saved as PDF format, once we start graphic design, we can import the PDF format into Photoshop directly.
Once the graphic design finished, we can import the graphic design into Packmage CAD software to texture with the keyboard structural design, the we can check the 3D box modeling via 3D module.
See, the whole keyboard packaging design process is easy, try it yourself now.