Printed flexible packaging films – key considerations for printing your flexible packaging
On the shelves, there are thousands of products to choose from, fighting for the attention of buyers. Your packaging is the first opportunity to catch a consumer’s eye, to wow them with striking visuals and colours but when designing your packs there are a number of other key points that shouldn’t be overlooked.
To prevent unnecessary delays and ensure your designs are ready for flexo printing, particularly when you have tight lead-times, it is always best to think ahead. A great flexible packaging provider such as Terinex Flexibles will be able to offer design consultancy early on in the packaging design process.
Printing on flexibles films: key considerations
Several key considerations need to be taken into account when printing flexible packaging in order to ensure high-quality results, reduce your lead-time and meet specific requirements:
Colour
If your flexible packaging provider has an 8-colour flexo press, you will want to pick a colour pallet with 8 colours or less. Your packaging provider can advise you on which colours to include and which you could leave out without having to compromise on your overall creative design.
Process colours (CMYK), premixed spot colours, specialty inks and varnishes all count, so a combination of eight of these for an 8-colour flexo press will ensure your design can be printed without unnecessary delays.
Typography
Text should be legible and clear, particularly on flexo film, some serif fonts may be too ornate or narrow. Think about the spacing and placement too. Sometimes text across a fold or seam can be an effective design choice, but more often than not, it can create confusion if only one side of the fold is visible.
Cutter guidance
Your printing supplier will need a cutter guide to show where the cutting and creasing lines will be on the finished pack. This helps your flexible packaging provider to work out the pack parameters such as length, the size and position of panels and how to fold the printed film.
Some flexible packaging providers offer this as a service depending on print volumes – it’s worth asking if you need help with this.
Help with legal guidelines
Previously referred to as ‘Guideline Daily Amounts’, Reference Intakes are the guidelines at the bottom of a pack that advise on the appropriate amount of nutrients and energy required for a healthy diet and how your product fits into this daily recommended amount. These are often placed at the front of the pack, however, certain designs require an alternative placement.
The Department of Health suggests that the Reference Intake label must not mislead or confuse the consumer in any way. Your packaging design should take this into consideration to make sure that any legal requirements will be clearly visible and legible on the finished pack.
Advice for SMEs
Creative consultancy can be especially useful for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) to help get started with designing packaging for new products as well as learning about key design considerations and current packaging trends.
