What is the difference between a graphic designer and a packaging designer?

Product packaging is more than just a way to protect and transport goods. It is also a powerful marketing tool that can be used to increase brand awareness, attract attention, and persuade consumers to buy.

Graphic design plays a key role in product packaging. It is responsible for the overall look and feel of the package, including the use of colors, fonts, images, and text. Good graphic design can make a product stand out on the shelf, communicate its benefits to consumers, and create a sense of excitement and desire.

In today's competitive marketplace, where consumers are bombarded with choices, effective product packaging is essential for success. A well-designed package can help a product to:

• Stand out from the competition. In a crowded marketplace, it is important for products to stand out from the competition. Effective graphic design can help a product to do this by using eye-catching colors, fonts, and images.
• Communicate the product's benefits. The packaging should communicate the product's benefits to consumers in a clear and concise way. This can be done through the use of text, images, and symbols.
• Create a sense of excitement and desire. The packaging should create a sense of excitement and desire in consumers. This can be done by using aspirational images, bold colors, and a sense of mystery.

The Importance of Graphic Design in Different Industries

The importance of graphic design in product packaging varies depending on the industry. In some industries, such as the pharmaceutical industry, the packaging is used to communicate important information about the product, such as its ingredients and side effects. In other industries, such as the cosmetics industry, the packaging is used to create a sense of luxury and sophistication.

Here are some examples of how graphic design is used in different industries:

• Pharmaceutical industry: The packaging of pharmaceutical products must be clear and concise, as it is often used to communicate important information about the product, such as its ingredients and side effects. The use of simple fonts and graphics can help to make the information easy to understand.
• Cosmetics industry: The packaging of cosmetics products is often used to create a sense of luxury and sophistication. The use of high-quality materials, such as metal and glass, and elegant fonts and graphics can help to create a premium image for the product.
• FMCG industry: The packaging of FMCG products, such as food and beverages, is often used to attract attention and create a sense of excitement. The use of bright colors, bold graphics, and eye-catching fonts can help to make the product stand out on the shelf.

Conclusion

Graphic design is an essential part of product packaging. It can be used to increase brand awareness, attract attention, and persuade consumers to buy. The importance of graphic design varies depending on the industry, but it is always important to use high-quality materials and create a package that is visually appealing and informative.

If you are looking to improve the packaging of your products, consider working with a professional graphic designer. They can help you to create a package that is both effective and eye-catching.

If you are planning to create a DTC box for your new or existing e-commerce business, you will likely utilize a graphic designer as well as a structural designer to produce a great looking and effective, e-commerce shipping container.

Graphic Designers for Shippable Packaging

Some of our best friends and contacts we have in the industry are graphic designers. I am talking about professional designers with some level of packaging experience, not the nephew who does this “on the side” of his other part time job. Many graphic designers are exceptionally talented and specialize in digital work for web sites, web stores, etc. However, some graphic designers have never done any packaging work, or artwork for flexographic direct-to-corrugated printing. It is indeed different. Not everything done digitally can be done when it comes to box printing.

We can print e-commerce boxes using the primary three different processes: flexographic, digital, or offset. Each has advantages and challenges, so a graphic designer familiar with all three can develop artwork to fit the process being used, or the artwork will determine which print method can be used to print it.

Bottom line is – in most cases, a graphic artist’s only or primary concern is how it looks when complete. That is not criticism at all, that is what a graphic artist does. We are always quick to tell clients and customers we are not graphic artists/designers, but we have along the way, discovered what works and prints well, and what does not. For example, not all colors look good on natural kraft corrugated board and we can tell you which ones to avoid. We can help our customer and the designer create artwork that is printable and cost effective in every way.

Structural Designers for Shippable Packaging    

Structural packaging is what we do. What do we focus on? Everything else beyond the esthetics of packaging design. Here are a few of the many questions we ask ourselves and our clients when creating a DTC box:

1. How many boxes do you need? Everything has an MOQ. In some cases, this may help direct how the box is designed and how it is printed.
2. What is the product being shipped and how fragile is it? Does it require protective internal packaging?
3. Do you want the product protected, displayed to the consumer, or both?
4. Who is doing the actual packing? If it is a 3PL or contract packer/shipper, the ease of assembly is critical to the decision-making process.
5. How is it being shipped to the customer? Who is paying for shipping, you (the client) or the customer? Have you double checked your shipping cost?

That last item regarding shipping costs may strike you as unusual for us to ask, but you will learn that in many cases, the shipping cost is far more costly than the packaging used to ship it. Would you spend an extra $.25 to save over $2.00 for every package shipped? We know where and when those opportunities are available to you.

We understand that your costs go far beyond the price of a custom insert or shipping box. Shipping costs in and out, storage costs, and assembly costs which are often overlooked can add up to a substantial hit to your bottom line. Our goal is always to help create the best packaging possible at the lowest possible overall cost. After millions of boxes created, we think we are rather good on the structural design side and if you seek a great graphic artist, we know several of them. Let us know and we will gladly share the names of those we have worked with in the past and have done outstanding work with us.

If you are still not sure which way you want to go, talk with us. There is no cost or charge for an application analysis so perhaps we can help you satisfy ALL your e-commerce packaging objectives. You can call us at 630-551-1700 or contact us at www.SalazarPackaging.com.

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https://www.salazarpackaging.com/how-a-new-box-design-can-help-you-minimize-the-impact-of-corrugated-price-increase/

https://www.salazarpackaging.com/glass-product-packaging-for-e-commerce-nobody-does-it-better/

https://www.salazarpackaging.com/top-five-2021-trends-in-dtc-e-commerce-packaging/

https://www.globeguardproducts.com/industry-experts/boxes/being-informed-buyers-of-branded-packaging-what-should-you-demand-of-your-custom-packaging-supplier/