When designing packaging boxes, the following points should be noted in terms of color techniques: first, the relationship between color and packaging; second, the contrast between color and color itself. These two points are the key to color application.
The relationship between color and packaging
So, how should we start with the relationship between color and packaging? It is mainly through the external packaging color that the internal packaging items can be revealed or reflected. When people look at the external packaging, they can basically perceive or associate what the internal packaging is. When we walk into a store and look at the goods, many products do not reflect this relationship. It makes it impossible for consumers to think about what the packaging items are from the outside to the inside. Of course, it will not play a positive role in promoting the sales of products. The color of normal external packaging should grasp these same characteristics to varying degrees;
(1) From the perspective of the industry, the normal use of color for food packaging is mainly light yellow and pink to express a sense of warmth and closeness. Of course, tea is often green, beverages are often green and blue, alcoholic beverages and pastries are often bright red, children's food is often rose-colored, daily cosmetics are often rose-colored, pink, light green, light blue, and dark brown, and clothing, shoes, and hats are often dark green, dark blue, coffee, or gray.
(2) In terms of performance characteristics, in terms of food alone, cakes and pastries are often golden or light-colored to give people a fragrant impression; tea, beer, and other beverages are often red or green, symbolizing the richness and fragrance of tea; tomato juice and apple juice are often red, which focuses on the natural properties of the item. Although some packaging does not use colors similar to the product attributes as mentioned above, if you look closely, if the packaging design is from the pen of an expert, then there must be a finishing touch of symbolic color blocks, color dots, color lines, or concentrated content highlighted by the color in the picture of its outer packaging. This should be the proud work of everyone.
The contrast relationship between colors
Let's talk about the contrast relationship between colors. This is the easiest thing to express but very difficult to grasp in many product packaging. In the design, if it is done by a master, the packaging effect is highbrow, otherwise it is lowbrow. In Chinese calligraphy and painting, there is a popular saying that goes, "It is so dense that air cannot penetrate, but so sparse that horses can run through it." In fact, it is talking about a contrast relationship. In packaging design, this contrast relationship is very obvious and very common. The so-called contrast generally includes the following aspects: the depth contrast of color, the contrast of lightness and heaviness, the contrast of points and faces, the contrast of complexity and simplicity, the contrast of elegance and vulgarity, the contrast contrast, etc.
(1) The depth contrast of color.
This appears most frequently in the use of colors in packaging design and has the widest range of use. The so-called depth contrast should refer to the clever appearance of two colors of light and dark on the same screen in the design of color, which produces a relatively harmonious visual effect. Commonly used methods include using a large area of light color as the base and using dark colors to create a pattern on it, such as using a light color as the base and using coffee color to create a pattern, or using light yellow or white pattern lines in a coffee color block; using a light green base; using a dark green pattern; using a pink base; using a bright red pattern; using a light gray base; using a black pattern, etc. China's Changyu wine, Shuanghui sausage, and CJ meat product packaging are mostly expressed in this form. The visual effect it shows is bright, simple, gentle, and elegant.
(2) The contrast of light and heavy colors (or light and dark contrast) is also an important reproduction technique in the use of packaging colors. This contrast of light and heavy colors often uses a light and elegant base color to set off a solemn and deep theme pattern, or in a solemn and deep theme pattern (mostly with color block patterns as the main color). It shows the theme and name of the light and elegant packaging, as well as the trademark or slogan. Conversely, there is also a large area of solemn and deep pigment as the base color. In addition, use light and elegant tones or concentrate on a certain color block or decorate some patterns on the whole. Generally, there are harmonious color contrast and cold and warm color contrast. The method of harmonious color contrast is often light green against dark green; light color against dark coffee; pink against bright red, etc., while the contrast of cold and warm colors is mostly black and white, red and blue, etc.
(3) Point-to-surface contrast (or size contrast) of color use. This contrast is mainly used in the design process of a packaging picture. The contrast from a center or concentrated point to the whole picture is used in the color, that is, the contrast between a small range and a large range. In daily life, especially in washing and cosmetic products, we can see that on a product packaging box, the entire area is clean and nothing is there, but in the middle, there is a very obvious dark color small square (or oval or small circle) concentrated. Then, the theme of the brand and name of the packaging content is reflected from the picture of this small square. This is both a combination of point and surface, and a contrast between large and small. Occasionally, there is also a contrast from point to gradually transition.
(4) Contrast of complexity and simplicity in color use. We can see that the packaging of Uni-President 100 instant noodles has a picture of the instant noodles on the lower half, while the upper part of the picture is a clean bright green and red color, and then the word "100" is very prominently highlighted. It is so simple and concise, but it expresses the brand of instant noodles in an ingenious way. The author has also seen a kind of dumpling packaging bag and a seasoning packaging bag in the store. The whole picture is made of green and black pigments and intertwined on the same picture. In order to express the trademark, it is forced to express the name and the foil pattern. As a result, due to the large area of complicated design without any practical meaning, the hidden pattern appears, and the main body that should be explained is completely diluted. This kind of packaging makes people feel depressed and irritated psychologically, which naturally affects sales. (5) The contrast between elegance and desire in the use of color is mainly to highlight the vulgar word and contrast its elegance. And this vulgar expression is carried out by using the "dirty" and disorderly colors. This kind of composition either symbolically reveals the theme or serves to "highlight the lotus" as the theme.
Make it a red dot among thousands of flowers.
(6) Contrast in the use of colors. This kind of contrast is essentially the contrast effect formed by the differences between multiple pigments. This kind of contrast effect is usually expressed in the following ways: the contrast between light and dark (or the contrast between yin and yang), such as the Chinese Yiqingtu; the contrast between cold and warm, the contrast between red and blue; the contrast between movement and stillness, the contrast between the elegant and calm background and the lively and jumping patterns and texts; the contrast between light and heavy, the contrast between deep pigments and light pigments, etc.
