Artistry of Packaging – Graphic Design of Color and Layout Combinations

Artistry of Packaging – Graphic Design of Color and Layout Combinations

Good commodity packaging can convey the information about commodities to consumers through artistic means, so that they can get a pleasant aesthetic feeling, and achieve the purpose of promoting commodities. The artistry of packaging is mainly reflected in two aspects: packaging modeling and packaging graphic design. These two aspects complement and complement each other. Without modeling, the packaging will lose the conditions of dependence, and the light board packaging cannot complete the transfer of the overall function of the packaging.

1. Color

Color has a preemptive effect, if the packaging does not use color, all goods will become dull and boring. Commodity packaging will lose its artistry without color. Color plays an important role in strengthening the impact of commodities on the market.

A good piece of packaging must have good visuality to capture consumers’ attention, so that it will be a great salesman whether in supermarkets, advertisements or printed materials. So for packaging designers, how to apply the characteristics of color to shape the visual communication power of commodity packaging and influence people’s emotions becomes the focus of solving color problems.

Designers should have rich knowledge of color science and need to understand the basic elements of color, including the symbolism, readability, suggestibility and identifiability of color, the feeling of various colors, the function of color itself and the visual stimulation effect of various colors. Packaging designers can only design a package with good visual effect for the commodity by integrating the basic knowledge of color.

1) Tone and style

The configuration of color can produce a variety of different style, reflecting the various flavor characteristics of the goods.  A variety of colors are combined into tones, and the overall feeling of tones forms a style. Tone is the overall tendency and mood of a group of colors on the screen, just like the main melody in music. Packaging design should pay special attention to the overall sense of color with. Color tone a wide range, such as gorgeous, simple, solemn, lively, classical, modern, rugged, delicate, simple, bright, contrast, harmony, rich, warm, quiet, deep, etc.. With people’s in-depth study of color composition, the more subtle and diverse color patterns.

2) Configuration of harmonic colors

The harmonious configuration of more than two colors can present a harmonious and unified visual effect. The configuration methods of harmonic colors mainly include the following.

● This method can be divided into the following forms:.

The configuration of the same color: It can be divided into the configuration of the same color of warm tone and the configuration of the same color of cold tone. Because the brightness of the same color changes and the tone tendency is clear, this form is often used for shading, and the visual effect is elegant and comfortable.

The configuration of the same hue: the combination of the same hue for brightness changes. In lithographic printing, this effect can be achieved by changing the angle and thickness of the screen line. However, this method is easy to make the picture appear thin, and the hue and purity should be appropriately changed to seek change and enrichment in harmony.

● Harmony of contrast colors: contrast colors are reconciled with gradient method, which can reduce the conflict formed by contrast; The harmony of the area size of the contrast color can emphasize the effect of convergence and dispersion, and highlight the relationship between primary and secondary; The brightness of the contrast color changes harmoniously, which is the result of adding white or black treatment.

3) Use the brightness of color to enhance the visual effect

Human vision includes color perception and image perception. Image and color are interdependent and interrelated. Color contrast is strong, image perception is also strong, and vice versa. Brightness refers to the degree to which the image is striking by using the contrast relationship of colors, which is generally supplemented by gray. The contrast of colors depends on the mutual contrast between colors. Only when the colors are dark and light, bright and gray, strong and weak, can they set off each other and achieve striking visual effects. It is a good design method to use the contrast effect of high brightness and purity to set off the object by high key, which is widely used in commercial photography.

2. Layout combination design

Only by organically and skillfully combining various visual factors such as words, graphics, colors and so on, and bringing them into the whole to form a unified sense of order and expression, can the overall effect of packaging be effectively displayed. Otherwise, the design will be confused. Pay attention to the following points when designing the layout combination of packaging.

1) Unity of formal expression
Words, graphics and colors should be harmonious and unified. In the layout design, what we want to emphasize is the unity and harmonious relationship between text, color, graphics, texture and other elements, which is reflected in the order of its internal layout structure. In the packaging layout design, whether the performance is mainly based on brand image or the creation is mainly based on color, we should aim at the aesthetic preference of consumers, combine the theme of the goods, and use reasonable internal order to make all elements cooperate with each other to reflect the personality characteristics of the visual image.

2) Combine products to create personality
Packaging is the external image of the commodity, the style of packaging design depends on the character of the commodity. The size, hardness, simplicity or fashion, softness or intensity, unrestrained or elegant features of the product should be accurately conveyed to consumers in the visual language of the design, that is to say, the artistic expression of the packaging design should be based on the content characteristics of the product, reflecting the purpose and function. Sometimes, in order to better combine packaging with commodities, designers can not only design on the visual plane elements, but also on the shape of the container and packaging structure.

3) Concise and clear, reflecting the sense of The Times
Concise expression language can effectively highlight the personality of the design and give people a strong visual impression, while excessive or tasteless decoration and color will give people a feeling of obsolescence. The competition of enterprises has already entered the era of individuation, and the packaging strategy has changed from beautifying the goods in the past to highlighting the personality. Conforming to the development trend of The Times is one of the key factors for the success of packaging design.