Recommended News

Food packaging—safety first.

The close relationship between food packaging and food has long been widely recognized. Food packaging serves as a “protective garment” for food, not only fulfilling the functions of containing and safeguarding food products but also facilitating storage, transportation, and sales promotion. Meanwhile, as people’s living standards continue to rise, food safety has gradually become a focal point of public concern, placing ever-higher demands on the safety of food packaging. Consequently, food packaging companies must always prioritize safety when designing packaging, implementing functional features, and conducting safety testing. Food packaging design should incorporate innovative design concepts and be tailored appropriately based on consumer demographics. Moreover, for certain special consumer groups—such as children—special attention should be paid to the safety aspects of food packaging. For instance, environmentally friendly packaging materials should be selected, and packaging structures should be as simple as possible while still meeting children’s usage needs and physical characteristics, thereby preventing accidental injuries to children. In addition to innovative and safe designs, the functionality of food packaging is equally important. Particularly with the growing demand for fresh foods in the consumer market, food packaging with preservation capabilities is becoming increasingly popular. Especially for fresh fruits and vegetables—a category currently experiencing high demand—technologies such as modified atmosphere packaging, coated film packaging, and antimicrobial packaging have been successively introduced, providing enhanced guarantees for the safe preservation of these fresh produce items. To further ensure the safety of food packaging, relevant personnel have also carried out extensive work in food packaging safety testing. For example, in order to alleviate consumer concerns, some researchers have assessed the potential risks associated with DEHP in plastic food packaging materials, thereby enhancing consumers’ awareness of DEHP’s safety profile. Currently, the state attaches great importance to food packaging safety and has successively issued a series of policies and regulations related to food packaging safety. Food packaging enterprises should therefore strengthen their awareness of food packaging safety and adopt the perspective that “food packaging is equivalent to food itself,” adding an extra layer of protection to food safety.

9 classic box styles—did you know?

Designers need to master classic packaging box styles—giving products a cool and stylish “wedding gown”! 1. Plug-in Box Style This box features upper and lower tabs that slot into each other. The top and bottom sections are identical, often designed as a bi-parting box, though sometimes both sides can open for convenience. It’s easy to package and versatile, making it ideal for lighter-weight products. 2. Drawer Box Style This style consists of two parts: an inner box and a sleeve. It opens and closes by sliding out, using more paper and thus slightly higher in cost. Along with the lid-and-base box, it’s one of the packaging styles with superior texture and quality. 3. Flat Pack Box Style When unfolded, the packaging box is made from a single sheet of die-cut paper. Its structural design allows it to be molded into shape without needing glue, saving on processing costs. It’s commonly used for express delivery packaging. 4. Book-Style Box This packaging resembles a book, opening from the side. The box consists of a cover panel and a base box, with materials tailored to the specific size and function of the package. Some book-style boxes require additional components like magnets or metal sheets. It’s a popular choice for high-end gift packaging. 5. Lid-and-Base Box Style This type features a separate lid and base, requiring more paper and thus slightly higher costs. However, it offers excellent texture and can be made thicker for added strength. It’s perfect for premium gift boxes—such as those for clothing, jewelry, or gourmet food—helping to elevate the product’s image. 6. Flip-Top Box Style Flip-top boxes come in single-flip and double-flip versions. The double-flip version consists of a base box and two flip-top lids; the single-flip version has just one lid. Double-flip boxes require relatively complex manufacturing processes. 7. Handle Box Style The bottom is a plug-in base, enhancing its load-bearing capacity, while the top features a handle design for easy carrying and assembly. Often lined with corrugated cardboard, this is the most common box style for gift packaging, distinguished by its convenience for portability. 8. Polygonal Box Style Also featuring a lid-and-base structure, but with a polygonal shape—such as pentagonal or hexagonal designs. These premium gift boxes convey a sense of stability and elegance, leaving a lasting impression on consumers. 9. Window Box Style The box has cut-out windows or is fitted with transparent cellophane overlays, allowing clear visibility of the product inside. This lets the product be displayed directly and clearly before our eyes, making it easier for customers to examine and boosting their confidence in the product’s authenticity.

Several key points to keep in mind when designing food packaging!

Different products require different packaging solutions—this is an inherent characteristic of packaging products. The same holds true for food packaging design, which possesses a unique and distinctive quality. Regardless of the product being packaged, this principle of uniqueness applies to every food manufacturer. In the food industry, food packaging design significantly influences consumers’ perception of the product; therefore, it’s crucial to pay close attention to this aspect. As an important branch of product design, packaging design has consistently attracted considerable attention within the industry. So, what specific details should food packaging designers pay attention to? First, packaging design should focus on conveying meaningful content. This is primarily reflected in three key aspects: the packaging’s emotional appeal, the visual appeal and趣味性 of the artwork, and the organic integration of the product’s image with cultural elements. Additionally, the refinement of packaging is an indispensable factor for high-quality packaging. This refinement encompasses three main components: first, exquisite color choices; second, sophisticated pattern design; and third, meticulous craftsmanship in packaging production. All three elements are equally essential. In summary, packaging design must revolve around a central theme, take a holistic approach, and consider the bigger picture while adhering to principles of simplicity, individuality, and aesthetic appeal—aligning closely with the product’s characteristics and consumer preferences. When designing food packaging, it’s best to combine various design approaches to fully highlight the unique attributes of the food product. By doing so, you can spark consumers’ interest in the food item and boost their desire to purchase it. Only in this way can food companies effectively promote their products and maximize the effectiveness of packaging as a marketing tool. Second, packaging design should pay close attention to color. Colors leave a particularly strong impression on people. Therefore, as designers, we must learn how to communicate effectively with colors, understand them thoroughly, and use color to express our design ideas. As a vital component of design, color is also employed to convey certain information about a product’s function. Over 80% of information is received through vision. If designers can skillfully grasp and utilize packaging colors to directly reflect the intrinsic qualities of the product, that product is likely to become the consumer’s top choice. Based on the inherent colors of the product or its specific attributes, using symbolic colors is an important technique in color selection for packaging design. For example, food packaging for cakes and pastries often features bright, vibrant colors; beverages such as tea, coffee, whiskey, and beer frequently employ shades of brown; and lemon-scented shampoo packaging might be designed in a bright lemon-yellow hue. These examples of reproducing the product’s natural colors in packaging most effectively evoke associations of similarity between the product and its original source, thereby providing consumers with a clear and intuitive understanding of the product’s essence. Of course, there are also instances where designers deliberately take the opposite approach, boldly employing contrasting colors to achieve striking and unusual effects. However, if the balance isn’t carefully maintained, the result could backfire.

Advantages of using whiteboard paper for packaging materials

As an important material for sales packaging, white cardboard has a history of over a century in production, and China has been manufacturing white cardboard for more than fifty years. With the development of the commodity economy, the demand for white cardboard in product packaging has been steadily increasing. This is because white cardboard possesses advantages that are difficult to match by other packaging materials: Advantages of White Cardboard as a Packaging Material (1) It boasts superior processing and forming performance as well as excellent mechanical properties, including good stiffness and fold resistance, resistance to deformation, and high mechanical adaptability, enabling high-speed continuous production. The stiffness of cardboard is directly proportional to its thickness and the quality of materials used in each layer. While fillers such as talc powder can significantly enhance surface smoothness, they also tend to reduce the cardboard’s stiffness. (2) It exhibits outstanding printing performance. Its surface is both tough and elastic, with high whiteness, smoothness, sizing degree, and planar strength, making it highly suitable for printing. (3) It offers excellent cushioning performance, allowing paper boxes made from it to provide effective protection for goods. (4) It helps conserve wood resources. Since white cardboard can be recycled and reused, it significantly reduces the need for timber. This not only protects the environment but also minimizes environmental pollution by cutting down on production steps. (5) It has excellent composite capabilities. White cardboard can serve as a base material and be combined with other materials to create advanced packaging cardboard with multiple desirable packaging properties.

What is packaging design?

Packaging design refers to the process of designing the appearance, shape, materials, colors, fonts, and other aspects of product packaging to achieve objectives such as aesthetics, comfort, ease of use, and recognizability. It is not merely about protecting and containing products; it also serves as a means of communicating a brand’s image. In packaging design, designers must take into account numerous factors, including the product’s characteristics, target audience, and market trends. Designers also need to understand the properties of various packaging materials so they can select the most appropriate materials to protect the product while ensuring that the packaging aligns with the principles of sustainable development. The importance of packaging design lies in its ability to stimulate potential consumers’ interest and desire to purchase through sensory cues such as visual and tactile experiences. Well-designed packaging can enhance a product’s perceived value and earn consumers’ trust and loyalty. Moreover, a brand’s image can be effectively conveyed through packaging design, thereby boosting the brand’s visibility and reputation. In today’s business environment, packaging design has become a critical competitive advantage. By continuously innovating and improving, companies can better meet consumers’ needs and expectations, driving product sales and increasing market share. As a result, packaging design has become an indispensable part of modern businesses. In summary, packaging design is a vital component of product marketing. Through sensory stimulation—both visual and tactile—it enhances a product’s value and brand image, helping companies gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Packaging requirements for exported goods

We now provide further details on specific requirements for the reference of relevant personnel: 1. Pay attention to the import country’s regulations, practices, tariffs, and customs concerning packaging and labeling. Many countries have specific regulations regarding the packaging of imported goods. Non-compliance may result in fines, heavy tariffs, or even outright import bans. Generally, countries prohibit the use of straw, hay, newspapers, books, raw cotton, branches, used materials, or any plant-based materials that easily harbor pests and parasites as packing materials. Since packaging is closely related to tariff assessment, freight charges are calculated based on both the large volume and heavy weight of the goods. Therefore, different types of packaging will incur different tariffs and freight rates. The weight limit per package is typically set at 80 kilograms or less. Additional surcharges apply to oversized or overweight shipments. Certain countries also specify different weight limits for each package. Moreover, due to differences in customs, religion, beliefs, and writing systems among various countries, regions, and ethnic groups, there are significant variations in packaging designs, graphic elements, colors (see appendix), numerals, and text used in packaging. On the international market, improper packaging and labeling often adversely affect the sales of goods. 2. Packaging methods must be scientifically sound and reasonable. Packaging should be sturdy and reliable, labor- and material-efficient, ensure safe transportation, and reduce freight costs. Design and select box types that require less material yet offer greater capacity; arrange packing efficiently, making extensive use of collapsible and modular designs. Whenever possible, minimize the overall packaging volume. In terms of packaging type, specifications, capacity, materials, design, structure, printing marks, as well as the methods of containing, cushioning, and sealing goods, and the terminology and inspection requirements, it is essential to comply with the relevant standards for export commodity packaging. 4. Handling of markings for overseas and domestic transportation For markings common to both overseas and domestic transportation that meet the requirements stipulated in Article 3, they can be directly printed or sprayed onto the outer packaging. However, markings intended solely for domestic transportation—such as “Received by Guangzhou Procurement and Supply Station of the Ministry of Education” or “Shipped by Factory xx”—must be written separately on a small wooden plaque and temporarily nailed onto the outer surface of the package, to be removed before shipment abroad. 5. Chinese and foreign language texts must be accurate and easy to understand; avoid random scribbling, doodling, or unauthorized alterations. To accommodate the current situation of Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas Chinese communities, we should, whenever possible, use traditional Chinese characters. 6. Requirements for neutral packaging Neutral packaging refers to product packaging that neither indicates the country of origin, place of manufacture, nor the name of the manufacturer, nor does it mention the original trademark or brand name. It serves as a marketing tool for promoting exported goods. We adopt neutral packaging primarily to break through high tariffs and unreasonable quota restrictions imposed by certain countries and regions, thereby enabling our products to enter these markets. Currently, neutral packaging is divided into two types: unbranded neutral packaging and branded neutral packaging. The purpose of both is to expand sales channels and adapt to the characteristics of the international market. For example, it is particularly advantageous to use neutral packaging for exporting educational equipment. International packaging trends are increasingly moving toward designs that facilitate display, promotion, portability, and ease of use, and are becoming more scientific, advertising-oriented, and artistic. We should conduct regular surveys and research, continuously improve our packaging, and contribute to earning foreign exchange through exports.