In previous post, we shared our knowledge on the colors for package print, and stipulate the rule for print: one color will need one cylinder to realize the coating. So the more colors in your artwork design, the more costs you will have to pay for the cylinders.
When designing the package artwork, some customers may not have a clear idea on how many colors will be needed for his artwork until it is analyzed by our color specialist. and when the cylinders needed exceeds the customer budget, of course, the customer usually ask us for improvements: try to keep good effect and at the lowest costs.
So, in this post, we are going to share our experience on how to reduce the cylinders needed for a package print. Some of the experience may not be suitable for some customers’ situation, we just hope it will be helpful for some customers’s choice when the colors of artwork indeed exceeds the budget.
Save the white cylinder
As explain previously, the CMYK colors will be seen as solid and vivid on a white ink background, so if you do not have a requirement for the solid effect, you can save the white cylinder, even though this is not advised in our print side. This measure can only be used when your prefer a clear see-through package, as below.
When there is aluminum foil or metallized film in the foil structure, the save of white cylinder may not cause apparent human sight effect, as both the metallized film and aluminum foil are sunlight shielding material, that will help the solid effect for the artwork print.
Observed from the above picture, the shiny standup pouch is print on the bright side of aluminum foil without white ink. The white cylinder can be saved.
Use White LDPE film
White LDPE film is realized by adding White LDPE master granules to achieve the opaque effect. For some products that needs to be protected against sunlight, White LDPE film is able to provide good protection at a lower cost, like liquid laundry detergent.
The above 3L standup pack is well produced for our foreign customers with PET12/PA15/White LDPE film190microns, total thickness 220 microns, that is able to realize fully opaque effect for the final package. In the print process for this package, the white cylindere is saved by using white LDPE film. you can check the bottom, not able to see through.
Remove spot color
To save cylinder by removing the spot color is not always the best choice, as some package will have to stand out with spot color print. so here we talk about the spot colors that can be replaced by CMYK color overlapping.
Let’s take below artwork for Panna Coffee for example.
The different leveling of the montains will have to be printed in spot color, otherwise the touching edge of the different montains will be blur, and not apparent order one after another when printed in CMYK colors. Read more here for analysis on print of this artwork.
However, some spot colors can be replaced by CMYK color print when the customer does not have so high expect for the final print effect.
Simplify the artwork design
Smiplifying the artwork design can have imagic effect when you have a wise layout and design for your package.
See below artwork for 100g chilli sauce spout doypack, the artwork can be realized in 3 colors.: white, Spot red, and black. It is even less than the normal printing of CMYK+white 5 cylinders.
Accommodate the size of our sotck packages
For each size of the package, the cylinders will have to be made to realize the printing.
Take 12oz coffee bag for example, below graphic shows the sizes for our 12oz coffee bag is W125*H230+BG80+SG80mm, box bottom bagtype.
If you decide to use our size, then the white and matte finish cylinders can be saved by USD 180 (USD90/cylinder*2 =USD180), as we can use our stock cylinders to print your artwork, however the cylinders against your logo artwork have to be made.
Ok, that’s the main measure we take to reduce the number of cylinders for the package printing, and if you have any questions, you are welcome to reach us at office@valuepackaging.cn for further assistance.