Task of developing retail packaging for a new product.
Assume you are given the task of developing retail packaging for a new product. The product and package will be produced in a small town in China and then shipped and sold in the United States.
The product will be small runs at first and the package will be a folding carton with a three color print. What print methods might you consider for the first smaller runs? Would you change to a different method if the product does well and goes into larger production runs? Justify your reasoning and considerations.
Sample Solution
For the initial product run, I would recommend considering a flexographic printing method as it is cost-effective and well-suited for producing small runs of cartons with three color prints. Flexography uses flexible plates to print directly onto substrates,
including paper, plastic film, cellophane and foil. This type of printing also has relatively low set up costs compared to other methods such as litho printing or gravure. In addition to being cost effective, flexographic printing is also efficient in that it can produce high quality images at high speeds; this makes it ideal for short run production.
However, if the product proves successful and goes into larger production runs then we may need to consider changing our printing method. Due to its cost efficiency and fast turnaround times, litho or digital offset are good options for larger production runs since they can take advantage of economies of scale while maintaining good print quality standards. Digital offset works especially well when multiple products require different designs but use similar materials; this allows us to swap out artwork quickly without having to re-setup the press each time which saves time and money in the long run. Gravure is another option for large production runs; however its setup costs tend be more expensive than those associated with either flexo or litho so its best suited more complex multi-color designs where excellent image reproduction is required over large areas such as retail packaging labels or wrappers.
By assessing our needs both now and in the future before selecting a specific printing method we can ensure that our choice will meet all of our requirements now while remaining flexible enough should our needs change in response to changes in demand further down the line .