Attracting foot traffic is a question every business is thinking about, and carton packaging printing is undoubtedly a very good method. So today, let's talk about how to quickly attract customers' attention through carton packaging printing.

To be original and display personality in packaging design, graphics are a very important expressive technique. They act as a salesperson, conveying the contents of the package to consumers through visual means. They have a strong visual impact, can attract consumers' attention, and thus create a desire to purchase.

Factors Determining Packaging Graphics

01

Packaging graphics are closely related to the package contents.

Packaging graphics can be categorized into three types: figurative graphics, semi-figurative graphics, and abstract graphics. They are closely related to the contents of the package, as this is the only way to fully convey the product's characteristics. Otherwise, they would be meaningless, unable to evoke any associations, and unable to achieve any desired effect, which would be a major failure for the packaging designer. Generally, if a product is more physiological, such as food or drink, then figurative graphics are emphasized; if a product is more psychological, abstract or semi-figurative graphics are mostly used.

02

Packaging graphics are related to the age, gender, and education level of the target audience.

Packaging graphics are related to the target audience, especially for those under 30 years old, where it is more pronounced. When designing product packaging graphics, it should be carefully considered to ensure that the designed graphics are recognized by the target audience, thereby achieving the desired purpose.

a. Age Group

Under 12 years old: This age group is childhood, and for recognizing and expressing graphics, they tend towards subjective consciousness. For example, they extremely like cartoon characters, semi-figurative graphics, and those full of dynamism and interest, which aligns with children's simple and innocent psychological characteristics.

13-19 years old: This age group is adolescence, characterized by fantasy and imitation, and they prefer idol-like, dreamy, and more stylish packaging graphics.

20-29 years old: Young people over 20 have largely matured physically. Gender differences are also particularly significant. They begin to focus on value and authority, and most are already in the workforce, possessing strong judgment. They can accept various forms of packaging graphics but still find abstract graphics novel.

30-49 years old: Most people in this age group have already established families and careers. Influenced by factors such as life, occupation, economy, and society, their thinking is more realistic, and they have a strong sense of positioning. They prefer rational realism and mostly favor figurative graphics.

b. Gender Factors

Men like adventure and have the ambition to conquer others; women prefer gentleness and stability. Therefore, in terms of packaging graphic expression, men prefer informative, sci-fi, and new visual forms. Women, on the other hand, tend towards emotional needs, preferring concrete and beautiful forms of expression, while also considering physiological and psychological factors.

c. Educational Background

In the process of learning, education changes people's concepts and temperament, and also alters their criteria for judging knowledge. Due to different levels of education, there are significant differences in preferences for packaging presentation forms. People with higher education are more receptive to abstract graphics; those with less education prefer realistic figurative graphics that are easier to distinguish.

Forms of Packaging Graphic Expression

In packaging design, there are several main forms of packaging graphic expression listed below, which should be flexibly applied in packaging design.

01

Product Representation

Product representation allows consumers to directly understand the contents of the package, thereby creating visual impact and demand. It typically uses figurative graphics or realistic photographic graphics. For example, in food packaging, to convey the deliciousness of the food, photos of the food are often printed on the product packaging to deepen consumers' vivid impressions and generate a desire to purchase.

02

Product Association

Touching a scene evokes emotions means that things arouse similar life experiences and feelings. It uses emotion as a medium to shift from one object to another, thinking of the appearance of one thing from the appearance of another. Generally, packaging graphics are designed mainly from aspects such as the product's external features, the characteristics of its effect after use, the product's static and in-use states, its composition and packaged ingredients, its origin, its story and history, the characteristics of its place of origin, and ethnic customs, to depict the product's connotation, allowing people to associate with the package's contents upon seeing the graphics.

03

Product Symbolism

Excellent packaging design is pleasing, commendable, and makes people want to purchase. This irresistible factor is the symbolic effect emanating from the packaging. The function of symbolism lies in suggestion; although it does not directly or concretely convey an idea, its suggestive function is powerful and can sometimes surpass concrete expression. For example, in coffee packaging design, a steaming graphic can symbolize the rich quality of the coffee, and also symbolize it as an indispensable beverage for young men and women in romantic interactions and dates, used to attract consumers.

04

Using Brand or Trademark as Graphics

Using brands or trademarks as product packaging graphics can highlight the brand and enhance the credibility of product quality. Many shopping bags and cigarette packaging designs mostly adopt this form of packaging graphic expression.

05

Product Embellishment

Embellishment means highlighting the opposite aspects of things, thereby making the product image more distinct, strong, and prominent.

06

Product Usage Instructions

Usually, consumers are not very familiar with the features of new products, which requires artificial methods to explain them in various ways. However, the best method is to work on the packaging, using packaging graphics to illustrate the product's usage; this increases the product's persuasiveness and stimulates consumer interest. For example, instant noodle packaging often features photos of the brewing process or usage instructions, allowing consumers to understand the product's characteristics in advance.

In packaging design, packaging graphics should not be isolated but should work closely with the overall layout to make the overall visual design cohesive and thus establish a unique style.

Design of Export Packaging

For the packaging design of export goods, appropriate packaging graphics should be selected based on the preferences and taboos of various countries around the world.

In export packaging, cases where imported goods are detained by local customs or rejected by local consumers due to packaging graphics offending the importing country's taboos occur frequently. Therefore, understanding the importing country's taboos regarding packaging graphics is crucial in export product packaging design.

Different cultures have different preferences and taboos regarding packaging graphics:

Islam prohibits the use of pigs, hexagrams, crosses, female human figures, and thumbs-up gestures as packaging graphics, preferring five-pointed stars and crescent shapes;

Japanese people consider lotus flowers inauspicious, and foxes cunning and greedy. The sixteen-petal chrysanthemum used on Japanese imperial crests is also not suitable for packaging. They prefer circular and cherry blossom graphics;

Britons liken goats to improper men, view roosters as vulgar, and elephants as useless and annoying, thus they cannot be used as packaging graphics. They prefer shield and oak tree graphics;

Singapore, known worldwide as the Lion City, prefers lion graphics;

Dog graphics are taboo in Thailand, Afghanistan, and North African Islamic cultures;

French people consider walnuts inauspicious, and spade graphics as a symbol of funerals;