Make an Impact with Single Colour Printed Packaging

It is common to believe that printed packaging needs to be multi-coloured to stand out. Is this the case, or can you make an impact with a single-colour design?

Packaging design has to be functional, but it should also help your brand to stand out from the crowd. Whilst looking good and protecting the goods inside, it must also be commercially viable. How can you get what you need at a low per-unit cost?

Printed Postal Boxes

When it comes to postal boxes and shipping cartons, flexographic print is a cost-effective option. Once the initial tooling has been set up, the design can be printed onto the boxes as part of the manufacturing process. The packaging company can use the same tooling for every order placed.

The limitation with flexographic print is that the colour palette is limited to one or two colours. Is this sufficient for an impressive packaging design?

Take a look at these single-colour printed postal boxes used by Pick & Mix London. They have used bold stripes and typography on the outer surfaces, with a fun pattern printed inside. Just one colour, but it is eye-catching and fun. The bespoke design is in keeping with the product and cost only marginally more than standard, plain boxes.

As this example illustrates, the colour of the box (brown or white) acts as an additional colour. With a considered design this can be used to great effect. Creative lettering or illustration can be achieved without a full spectrum of tones and, sometimes, less is more!