Comparative Study on Packaging Colors

In the packaging and printing industry, packaging color plays a very important role. Today, we will take you to understand the comparative characteristics and specific applications of packaging colors, focusing on the systematic application of color brightness, hue, purity, temperature and other comparative relationships in packaging. We will highlight the concept of laying a foundation for the free use of various comparative rules and their application effects, with the aim of improving the market share and competitiveness of enterprise products in sales.

In economic and social activities, product packaging is an important component of goods. It is not only an indispensable outer garment for goods, but also plays a role in protecting them, facilitating transportation, sales, and consumer purchases. It is also a microcosm of the image of product manufacturing enterprises. Color, as an important element in product packaging design, not only plays a role in beautifying product packaging, but also plays an indispensable role in the process of product marketing. According to relevant data analysis, during the first 20 seconds of observing an object, the human visual organ's color perception accounts for 80%, while its shape only accounts for 20%; After 2 minutes, color accounts for 60% and shape accounts for 40%; After 5 minutes, each take half. From this perspective, the impression that packaging gives people is first and foremost the visual impression of color, which can attract the buyer's attention, association, and imagination of the product, thereby generating a desire to purchase. It also proves that the color design and application of product packaging play a crucial role in the packaging of goods. Properly handled, it can bring great visual enjoyment to people. If the color matching is not appropriate, previous efforts will be wasted, causing unnecessary losses. If used properly, it will increase the value of the product and improve the market share and competitiveness of the enterprise's products in sales. To handle the color of product packaging correctly, it largely depends on the use of color contrast and harmony, because color plays an important role in setting the theme, beautifying the product, and facilitating consumer identification of the product.

In the packaging design of goods, the design and handling of color is one of the important factors of the external image of the product. It is also a direct advertisement of the product and an important factor that can easily move people's hearts and attract customers. Therefore, the handling of packaging color is an important means of packaging design. In the specific design and application of packaging colors, according to the formal rules of color aesthetics, color contrast is not used in isolation, but combined with other formal elements for comprehensive consideration. However, color contrast plays a fundamental role, so this article will discuss this point.

Comparison of packaging colors

Studying the contrast phenomenon of packaging colors is a rational understanding of the visual rules of colors based on sensibility. In addition to the time continuous complementary color contrast effect of color visual residual and color light adaptation phenomenon, it can be said that all color contrast occurs in the visual simultaneity effect, because most of the color contrast phenomena seen by people occur simultaneously. In general, packaging color contrast should be explored according to this visual law. In short, the comparative study of packaging colors is about contradictions, finding differences, and the interrelationships between colors.

The "right" in comparison means even numbers and facing each other; "Bi" has the meaning of being close together, competing, and seeking similarities and differences. When applied in the field of color, it means that when two or more colors are placed together to compare clear and visible differences, their mutual relationship is called color contrast relationship, abbreviated as color contrast.

Two or more colors are the basic conditions for creating color contrast. And the so-called color refers to a color that has three elements: area, shape, position, and color, is not clearly distinguishable by the optic nerve, and has a distinct color. It is different from multiple independent color units. Only two or more color units can be called pairs, otherwise there cannot be a comparative factor.

"Putting them together" is the second condition for creating color contrast. The term "together" here refers to being in the same time and space, that is, at the same time and in the same field of view. Color can only accurately discover similarities and differences and fully display the desired contrast effect when combined with the meaning of time and space. If not, the visual impression will become indifferent or even disappear, rendering it meaningless.

"Comparing clear and visible differences" is the third condition for creating color contrast. The comparison of things always takes place within the same category, property, or stage of development, such as the ratio of weight to weight, the ratio of volume to volume, the ratio of straight lines to straight lines, the ratio of shape to shape, etc. Otherwise, the ratio of weight to volume, the ratio of straight lines to shape, etc., is impossible to compare and loses the possibility of comparison. In summary, the comparison of colors is also the same. Within the category of colors, only brightness, hue, and purity can be compared. Moreover, using the same unit and area as the basis for comparing brightness, hue, and purity, accurate conclusions cannot be drawn.

The result of comparison must be that the differences are clearly visible. If the differences are not clear, the optic nerve cannot sense them, and the conclusion can only be that the brightness, hue, and purity of these colors are basically or completely the same. From a conceptual perspective, essentially the same colors placed together should be referred to as the unity and repetition of colors, rather than contrast.

Among the various conditions that constitute color contrast, color difference is fundamental. Due to the universality of color differences and the characteristic of having no visual presence, color contrast is also universal. The differences between colors also vary greatly due to their nature, degree, and effect, thus forming the particularity of color contrast.

There are usually several basic ways to compare colors in the packaging design of goods

2.1 The specific application of brightness contrast in packaging color

The magnitude of the difference in brightness between colors determines the strength of the contrast in brightness. The greater the difference in brightness, the stronger the contrast, and the stronger the visual effect. Conversely, the weaker the contrast. Generally, those within 3 color levels are referred to as brightness weak contrast, also known as short tone contrast; 3-5 color scale difference is the contrast in lightness, also called middle note contrast; The contrast outside of 5 color levels is known as strong brightness contrast, also known as long tone contrast.

There are thousands of colors with brightness contrast factors, and they are different from each other, forming contrast relationships that inevitably have their own characteristics. Various color contrasts have irreplaceable characteristics and effects, which is the particularity of packaging color brightness contrast relationships. For example, in the packaging of cosmetics, dark colors are often used as the main tone, paired with small areas of medium brightness colors to represent male products, to show solemnity. The packaging of women's cosmetics often uses soft and elegant colors as the base tone, using weak contrast techniques to show elegance.

The specific application of color contrast in packaging

The color contrast formed by the difference in hue is called hue contrast. The strength of hue contrast depends on the distance of hue on the hue ring. A contrast within 15 degrees of hue is a weaker contrast of the same hue and is generally regarded as a contrast of different brightness and purity within the same hue. Because the distance between hues is quite close, the boundaries between the two sides of the contrast are blurred, making it difficult to distinguish them; The contrast between colors above 15 degrees and around 45 degrees is called adjacent color contrast, or approximate color contrast, which is a weaker color contrast; A contrast with a hue distance of about 130 degrees is generally referred to as contrast hue contrast, which is a moderate hue contrast; A contrast with a hue distance of approximately 180 degrees is called complementary color contrast, which is a contrast with stronger hue.

Color contrast can enhance the clarity and vividness of color schemes. Colors with strong contrast and high purity have more gorgeous, vivid, and active effects, which can easily make people excited and excited, thereby enhancing the color scheme's brilliance, vividness, liveliness, attention, and emotional tendency. Conversely, colors with strong contrast and high purity are weaker. For example, tobacco and alcohol products often have an elegant and antique color contrast, which gives people a strong sense of taste, richness, and richness physiologically, indicating that they have a long-standing brand sense psychologically. It is precisely the appropriate use of color contrast in the packaging of these products that conforms to the physiological and psychological characteristics of consumers, enabling them to make purchasing decisions quickly.

2.3 Specific Application of Purity Comparison in Packaging Color

Colors with strong purity contrast can have stimulating effects on human physiology and psychology. In food packaging, using bright and contrasting colors can emphasize the aroma, sweetness, taste, and taste of the food. For example, foods such as chocolate and cereal often use warm colors such as gold, red, and coffee as the base tone, and use strong contrast techniques to give people a fresh, delicious, and nutritious feeling. Colors with weak purity contrast give people a soft and elegant feeling, such as tea packaging using green as the base tone and using weak contrast techniques, giving people a fresh and healthy feeling.

2.4 The specific application of cold and warm contrast in packaging color

From the specific application of packaging color, to a certain extent, the contrast between cold and warm is infinite. Mastering the contrast between cold and warm means mastering the essence of packaging color changes. Because the changes in color temperature affect the brightness, purity, and hue of colors. Realizing this makes it easy to understand the changing patterns of packaging colors. Expressing this will make the color relationships more tightly and vividly organized, and make it easier to express the authenticity of product attributes. In this regard, the contrast between cold and warm mentioned here actually encompasses the comprehensive organization of color brightness, purity, and hue, rather than anything beyond the comprehensive contrast. Some people do not understand this point, thinking that the contrast between cold and warm is a negation of the contrast between light and dark, or a negation of the contrast between purity. This view clearly lacks a deep understanding and grasp of the contrast between cold and warm. In practical application, it one-sided emphasizes the relationship between cold and warm, while ignoring the horizontal connection and comparison of other contrast relationships, resulting in a visual effect disorder of packaging colors, giving people a feeling of "flower" and "chaos". For example, in the packaging of cold drinks and food, cool colors such as blue, green, and white with a cool and icy feeling are used as the main color tones. The contrast between similar or adjacent color schemes can highlight the freezing and hygiene sense of the food. In terms of packaging for pharmaceutical products, it is often clear and concise; The warm color block indicates the nature of the medicine, such as red indicating nourishing and fitness, blue indicating anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects, green indicating pain relief and sedation, and red black blocks indicating intense medication. The specific application of cold and warm contrast in this type of color can adopt different comparison techniques according to different types of products, which facilitates consumers to identify different product attributes and play a color memory function in the next purchase.

2.5 Comprehensive comparison

The color contrast formed by the difference of two or more properties, such as brightness, hue, and purity, is a comprehensive contrast. There may be differences in brightness, hue, and purity between color series; There may also be differences in brightness and purity between non colored series and colored columns. The contrast formed by these differences, when presented simultaneously on a single screen, can present diverse comprehensive contrastive relationships. As mentioned earlier, both brightness contrast and purity contrast are single item comparisons. For example, brightness contrast shows a difference in brightness when the hue and purity of each color are the same; The purity contrast is the same for all colors, and the brightness contrast is also the same, with only a difference in purity. Such regulations are beneficial for in-depth research on the rules of single item comparison. However, color contrast is difficult to exclude the study of other contrasts. The contrast between different hues inevitably involves these contrasting factors due to differences in brightness, purity, and temperature of each color. Therefore, the contrast of hue cannot be considered as a single contrast, it should be called a comprehensive contrast.

The focus of studying comprehensive comparisons is to investigate the interrelationships between individual comparisons, or in other words, to study the relationship between comparisons of primary and non primary properties. In the presence of multiple comparisons, some people often only consider the comparison of the main properties and ignore the mutual influence relationship between the main and secondary. That is to say, although there is a comprehensive comparison, it is only considered as a single comparison, which has obvious one-sidedness. In fact, in practical application, it is generally unlikely that there will be only a single comparative factor, and in most cases, it will be a comprehensive comparison. Therefore, the correct approach is to use a dialectical approach, comprehensively and comprehensively consider various comparative factors, achieve a clear hierarchy and clear objectives.

The color scheme of packaging design generally has a small number of colors, but there are many requirements, such as requiring bright light, clear image, bright colors, and rich color effects. Faced with so many requirements, relying solely on individual comparisons is not enough, only relying on comprehensive comparisons can solve these problems. For example, in some packaging color schemes, contrasting colors such as rose red and pink green, pink and medium green, deep blue and light yellow, vermilion and black are commonly used as examples of comprehensive comparison.