Printed Packaging: Are Two Colours Enough?

Printed Packaging: Are Two Colours Enough?

Printed Packaging for e-commerce or retail helps your brand to stand apart. In the past, a full spectrum of colours was seen as the ideal way to achieve eye-catching designs, but simplicity is now in favour. Single or two colour printed packaging is popular, but can you achieve impact with such a limited palette?

Why Limit Colours on Printed Packaging?

The first question might be ‘Why restrict your design to two-colour print?’

Firstly, there is a cost implication. Printing in full-colour designs uses more ink and takes more time to manufacture. The print techniques that can be used are lithographic or digital and whilst these produce high-quality finishes, they aren’t always the cheapest option.

A two colour finish can also be achieved using a screen or flexographic print. The latter is a cost-effective option for e-commerce postal boxes. We can apply the quick-drying ink can during the process of die-cutting the boxes and therefore lower production costs.

Another reason is that shoppers have grown to love simplicity over excess in packaging design. Let’s face it, a bombardment of colour can feel like sensory overload. You want consumers to have a positive perception of your brand and the presentation of your goods feeds into this.

If you are determined to add another shade, you could use tissue paper to wrap the goods inside or have a printed sticker that forms the final seal on the box when packing.

Finally, a limited palette encourages creativity. Your graphic designer can demonstrate their flair with typography, illustration and form!

Don’t forget the Box!

Although we are talking about two colour printing, the result is a three colour design, as you also have the base colour of the box. Corrugated cardboard boxes are offered in brown or white and this becomes part of the final look.

Brown boxes give a natural finish. As such, it is often selected by brands that wish to communicate environmental credentials. The brown can slightly alter the shade of the printed inks, so they may need to be adjusted for the consistency of brand colours.

White boxes give a clean look and are often selected by health and beauty brands. They offer the purest representation of the print colour. Any other coloured box that you might see has been achieved through flood printing.

Whilst we’re talking boxes, don’t forget that your packaging has an inside as well as an outside. For e-commerce packaging, you might keep the outside basic, then create impact for anyone opening the box with an internal print design.

Two-colour Printed Packaging Examples

If you want to see what is possible with two colour printing, let us share some examples. Accompanying this article is an image of the inside of Everyman G&T packaging. This is a white box with a pink and black print design. Its bold shapes have timeless appeal and look fantastic.

Other brands that have opted for two colour printed packaging include:

Yumshi – light turquoise & black on brown: Takeaway Reinvented

Pets Love Fresh – red and black on white: Impactful Packaging Design

Powerhands – green and black on white: Boxes Strength & Protection

These examples showcase what is possible, and the impact that can be made, even with a limited colour palette.

Support with Packaging Design

Our team is happy to work with your graphic designer, to help them prepare a layout and format that works for printed packaging. We are also happy to recommend a graphic designer if you haven’t yet found one.

Having listened to your requirements, desired result and budget, you can rely on us to recommend the appropriate print process. Samples can also be sent, enabling you to see the print finish before finalising the order.

Get in touch on 01296 436888 or enquiries@abcbox.co.uk