Ode to Lawrence and PANTONE

You've heard, the phrase "all the colors of the rainbow" before. If asked to name those colors, you'd probably say: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Well that's true, if you're coloring one with a Crayola 8 pack. But as you know, there are SO many more colors in the rainbow ... thousands more.

Color is an integral part of packaging. Color influences us in many conscious and subconscious ways, and picking the right color for your packaging is key to its success. Everyone perceives color differently. Not only are the mechanics of everyone's eyes different, but so are their color naming skills. For instance, women typically have a larger color vocabulary than men. Not always, but generally. I'm sure you've had a conversation like this before.

HER: So what do you think of this dress?
HIM: It's nice.
HER: I love this color. I think it looks great with my eyes.
HIM: Yeah, that's a nice green dress.
HER: Green? This? No, no, honey. This is chartreuse.

HIM isn't stupid, HIM's not unrefined, HIM just calls that color green and she calls it chartreuse. We all have a different type of green come to mind when we say: chartreuse, kelley, forest, lime, spring, and so on.

In the packaging and design world I have conversations like this all the time:

CLIENT: So I wanted it to be orange.
DESIGNER: What kind of orange? Like the fruit ... or more like a tangerine?
CLIENT: I don't know ... what color is a tangerine?
DESIGNER: Well ... uh, it's orange with a little more yellow in it.
CLIENT: Huh.
DESIGNER: Right. Ok, is there a sports team that uses the orange you like?
CLIENT: Oh yeah! I really like BSU's orange. Let's do that.

This is why DESIGNER loves Lawrence. In 1963, Lawrence Herbert, developed the PANTONE color system, "an innovative system for identifying, matching and communicating colors to solve the problems associated with producing accurate color matches in the graphic arts community" (see pantone.com). Thanks to Lawrence, CLIENT can just tell DESIGNER, "Make it PANTONE 1645." End of story. Both are happy. Both know exactly what that orange looks like.

Lawrence wasn't only smart ... he was brilliant! He made it possible for us to have these kinds of concise conversations at the nominal fee of $120. Pictured left is an example of a PANTONE color book. Yeah, they're expensive, but if you work a lot with color, it's a great resource to have.

There are several different kinds of books, targeted toward different industries. The one we use most frequently is the PANTONE Matching System or PMS. An unfortunate acronym, true, but that's what it stands for. You'll often hear professionals ask, "What's the PMS code?" They really want to know what PANTONE color you want.

The PANTONE color system is pretty sweet, and the more it's used the faster and more accurately we can communicate. I'm not suggesting that we go around saying, "Howdy neighbor, your lawn is so 581, who do you use to treat it?" or, "Your eyes are so 283." No, that would take all the fun out of these dysfunctional color conversations we love.

Are you a sustainable organization?

The sustainability efforts of communities, governments, and companies are rising. A large retailer has developed a Sustainability Index. Its goals are to create a more transparent supply chain, drive product innovation and provide customers with information they need to assess products’ sustainability.

This retailer accomplishes these goals by collaborating with their entire supply chain. In order to be a supplier to this retailer, a supplier must comply their Supplier Sustainability Assessment. Here's an abbreviated version of the survey:

1. Have you set greenhouse gas reduction targets?
2. Have you set solid waste reduction targets?
   
3. Have you set water use reduction targets?
4. Have you established sustainability purchasing guidelines for your direct suppliers that address issues such as environmental compliance, employment practices, and product/ingredient safety?
   
5. Have you obtained 3rd party certifications for any of the products that you sell?
6. Do you know the location of 100% of the facilities that produce your products?
7. Before beginning a business relationship with a manufacturing facility, do you evaluate their quality of production and capacity for production?
8. Do you have a process for managing social compliance at the manufacturing level?
9. Do you work with your supply base to resolve issues found during social compliance evaluations and also document specific corrections and improvements?
   
10. Do you invest in community development activities in the markets you source from and/or operate within?

These are ways to make your entire operation more sustainable. Learn more about how to make your packaging more sustainable by reading this previous post.

What plastic type is best for my product?

We get this question all the time: what should I put my product in? A client has a product with a special list of ingredients that may or may not require a specific plastic type, and they just need to know from us, the plastic experts, the definitive answer to this question. The answer is ... we're not sure!

Oh, that's really helpful.

Keep reading though because I'll tell you why this question is so hard to answer. And I'll tie it all up with some ideas on how we can all work together on identifying some plastic types that will work well with your product.

Why we're not sure.
Essential oils are an excellent example of why we're not sure. In my article on essential oils, you'll read that essential oils in their pure form should not be stored in plastic. In fact, glass is really the only suitable package for pure essential oils. However, if those same essential oils are used as an ingredient in a lotion or cream, for instance, we've found that PET is a perfect plastic type for these kinds of products.

How we CAN help.
Over the years we've had a lot of experience with different kinds of products. We work with our customers continually on making suggestions and recommendations, but NEVER guarantees (click through for why). I know that's not really comforting. But like the essential oils example, we don't know how much you've diluted your oil, acid, solvent, adhesive, glue, etc, and therefore can't guess how it will react. What we can do is the following:

1. Recommend what plastic types other customers in your industry have used
2. Suggest a particular family of containers to test
3. Urge you to test your product with our container and/or closure
   
4. Provide you with a free sample (we offer a free sample of most of our items) to test
   

How you can help yourself.
Here are some additional ideas on how you can identify what plastic type will work best with your product:

1. Call us at 1-800-473-4144 and ask if we have any suggestions or ideas.
2. Research the different plastic types and get a general idea on which types to test.
3. Go to the grocery store or competitor and look at what they're using to package their product.
4. Get a sample from us and test it.
5. Research all applicable regulatory agencies on packaging in your industry.

What do I look for when I test my product?
When testing your product in our container or closure, here are the kinds of things that you want to look for:

1. Does the container and lid combination create a leak-proof seal? Does my product leak when turned upside down? Does it leak when I shake it?
   
2. Does my filled and sealed container panel over time? Does the shape of the container begin to distort over time? Fill your container and watch it over days, weeks, and months.
   
3. Does my product weaken the structure of the plastic? Does the container start to feel flimsy or weak?
4. Does my product taste or smell funny prior to expiration date? Do I need a fluorinated container?

You've spent a long time getting your product developed. We know. Finding the right package and getting it decorated and getting it ready for market could take you just as long. Don't get discouraged. Just remember it's all part of the process.

So, what IS the best plastic type for your product? The best answer: try it and see.

Fluorination: Your bottle can take the pressure

Paneling. If you don't gasp when you hear this word, you will when you know what it means. According to Terminology 101 at CPS University, paneling is the:

distortion of a plastic container that occurs during aging or storage, caused by the development of a reduced pressure inside the container.

In short, paneling is the slow, inexorable and impending implosion of your bottle. Here's a picture of two containers with the same product. The one on the right is paneling. Looks painful. (I assure you the bottle feels no pain, YOU, however, will feel the pain when your customers refuse to buy your emaciated-looking package).

So how do you stop paneling from happening? You fluorinate it! Let's return to Terminology 101 at CPS University to get a definition of fluorination.

Fluorination is a treatment for plastic containers that prevents container paneling and distortion and reduces odor emission and chemical permeation. Also reduces flavor or fragrance loss.

NOT ALL PRODUCTS NEED A FLUORINATED CONTAINER. Some products that use fluorinated bottles include: acetone, auto additives, lighter fluids, degreasers, some health and beauty care products, insecticides, kerosene, lubricants, paint thinners, plant food products, waxes, cleaners, polishes, weed killers, herbicides, wood preservatives.

Call us at 1-800-473-4144 if you have found that your containers are paneling. We can help you identify if you need fluorination.

Wanting to save space? Euclid proves EZ Stor Pails are the answer.

I haven't met anybody—packaging aficionados or otherwise—that don't quickly grasp the simplistic beauty of the rectangular pail. Most pails (AKA buckets) are round. Round pails are wonderful. They really are.

But rectangular pails are STUPENDOUS.

Read on or watch (embedded below) our CPS Video production featuring the EZ Stor pail line to learn exactly why to be square is better than being round.





For those of you who would prefer to read ... here's the crux of the video. EZ Stor pails are STUPENDOUS because they are square or rectangular instead of round. Thanks to our ancient friend Euclid of Alexandria we can use geometry to prove why square pails are STUPENDOUS opposed to just wonderful like round pails. We'll use the following image for our Euclidean experiment:



Hypothesis: Square (or rectangular) pails are STUPENDOUS because they don't waste space. Round pails do.

Assumptions: (1) The dimensions of both the round and the square pails are identical: length 12 inches, width 12 inches. (2) Both occupy a 12x12 inch space. (3) The 9 circles and the 9 squares occupy the same floorspace (36x36 inches), as pictured above.

Ok, let's do the math.


Our hypothesis is correct! Square pails have NO wasted space. Whereas the circles have 278.19 square inches of wasted space. Remember, this was all 2 dimensional ... the amount of wasted space is dramatically different when you run this experiment in 3D instead of 2D like we've done here. I mean look at all of that wasted space (see orange).



Really, if you haven't watched the video by now ... you should. This point is made much more dynamically, in 3D actually.

The EZ Stor pails are really stupendous. They also come with hinged lids, which makes getting in and out of them much easier. Some of the lids also have gaskets, which help to keep contents fresh and sealed. They work well in your pantry, garage, craft room, storage room, attic, wherever you need to store stuff.

Shop for EZ Stor pails now
Watch the video at youtube.com/conpakvideos

The FDA on BPA (Bisphenal A)

Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been involved in countless studies regarding human health. BPA is a chemical used to make polycarbonate plastics. Polycarbonate plastics are lightweight, have a high-performance rating and possess attributes of clarity, heat and electrical resistance that make it ideal for many applications.

Polycarbonate plastics are one of many different kinds of plastic with the plastic identification code of 7 (which is the catch-all category). Some common applications include: CDs, DVDs, electronic equipment, automobiles, sports equipment, some reusable food containers, some drink containers and more.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved BPA as a chemical used in food contact materials in the early 1960s. That approval was renewed in August 2008. However, just a couple of months ago in June, the FDA announced that it will review the science of BPA again in the late summer or fall.

The American Chemistry Council asserts that, "Under normal conditions of use, there are no known health risks from exposure to bisphenol A from consumer products, including food-contact materials." Please see bisphenol-a.org for more information.

This same organization also states that recent studies have shown that under exaggerated conditions polycarbonate plastics may release trace amounts of residual BPA. However, safety assessments conclude that potential human exposure to BPA is more than 400 times lower than the safety levels set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The American Chemistry Council says that you would have to eat more that 500 pounds of canned food and beverages every day for the rest of your life to exceed the safe level established by the EPA.

As with every issue, there is another side. This post merely states what the FDA is saying.

Don't forget the barcode (and everything else)

There are a lot of guidelines, regulations, and even laws that stipulate what you should and shouldn't put on your product label. Let's go through some of the elements of a complete label and what should be included.

Please note, there are different regulations for different kinds of products. You will want to do your research for your particular product and product category to make sure that your product label complies with regulations. The regulations for cosmetic products, for example, are different than for beverages.

Let's take a look at the elements included on a typical cosmetic product label (click here or image to enlarge).

Logo. Your product should have it's own logo. A container typically contains a product that is one of many offered by a company. Think of Suave® shampoo. It has it's own logo. Suave® is one of the brands owned by Unilever®. You have to look hard to find Unilever® on the Suave® bottle. Think of your products as brands offered by your company.

Statement identifying the commodity. This should tell your customers what's in the bottle, what it's used for, why it's special, and why they need it. This should be featured prominently. Examples could be "Hydrating facial cream that reduces lines and wrinkles" or "Refreshing mouth rinse for reducing bad breath." Who doesn't want fewer wrinkles and reduced bad breath?

Net quantity/capacity statement. You need to tell your customer how much they're getting. Is there a dozen? How many ounces? Fluid ounces? You also need to provide the metric equivalent. In this case, 6 fl oz / 180 ml. This is typically included on the front panel at the very bottom.

Sales copy. If you've read any of the other articles in this blog, you know that you've got less than three seconds to persuade a customer to buy your product. USE SALES COPY. You want to sell your product right? Use your label to do that. It's your best salesperson.

Ingredients. Many consumers have allergies to different ingredients. Providing a list of ingredients can help influence their purchase. This may also be required by various regulating organizations; you'll want to research what's required.

Contact information. You need to include the name and place of business of the product's manufacturer, packer, or distributor. You will want to provide some way for your customers to contact you if need be. This is also required by most regulatory agencies.

Bar Code. Bar codes, or UPCs, are amazing and they're everywhere. You can apply to the Uniform Code Council (UCC) for permission to enter the UPC system. There is an annual fee for the privilege. In return, the UCC provides you with a six digit ID number (the first 6 digits of the bar code) as well as guidelines on how to use it. The remaining five digits of the UPC are your item number(s). The 12th digit is automatically generated. Read this article from howstuffworks for more information on UPCs.

Container & Packaging Supply has 4 printed samples that you can order for FREE to help you get your own package design ready. They can also help you with artwork and printing. Call 1-800-473-4144 for more information.

Click the image to order a free print sample from Container & Packaging Supply.