Don't be a parasite: Avoid sucking the lifeblood from other product packaging

Take yourself back to the first day of Kindergarten. How did you know what to do or how to act? Like a chameleon, you looked around and disguised yourself as one of your fellow classmates, following the example of everyone else. Starting your own product line is kind of like the first day of school. Scope out the competition; it’s important to find the right style for your product. There’s nothing wrong with collecting ideas from established brands and designs (your friends won’t start calling you Bill Belichick, I promise), but know when to draw the line. Avoid copy-cat or “parasitic” packaging by following these dos and don’ts.

Sunscreen plastic bottles tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but it!

It’s nearly summertime again. And just as there’s no parenting rulebook to keep your kids from gallivanting around causing trouble while out of school, there’s no guide to sunscreen packaging either. You may have a summer’s worth of homework ahead of you, but we’re here to help… with the basics of sunscreen that is, we’re not touching that homework thing with an eight-foot pool noodle.

PET and PCR plastic bottles battle it out in the boxing ring of packaging

The crowd is deafening. It’s hot and stuffy in a space far-over capacity. There’s something inherently uncomfortable about inhaling the same dank, moist air that was released from the lungs of a neighbor just moments ago. It’s gritty, but once the resin competitors enter the ring, everything else fades away.

Container & Packaging Supply just got "pinteresting"

Bulletin boards remind us that anything is possible. Whether at work or home, photos of those we love, places we’ve traveled to and inspiring sights adorn these wall hangings. That’s all great and heartwarming but it’s time to put the caveman drawings away and officially enter the digital age. Get pinning with CPS!

Everything you need to know about color (in just 1,067 words)

Shhhh! What you are about to read is the most closely guarded secret of successful packaging design. Corporate enterprises, packaging empires, and product lives have risen, fallen, and been exterminated by the use or abuse of this secret. The power of this secret, once known and employed, can propel you to success beyond your wildest imaginations. The secret of successful packaging is… color.

Charlie's Labels will take on any challenge to keep their secret safe

Three sensational detectives unravel the mystery of one of the greatest secrets of the packaging industry. Using their wit, charm, martial arts, and tech skills our diva detectives both protect and promote this secret. They are called Charlie's Labels, and their secret is ... uh, labels.