Cosmetic outer packaging refers to the outer box packaging part of cosmetics, which includes paper material, surface technology, local detail technology, color printing, etc. The following is an integration of the more common outer box packaging related processes!
This article mainly studies the patterns we can make on the outer box paper through different processes to make the outer box beautiful and high-end!
[Surface treatment process]
Surface treatment includes: glossy glue, matte glue, PET film, glossy oil, polishing, matte oil and other processes. According to different designs, combined with surface treatment, because each surface treatment has different styles, if there are requirements for environmental protection, it is recommended to use UV to treat.
①Surface treatment process - lamination
Lamination is also called "laminated", "mounted glue", "film", etc. It refers to the use of transparent plastic film to be hot-pressed and pasted on the surface of printed matter to protect and increase gloss. It is one of the common post-printing processing technologies for paper prints. It is to heat and pressurize the plastic film and paper prints and bond them together to form a paper-plastic integrated product.
After laminating the printed product, because there is an extra layer of thin and transparent plastic film on the surface, the surface becomes smoother and brighter, which not only improves the gloss and fastness of the printed product, but also extends the service life of the printed product. At the same time, the plastic film also plays a protective role such as moisture-proof, waterproof, anti-fouling, wear-resistant, folding-resistant, and chemical corrosion-resistant.
There are generally two types of lamination: glossy film and matte film. ① Laminating with glossy film, the color of the printed image is brighter and more three-dimensional, which is especially suitable for the packaging of green food and other commodities, and can arouse everyone's appetite and consumption desire. ② Laminating with matte film, the laminated product will give consumers a noble and elegant feeling. Therefore, the packaging of printed products after lamination can significantly improve the grade and added value of commodity packaging.
②Surface treatment process - UV treatment
UV process printing effect process is a printing process that uses ultraviolet light to dry and cure ink. It needs to be matched with photosensitizer ink and UV curing lamp. UV ink has covered offset printing, screen printing, inkjet printing, pad printing and other fields. It is to apply a layer of varnish (with gloss, matte, inlaid crystals, glitter powder, etc.) on the printed pattern. The key is to increase the brightness and artistic effect of the product and protect the surface of the product. It has high hardness and resistance to corrosion and friction, and is not easy to scratch. Some coated products are now changed to UV treatment, which can meet environmental protection requirements, but UV products are not easy to bond, and some can only be treated by local UV or polishing.
[Auxiliary process]
Auxiliary processes include embossing, debossing, embossing, local UV, local embossing, local hot stamping, laser, etc., but not too many. It is recommended to adopt one or two.
①Embossed (embossing)
Embossed is a common printing process. The embossing process is an artistic processing process that uses a concave and convex mold to produce plastic deformation of printed materials under a certain pressure, thereby performing artistic processing on the surface of printed materials. After embossing, the surface of the printed material shows different patterns and textures of different depths, with a significant embossed three-dimensional sense, which enhances the artistic appeal of the printed material.
②Hot stamping
Hot stamping, also known as hot press printing, is to make the pattern or text to be hot stamped into a convex plate, and with the help of a certain pressure and temperature, print various aluminum foils on the substrate, showing a strong metallic light, giving the product a high-end texture. At the same time, because aluminum foil has excellent physical and chemical properties, it can protect printed materials. Therefore, hot stamping technology is widely used in modern packaging printing.
Cosmetic packaging has always had high requirements for hot stamping technology. In this regard, it is not only necessary to cooperate with high-performance equipment, but also has certain standards for gold paper. The gold paper imported from the UK and South Korea can meet the requirements in terms of color diversity and quality; the hot stamping version is mainly copper plate. The copper hot stamping version has the characteristics of high hot stamping times, no deformation, no burrs, etc. For some high-quality paper boxes, we now use the one-time hot stamping copper electric engraving version on the cigarette box packaging. After hot stamping, it is like engraving on paper, which significantly improves the packaging quality, but the cost is higher than that of general copper and zinc plates.
③ Laser transfer
Laser printing is a printing technology that uses laser ink (with metal optical color-changing anti-counterfeiting ink) and uses advanced laser printing technology to screen or roll laser ink on various flat and smooth materials. The printed product can show different colors as the viewing angle changes, has obvious dynamic color change effect, and can produce rainbow ring effect under spotlight, which can effectively improve the packaging grade. This process can print full or partially transparent laser effects on smooth general paper, changing the previous processing method that can only be used for laser paper printing, or the paper surface is laminated with a proprietary laser film to show the laser effect, and can make the laser pattern flexible and changeable.
④ Ice point snowflake
The ice point snowflake effect is a fine sandy and delicate effect formed on the surface of the printed product after the ink is silk-screened on gold card paper, silver card paper, laser card paper, PVC and other substrates, wrinkled by ultraviolet light and UV light curing. Because it presents a thin layer of snow or ice on the surface of the printed product, it is commonly known as "snowflake" (larger pattern) or "ice point" (smaller pattern) in the industry. This process has the characteristics of fine patterns, strong three-dimensional sense, luxury and elegance in vision, and is widely used in tobacco and wine boxes, calendars, gift box packaging or other exquisite printed products.
⑤ Reverse UV
The reverse glazing process can make the same printed product have both the high gloss effect of the mirror surface and the non-high gloss effect of the matte or hemp surface, forming a stronger contrast in brightness, so that the glazing can achieve a better effect. At the same time, because the non-high gloss parts are printed by offset printing, the overprint is very accurate, and the printing accuracy of the graphics and text in the high gloss parts is also guaranteed. In general, reverse glazing solves the key problems existing in ordinary glazing processes, and can achieve the contrast effect that ordinary glazing cannot achieve, which can make the printing effect of printed products better and more exquisite, and the printing quality is taken to a higher level.
⑥ Reverse frosting
The reverse frosting process is a new printing process that has appeared in the past one or two years. It requires several special primer or varnish treatments to complete; some people call it the reverse glazing process and regard it as a new process of local glazing. This process is to print the printed product in the normal color sequence, and then use the offset printing inline (or offline) method to print a layer of special primer in the local area where high brightness is not required after the ink is completely dried or solidified. After the primer is completely dried, UV varnish is applied to the entire printed product surface in a full-plate manner. In this way, a cohesive reaction occurs in the area where the UV varnish and the primer are in contact, forming a small granular ink film, forming a matte or frosted rough surface; and a high-gloss mirror surface is formed in the UV varnishing area where the primer is not printed. Finally, the surface of the printed product forms a local high-gloss area and a local frosted low-gloss area. The two completely different gloss effects achieve a high-contrast effect of the local image, embellishing and highlighting the image and text with a glossy mirror surface.
⑦ Die-cutting and creasing
Die-cutting and creasing is also called pressing and forming, buckling knife, etc. It is a forming process that uses a die-cutting knife to combine a die-cutting and creasing plate (knife plate) according to the pattern required by the product design, and rolls the printed product into the required shape. Die cutting is a process of cutting paper into a certain shape on a die-cutting machine by arranging steel blades into a die (or carving a die with a steel plate), a frame, etc. The hollowed-out part of the main display surface in the middle is obtained by die cutting, becoming a personalized decoration in the entire packaging. Creasing is the process of using steel wire to press out marks or leave grooves for bending on the paper by embossing.
