More Packaging Prototypes

E DWA R D DENISON
 This Book The Prototypes

This book is intended to stimulate the design process The white samples featured in this book were
and inspire and inform future design decisions by programmed and produced by Three Monkey Design.
illustrating a blend of successful designs and thought The cardboard engineers and in-house graphic design
provoking concepts. Much of the success of design team work closely together at Three Monkey to
today lies in the field of waste reduction and in produce eye-catching, innovative packaging designs
increasing packaging efficiency by using less material, for the retail industry. This combination of skills
and this is certainly a key target for designers of the makes Three Monkey one of the UK’s leading
future. The packaging designer—with a knowledge packaging design companies.
of materials, printing, and manufacturing—is well-
equipped to deal with the challenges that face an
increasingly pressured packaging industry.

A RotoVision Book

Published and distributed by RotoVision SA

Route Suisse 9
CH-1295 Mies
Switzerland

RotoVision SA
Sales and Editorial Office
Sheridan House, 114 Western Road
Hove BN3 1DD, UK

Tel: +44 (0)1273 72 72 68

Fax: +44 (0)1273 72 72 69
www.rotovision.com

Copyright © RotoVision SA 2006

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
permission of the copyright holder.

While every effort has been made to contact owners of

copyright material produced in this book, we have not
always been successful. In the event of a copyright
query, please contact the Publisher.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN-10: 2-940361-37-1
ISBN-13: 978-2-940361-37-3

Art Director: Tony Seddon

Design: Fineline
Photography: Simon Punter

Reprographics in Singapore by ProVision Pte

Tel: +65 6334 7720
Fax: +65 6334 7721

Printed in Singapore by Craft Print International Limited

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 9

Packaging: Insipid or Imperative? 9

The Roots of Packaging 10
The Different Purposes of Packaging 11
Packaging and the Environment 11
Classic Packages 13
Different Types of Closures 19
Packaging Materials 22
Icon Key 23
Line Key 23

THE DESIGNS 25

CONTACT DETAILS 147

Contributing Companies 147

Contributing Universities 149
Associations, Institutes, and Federations 150

USEFUL READING 156

INDEX 158
INTRODUCTION

Packaging: Insipid or Imperative? as a medium for providing product protection.

In order for the designer to achieve these two
Packaging is rarely seen as a realm of the glamorous, objectives, they must have a sound understanding of
but in an age characterized by increasing the materials and processes employed in the creation,
environmental concerns, mass consumerism, and practical life, and disposal of a product or package.
fully globalized distribution networks, it has never It is no longer sufficient for a designer to assume
been so coveted, and the task of the packaging responsibility only for their work in isolation, when
designer has never been so critical. In the past, the its repercussions might last for generations. 
liberal use of materials in over-packaged or This book concentrates on a small but nonetheless
inappropriately packaged products could be seen imperative component of this design conundrum:
to reflect humankind’s disregard for, or relative packaging design. Packaging, rightly or wrongly, has
inexperience of, the world’s complex natural systems. long borne the brunt of public concern over
Today, this is no longer a valid defence. We are more environmental degradation. Perhaps this can be
aware than ever before of the impact we have on the attributed to packaging being associated with a
world and how the consequences of our actions, throwaway culture that everyone engages with and
individually and collectively, can harm our own lives contributes to daily. Everybody disposes of precious
and the lives of others. Gone too are the days when resources in the form of waste paper, plastic or metal
landfills served as the sole repository of waste. packaging every day. However, while these resources
Increasingly and inevitably, a “systems” view of are discarded or recycled, their environmental
the world is emerging in which everything is advantages are rarely considered. Indeed, a world
interdependent and where humankind’s ultimate without packaging would be a great deal more
goal is sustainable living. wasteful. Foodstuffs would perish before they reached
Humankind’s inability to live sustainably on Earth the consumer, fragile electronic products would be
is a fundamental flaw that has already profoundly smashed en route to retail outlets, clothes would
altered the Earth’s natural systems, including the arrive dirty and stained, liquid products would be
atmosphere, oceanic currents, climate, and spoiled, medicines would be contaminated, and
groundwater. Sustainability, in its real sense, is building materials would be degraded. Packaging is
arguably the greatest design challenge we face. The an essential and beneficial component of our lifestyles
role of design in this new realm is significantly more in the third millennium, but it should also be viewed
complex than in the past. Products and their as one that can be constantly improved.
packaging must now be designed with minimum The designs illustrated in this book represent
environmental impact throughout their entire life carton packaging, one of the fundamentals of
cycle, while constantly improving their performance packaging design and a sector of the packaging
 industry that is continuously striving for functional, as well as functional if products were to survive The role of printing and the development of Furthermore, not all packaging is designed to be seen
esthetic, and environmental improvement. They have market competition. Packaging innovation flourished. specialized print techniques have had a profound or used at the point of sale. Most products require
been selected for the varied and stimulating ways For the first time, food could be contained in sealed effect on packaging and product advertising. Artists extra packaging to contend with the rigors of the
that they have responded to a wide range of and hygienic metal containers, cardboard cartons were first to devise graphic imagery for products. distribution system so that they arrive at the point of
packaging briefs, and to complement the selection could be printed with attractive graphics and folded Many of these early creative illustrations evolved into sale unspoilt and presentable. These added layers of
that appears in the forerunner of this series, Design into striking shapes, and glass could be blown in an established and internationally recognized brand packaging are generally termed “secondary
Fundamentals: Packaging Prototypes. Cartons, by employing automated process in any number of hues. Early on, identities. Some have developed further, defining the packaging,” and are designed to contain larger
paper-based board to protect and often promote a metal proved more popular than cardboard in character of the entire corporation itself. Many of the quantities of individual product units, each within its
product, have the capacity to deliver significant packaging perishable goods such as cookies and brand images forged in the late 19th and early 20th “primary packaging.” The size and dimensions of
environmental benefits long into the future. They confectionery, and subsequent innovations extended centuries are still just as strong, and their success primary packaging will govern how readily it can be
also offer remarkable scope for design creativity, this demand into the containment of liquids and played a key role in forming the basis of what has stacked together in large quantities, fitted into
providing unrivaled diversity in achieving visually pressurised gases. By the turn of the 20th century, since become the huge and influential industry of transportation containers, and installed on
and structurally flamboyant packaging solutions. technological innovation had improved enough to advertising. Advertisers rely on packaging as a key tool standardized shelf layouts. In general, the primary
However, while these designs are intended to inspire permit the manufacturing of metal containers in a in the aggressive struggle for space and attention at packaging is that which is seen on the shop shelf,
and inform designers engaged in the packaging wide range of shapes and forms, giving rise to the the point of sale, and this is not always achieved by and the secondary packaging is that which is used
process, the broader ramifications of packaging first examples of novelty packaging. Today, with strong graphic imagery alone. The structural in the transportation and distribution of the product
should always remain a foremost consideration. computerized manufacturing and advanced materials configuration of a package is often just as important, units from the point of manufacture through to the
technologies, we take it for granted that such an and can be even more effective in conferring brand point of sale. Depending on the product and the
abundance of materials, shapes, styles, and colors identity. The ability of a packaging designer to devise specific distribution requirements, there may also
can be employed in packaging design. a 3-D form that comes to symbolize a product and be a need for extra layers of packaging outside the
The rapid advances in packaging technology creates an enduring legacy for the brand is a rare but secondary packaging (tertiary or quaternary layers).
The Roots of Packaging encouraged similar developments in printing rewarding achievement.
techniques, which had emerged in the early
Packaging has, over the past two centuries, burgeoned 19th century. What we now understand as “brand
in response to an exponential rise in global imagery” was becoming an important prerequisite
10 commercial activity. Though packaging of some in packaging design and had to be displayed on Packaging and the Environment 11
description has long been used to contain or protect and reinforced through the package itself. Glass The Different Purposes
products, today it is infinitely more sophisticated than bottles, earthenware pots, metal boxes or cans, of Packaging Packaging and the environment are often seen as
at any other time in history. In a globalized world that cardboard cartons, or simply paper wrappers all incompatible, having apparently conflicting demands.
relies on the efficient functioning of manufacturing required a label or visual identity of some kind. Packaging design will always need to satisfy a range The packaging industry uses vast quantities of the
and retail facilities located far from one another, we The interdependent development of packaging of objectives, both practical and conceptual. These Earth’s resources in order to bring products safely to
have become completely dependent on packaging to and printing had a profound effect in cultivating requirements will be prioritized according to the our homes, and the visual evidence of discarded
ensure that products withstand the rigors of global branding and nurturing the idea of added value. specific conditions stipulated in the packaging brief, packaging is common in the form of litter. Demands
distribution networks, and that they are delivered Products previously considered too bland or too and will influence the purpose—and thus the form— for tighter controls and more stringent regulations to
intact to the consumer. utilitarian to be given attention could now flaunt of the package considerably. In addition, the form of a curb the misuse or overuse of materials in packaging
The origins of the modern packaging industry can an adopted identity. Washing powders, for example, package will likely be determined by the nature of the have been increasing for many years. In some
be traced back to the late 18th century, when the assumed evocative names, their cartons demanding product within. Apart from the obvious issues of size countries, strict legislation to reduce or eliminate
Industrial Revolution heralded widespread changes in attention with glaring colors and deliberately eye- and shape, if a product’s attractive appearance is its packaging materials has significantly helped to
manufacturing. Before then, most manufacturing catching graphics. greatest asset, it might be represented on or visible decrease dependency on packaging, while a growing
processes were dependent on manual labour and Printing also allowed the package to display through the packaging; whereas for less-appealing international trend for locally produced goods is
small-batch production, but the introduction of practical information, such as illustrating pricing, products, the package might be used as a method of augmenting this process.
mechanized processes facilitated mass production, contents, and instructions, as well as assisting the user concealment or disguise. These considerations are However, to view packaging as just a form of waste
starting with a relatively small number of units in opening, re-sealing, or disposing of the package. illustrated by the contrast between (for example) an is to misinterpret its actual role. Effective packaging
manufactured daily on a production line and These features helped to facilitate a degree of self- elaborately gift-wrapped box of chocolates and a clearly reduces wastage of perishable items; what is
increasing to the millions of units per day that service and decreased the need for informed and budget box of breakfast cereal. Although both forms questionable, however, is the quantity of material
modern highly automated facilities can produce. specialized shop staff, thus contributing to the shift of packaging share the same fundamental purpose, used by the packaging industry to fulfill a particular
Mechanization not only accelerated the production in the second half of the 20th century from localized they are significantly different due to the character function. By improving materials technologies,
of all types of commodities, but also influenced their independent shops selling basic ingredients, of their respective products. Both packages are manufacturing processes, and design, the packaging
packaging. The faster the production, the greater need unprepared foodstuffs, and specialized products, to designed to contain and protect, yet they vary industry has been able to reduce significantly the
for packaging: supply could now anticipate and even retail superstores offering pre-packaged processed greatly in appearance, texture, graphics, shape, quantity of materials used without compromising
outstrip demand, so packaging needed to be attractive foods and a vast range of miscellaneous goods. cost, and structure. performance. In addition to this trend, recycling
 systems and technologies have improved so that the require collection, sorting, cleaning, and reprocessing, Classic Packages not until the 1920s, in America, that a fully automated
materials used in packaging can be more effectively necessitating considerable energy and resources. The manufacturing system was designed, and from which
recovered or re-used. While new technologies and designer can help minimize these costs by giving evolved today’s highly efficient production lines that
design innovations encourage progress within the careful thought to a range of design issues, such as Packaging has become such a recognized and produce 2,500 cans per minute.
packaging industry, the familiar exhortation remains: using a single material rather than mixing materials, fundamental part of our everyday lives that wherever
“Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.” allowing for easy disassembly of individual you live in the world, there will always be a need for
T h e B e v e r ag e C a n
The priority for the designer should be to use as components, reducing volume during collection, and packaging of some description. The following
little material as possible to fulfill the needs of the making packs easy to decontaminate or clean. packaging examples have been chosen as a broad Improvements in steel-can manufacturing in the
package. A saving in materials also results in energy As materials and resources become more scarce and range of “classic” designs that have become mid-19th century prompted rapid progress in the
savings further down the supply chain, since every therefore more expensive, and disposal becomes more ubiquitous in their field through continued and packaging of consumables in metal containers.
unit of packaging has to be transported to the costly, the pressure on designers and manufacturers to successful technological or design innovation. Liquid-storage techniques first started being used in
product; then, with the product, transported to the improve packaging methods and design will increase. 1885, when condensed
point of sale; then transported to the point of use, Packaging will exist for as long as there are products milk was packaged in
The Tin Can
before finally being thrown away. The transportation that require it; but there is a fine line between the cans in America. By
cost, which uses energy and causes pollution, can be waste created by goods being damaged as a result The storage of consumables in sealed metal cans is 1940, beverage cans had
greatly reduced if the designer selects lighter or fewer of poorly designed or insufficient packaging, and two centuries old, though the process relied on tin- become a common
materials. Although small, a slight weight reduction the waste created by over-packaging. As the packaging plating techniques that had been discovered in method of packaging
per unit presents a major saving over thousands or industry strives to improve its environmental record, Bohemia in the 13th century. Napoleon spurred on liquids, with beer being
even millions of units transported every day, all over an observation by Sheila Clarke, Managing Director the innovation of conserving foods in sealed a major driving force
the world. Good design not only offers weight saving, of the design agency, Packaging Innovations (UK), containers, when he offered a reward to anyone who in the market. In the
but also space saving. The size and volume of a highlights an interesting paradox inherent in the could devise a successful method of preserving food United States and parts
package will affect the quantity of units that can be nature of packaging: for his armies. A Parisian confectioner solved this of Europe, beer cans
shipped at a time. Re-designing packaging to increase “The rigors of the distribution system, and the problem when he found that a sealed glass container, were manufactured in steel and constructed in three
the number of units that fit into a transportation lack of control over it, lead to packaging specifications containing cooked food and sterilized by boiling, separate parts, with a conical lid that could be sealed
container minimizes waste and maximizes efficiency. which cost money and use up resources. They are could preserve foods for prolonged periods. In 1810, using a “crown” cork.
12 There is clearly no economic sense in packaging large geared to ensuring a very high percentage of products a man named Peter Durand patented his invention By the 1960s, the dominance of steel as a 13
volumes of air unnecessarily. arrive in safe and pristine condition at their that he believed surpassed the glass canister by using packaging material for cans was being undermined
Occasionally, reducing materials is not the most destination, despite the rigors of the journey. instead a sealed metal can, plated with tin to prevent by aluminum. Frozen-juice concentrate was among
efficient way to provide environmental benefits. By definition, therefore, any product which has not corrosion, that was not breakable like its glass the first products packaged using aluminum, which,
Some packages require the use of a greater quantity been subjected to being stacked under two other predecessor and was also much lighter. By 1813, according to consumer polls, proved a popular
of materials to make them reusable, but this is offset pallets, has not been dropped one meter from the the first canning factory was established. material among the general public. This favorable
against the longevity of the package. The dairy and truck’s tailboard, and has not been stored in a Early metal cans were made of iron and coated in reaction encouraged further research and
beverage industries offer a good example of the re- warehouse for the maximum period of its shelf life, tin, but later the base material switched to steel, development in aluminum as a packaging material
use method, where a high proportion of bottles are is over-packaged.” which outperformed iron in the manufacturing and helped persuade an American firm called
returned for refilling. Re-use is commonly regarded process and in its quality. In Reynolds Metals Company to establish a division
as more efficient and less of a burden on resources the early 19th century, an focused solely on aluminum packaging. In 1963,
than recycling. individual craftsman was able Reynolds Metals Company and the Dayton Reliable
Recycling has become a popular banner for to produce approximately 60 Tool Company invented the aluminum can with an
the championing of environmental issues in the tin-plated steel cans per day easy-open end, revolutionizing the beverage-can
packaging industry over the past two decades. using a technique that market and dramatically improving sales.
However, the positive attributes of recycling are required food to be inserted The subsequent rapid development and commercial
somewhat exaggerated. Although recycling increases into the can through a small use of aluminum cans for the beer and soft-drink
the life cycle of a raw material, most materials still hole in the top, which was markets helped improve design and performance,
have a finite life span. Materials like glass and sealed by soldering after including the introduction of the two-piece can,
aluminum can be recycled endlessly, but plastic cooking. By 1846, the which by the 1980s had superseded the three-piece
and carton board degrade after each use. Plastics are invention of a can-making machine by a man named can completely in the UK and US beverage markets.
often contaminated during recycling; and the fiber Henry Evans had increased production to 600 cans Design innovations and manufacturing improvements
length of carton board decreases each time it is per day. By 1900, production times were greatly have further enhanced the drinks can as a packaging
recycled, thus reducing its strength and eventually improved with the invention of the “sanitary” device since the 1980s, with some of the most
compromising its suitability for use in packaging. can-manufacturing process, which allowed a more important advances occurring to meet increasingly
Whether recyclable materials degrade or not, they all efficient method of sealing the ends. However, it was rigorous environmental demands. One of the early
 developments in this field was the retained ring-pull, become a commercial success by the 1940s, creating beads, for thousands techniques, but the process in turn was superseded in
which proved remarkably successful and quickly an entirely new packaging medium encompassing a of years; but the 1907 by an American firm that could produce 2,500
replaced the highly littering detachable ring-pull. diverse range of uses from asthma inhalers to tomato manufacturing of the bottles per hour.
The most significant improvements in recent years, ketchup dispensers. earliest glass containers Manufacturing techniques have continued to
despite fierce competition from the plastic bottle in The success of the disposable aerosol produced a required a process of improve throughout the 20th century, allowing
the beverage industry, have been made in the light- series of design and manufacturing innovations that forming concave modern processing plants to produce millions of
weighting of cans. Enhanced manufacturing rely on the use of various materials including receptacles by pressing bottles per day in any color and in a wide range of
techniques and materials have brought the weight of aluminum, tin plate, stainless steel, plastic, and glass. lumps of molten glass or shapes, making it an ideal packaging material and
the aluminum can down from 3⁄4 to 1⁄4oz (21 to 15g), However, the most significant innovation in aerosol by coating a sand core very popular in the luxury or high-end market. In
and the steel tin-plate can from over 2 to under 1oz design around the end of the 20th century has been with molten glass to addition to superior perceived value, glass also boasts
(60 to 30g) since the 1970s. These improvements have linked to the choice of gas used in dispensing the form hollow containers. positive environmental characteristics, since it is a
occurred through reductions in wall thickness liquid. As is so often the case, environmental necessity This first manufacturing stable material and also easy to re-use and recycle.
as well as the end diameter. With modern processing forced designers to re-think the problem of aerosol process was succeeded by glass-blowing from the first
plants producing over one million cans a day, and packaging, as mankind’s perceived problem-solving century AD—which the Romans perfected and tried
Paper and the P a p e r P u l p C o n ta i n e r
the European-beverage-can industry producing over ability in one area was causing far greater problems in to keep a secret—until the empire collapsed, allowing
32 billion drinks cans per year, the remarkable savings another. In 1974, two American scientists posited the the technology to spread quickly throughout Europe The origins of paper and paper pulp as a packaging
in resources are clearly evident. theory that chlorine-based aerosol propellants (CFCs) and the Middle East. material go back as far as the first millennium BC
The recyclability of aluminum is another key factor were causing the depletion of the protective ozone Glass-making flourished in parts of Europe, when they were used by the Chinese,
in its success. Recycling aluminum represents a 95% layer in the Earth’s stratosphere, causing harmful especially Venice, where elaborate designs and colors from whom manufacturing techniques
energy saving compared with producing virgin ultraviolet rays to penetrate the lower atmosphere. It were used to create all manner of glass products, for paper production spread to the
material—a much higher percentage than most was over a decade before scientific evidence was able including bottles and jewelry. By the 17th and 18th Middle East and Europe. Paper was
other materials. The environmental cost of resource to provide unequivocal evidence to prove that the centuries, the innovation of the split mold allowed made using flax fibers and other plant
use, extraction and transportation, and the energy ozone layer above the North and South Poles was irregular shapes and surface decorations to be matter until the mid-19th century,
required in the manufacturing process, as well indeed thinning. In response, most of the world’s achieved in the production of bottles, including the when wood pulp was discovered as a
as the transportation and recycling of finished and industrialized nations signed the “Montreal Protocol” embossing of names and product descriptions on the more effective material. Developments
14 used products, have all been reduced greatly since in 1987, setting out the terms for phasing out the use surface of the bottles. in manufacturing towards the end of 15
the 1990s. of CFCs in aerosols. Today, only a select few products High-quality glass suitable for optical lenses began the 19th century and early 20th
are exempt from using CFCs, while nearly all with the invention of lead-crystal glass. A man named century allowed the mass production of
commercial products use alternative methods of George Ravenscroft found that by adding lead to the paper bags. Innovations like the gusset design, gluing
T h e A e ro s o l C a n
dispensing liquid products. glass-making process, the final material was not techniques, and printing processes improved the
Aerosols are packaging devices that use Manufacturing techniques for tainted by clouding and therefore had extremely high popularity of paper bags among the general public.
a pressurizing agent, usually a gas aerosol cans usually rely on two- or optical qualities. This innovation also augmented the Unlike recycled paper, pulp does not require the
propellant, to dispense a product from three-piece construction of the use of glass as a building material, especially in large high-quality surface and bleached appearance that
the container when a valve is pressed. cylinder, although aluminum, due to or decorative windows. paper often boasts. In many cases, pulp’s rough
The key innovation in aerosols was the its malleability, can be impact-extruded By the mid-19th century, glass had become a texture and unrefined character is viewed as a positive
use of a liquid that would become gas from a single ingot, allowing for major innovation in the building industry, with attribute in the market-place, evoking a sense of
at room temperature yet remain considerably more inventiveness in the the construction of structures such as the Crystal recyclability and environmental responsibility. This
a liquid under pressure or at container’s shape and form. The sheer Palace at Britain’s Great Exhibition in 1851, perception of pulp is more than just a superficial
low temperatures. size of the aerosol market, which which spurred materials and manufacturing association. With environmental degradation—
The idea of dispensing liquid from a pressurized exceeds 1.5 billion aerosols in the UK alone each year, processes further. including increasing
container has been around for centuries. At the end is testament to the container’s success as a means of By the end of the 19th fears over the production
of the 18th century, receptacles containing self- packaging a wide range of products from wet sprays century, glass-blowing and disposal methods
pressurized beverages were developed in France, and (such as hair spray) or foam sprays (such as shaving had become an of petrochemical
by the early 19th century, an innovation called the foam) through to dry powder for fire extinguishers. automated process, products—being one
Regency portable fountain became the first device to with the invention of the world’s most
use pressurized gas, in the form of carbon dioxide, to of a machine in England serious problems in
T h e G l a s s B o tt l e
dispense carbonated beverages. By 1899, the first that could produce the 21st century, pulp
aerosol sprays were patented, using methyl and ethyl Glass is an ancient material, first used by the Egyptians 200 bottles per offers a chemical-free
chloride as a propellant. In 1929, the first aerosol cans as a packaging material in the second millennium BC. hour. This presented packaging option that
using valves were developed in Norway, providing the It had been used in the production of decorative a 300% increase in has yet to be exploited
basis for the modern aerosol can. The aerosol had ornamentation, particularly in the manufacture of output over previous fully by designers.
 Exemplary among pulp products is the T h e P l a s t i c B ag Nonetheless, in many parts of every year, the soft-drinks industry accounts
egg carton, a design unsurpassed for the world, plastic bags are a for less than half of the PET used in packaging.
its uncomplicated design and its Plastics were first created in the 19th century, but it conspicuous pollutant, Due to the unrivalled popularity of PET as a
performance in packaging Nature’s was not until after the Second World War that they visually and otherwise. In packaging material, there has been a
own perfect package—the egg. became an economically and response to this, some growing and urgent need to find some
Originally designed and manufactured functionally viable mass-market countries have imposed large means of recycling this plastic, as well
in the 1930s, the pulp egg carton has material. The phenomenal growth financial deposits on plastic as finding appropriate uses for the
survived many rigorous challenges from plastics- of plastic since the 1960s has bags to discourage people recycled material. Today, billions of
based competitors and might yet endure to symbolize facilitated unprecedented from throwing them away after PET bottles are recycled every year
the timeless appeal of paper pulp. innovations in the packaging just one use. Many supermarkets, to around the world, feeding a wide range
industry and transformed almost encourage people to use the same bag of other industries that manufacture anything
every type of packaging. again and again, have also introduced new from clothing to furniture from the recycled material.
T h e C a rto n and the C a r db o a r d B o x
However, despite the countless designs of bags that are tougher, stronger, and
Cardboard was invented by the Chinese in the 17th packaging applications that exist for re-usable. As materials technologies improve, it is
century and was not used as a packaging material in plastics, none is as ubiquitous as the likely that future plastic bags will be made from
Europe until the 19th century. The first commercial plastic bag. First introduced in the composite starch-based materials that biodegrade
cardboard boxes were produced in England, but the 1950s as a mass-produced product on a roll, plastic harmlessly in landfill or compost.
innovation of corrugated paper in the 1850s heralded bags have been through many stages of development
new innovations in transport packaging that, by the to satisfy a broad range of uses, from small sandwich
T h e P l a s t i c D r i n k s B o tt l e
turn of the century, started to replace wooden crates. bags to large refuse sacks. In the 1970s, new
Developments in corrugated paper and cardboard manufacturing processes allowed for the production Carbonated drinks were first invented in the 18th
were assisted by the of plastic carrier bags, century, but it was not until the early 19th century
proliferation of which quickly eroded that “soda” water became a bottled and marketable
processed foodstuffs the market share once product. Glass bottles were used for the storage of
around the start of the occupied by the paper carbonated drinks for nearly one and a half centuries
16 20th century. Major bag. As the dominance of before the first plastic bottles were used from 1970, 17
cereal-manufacturing supermarkets in Europe but the early plastic bottles were inefficient and
companies were among and America increased unreliable, with the plastic often failing and splitting
the first to use cardboard from the early 1980s, due to the extreme pressures imposed by the
to package their products directly in boxes sealed a change in shopping habits boosted demand for carbonated liquid.
with a wax resin coating or wrapped in a waxed bigger and stronger bags. The polythene “T-shirt” or In 1973, the first patent was filed for the
paper sleeve on which branding and advertising “vest” carrier bag (with handles integral to the Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
information was printed. design, rather than attached loops) was designed in bottle, made from a form of
Carton and corrugated board continued to the early 1980s and has since grown dramatically to polythene that could be mass-
dominate the packaging industry through the 20th become the leading carrier bag design in the world. manufactured at a reasonable price
century until plastics were created as a mass-market Packaging manufacturers around the world have and yet was strong enough to
material after the Second World War. From the 1950s continued to refine the design of this foremost carrier withstand pressurized carbonated
until the 1980s, the market share of paper-based bag, so that today it is lighter, stronger, and easier to liquid. By the end of the 1970s,
products reduced as plastics increased, but this started manufacture and dispense than ever before. However, the PET drinks bottle was
to shift back in favor of paper by the 1990s, in its unrivaled success might also account for its introduced into Europe, and
response to widespread concerns about the use of potential downfall. The plastic bag’s omnipresence in America was already
finite and non-biodegradable resources in packaging. has made it a symbol of man’s inability to discard competing with the glass
Concerns for the environment, also experienced in so waste responsibly and effectively. As litter, the plastic bottle. Throughout the 1980s,
many other fields of bag causes much anger around the world, with some the PET bottle increased its
packaging, have been a countries, such as Bangladesh and Eritrea, even share of the drinks-bottle
major factor in attempting to prohibit the use of plastic bags. market, expanding into other
stimulating Such visible environmental problems have sullied product areas such as cleaning
improvements in the image of plastics in general, forcing the industry products and cosmetics.
packaging design and to counter claims of poor environmental Today, despite the fact that
materials use in this performance. Indeed, plastic has very positive tens of billions of PET soft-
specific area. environmental credentials in many instances. drinks bottles are manufactured
 Different Types of Closures

The closure is an essential part of the carton,

providing a temporary barrier between the product
and the outside environment as well as contributing
to the package’s structural integrity. There are five
common styles for carton closures. The following can
all be further adapted to fulfill specific requirements
such as tamper evidence, suitability for filling on
a b
automated assembly lines, and resealing.

T u c k - E n d C a rto n

These closures all tuck into place and require no

gluing; they can either be opened and closed many
times or used once, depending on different types of
fixtures such as dagger/spade, slit, and tab locks.
c d

a b

A] Standard Tuck-Flap Carton. 19

B] Slit-Lock Tuck Carton. Provides a
more secure seal.

C] Tab-Lock.This provides additional

protection against the lid being forced
open from the inside.With slits in the
tab, this design provides a level of
<<< >>> <<< >>>
tamper-proofing.

D] Postal-Lock.This offers a degree of

tamper-proofing through the tab-ends
creasing when the package is opened.
Since the tabs do not tear immediately,
the closure has limited re-use. A dagger
c d
lock is a variation of this design that
has an arrowhead tab which tears on
opening; this is not re-usable, but is
completely tamper-proof.

<<< >>>
<<< >>>
 Skillet or Sealed Ends W e b C o r n e r T r ay S i x - P o i n t G l u e d T r ay with Integral Lid

Most of the transit cartons use this type of closure, This is used for easy-erect trays without the use of This type requires gluing for added strength and ease
as it provides the most economical use of carton glue. Because the design does not need glue, time and of assembly. The corners are pre-glued and the
board. It also minimizes scrap removal, which is a resources are saved during production. There is a structure is erected by pulling out the sides of the tray.
labor-intensive and costly process. Flaps are sealed diagonal fold across each corner that creates a web
using glue or tape, which is commonly applied using when erected; the web corners are held in place by
an automated sealer on the production line. flaps that fold down over them. The corners can be
glued to give further strength if required.
<<< >>>

A, B] Skillet (with butting tape-sealed

ends).

C] Skillet with a Partial Overlap Seal.

This provides a decorative tab and
lock slot.

a b c

T u c k - T o p C r a s h - B a s e C a rto n

These are used increasingly when fast assembly of the

carton is required. They are pre-glued and folded flat.
For assembly, the carton needs to be opened; the base
slides into position and locks when all sides meet.

<<< >>>
20 21
The above-and-below views of this closure show it to be glued lengthways along the
external sides of the carton, with the flaps from the widthways-sides glued down.
The base slides into place when the carton is pushed together, then snaps closed as the
friction between the faces pushes the paperboard together (see also template below).

<<< >>>

<<< >>>
 Packaging Materials Icon Key

D e s c r i pt i o n Typical Uses A pp r o x i m at e M at e r i a l s
Thickness (mm)

White-back folding Novelty and luxury packs such as cosmetics, confectionery 0.3–0.58
box board and other high-quality foods. carton board transit

Folding box board reverse Food products (including frozen), medical packaging 0.35–0.65
side cream and cosmetics. corrugated cardboard display

Solid bleached board High-quality packaging used for cosmetics and the 0.285–0.49
luxury trade. plastic other

Recycled solid white-lined Display outers and non-food products. 0.3–0.85

chipboard (minimum 75% multi-material
recycled content)
O t h e r I n f o r m at i o n
Pulp board Used for low-cost products, special promotional packs or to 0.3–1 waterproof board
emphasize an "environmental" aspect of the pack.
one-piece design
Unlined A-flute Used for packs which need no strength, providing a layer of 4
corrugated protection for the product. A s s e m b ly two-/multi-piece design
Single-face A-flute A currently fashionable pack for fast-moving consumer 4.2
corrugated goods, with good crush resistance and tactile qualities. glued product visible
22 A-flute corrugated A pack for very fragile goods with great shock absorbency. 4.5–4.7
23
(33 flutes per linear foot) not glued possible Euroslot placement
B-flute corrugated High shock-absorbency packaging with optimal levels of 2.1–2.9
(47 flutes per linear foot) crush resistance. self-erecting environmentally responsible design
C-flute corrugated High-level shock-absorbency packaging (greater than 3.5–3.7
(39 flutes per linear foot) B-flute). other fixings <<< >>> grain direction
E-flute corrugated Thinnest corrugated packaging used in instances where a 1.1–1.2
(90 flutes per linear foot) narrow gauge of corrugation is required.

Double-wall corrugated Used to protect fragile goods and to increase the strength of 5.6–6.6 S u i ta b l e U s e s
(B & C-Flute) cartons containing heavy objects. Line Key
Multi-layered solid bleached Food and drinks packaging. 0.8–1 food packaging
board (waterproof lined)
cut
Acetate Used to provide a barrier to touch and for safety in 0.3–1 confectionery
transport while allowing the product to remain visible.
crease

gift
perforation

liquid container
score

pharmaceutical cut and crease

THE DESIGNS

There is no limit to the number of designs for carton The cartons featured in this book augment the
packaging. Despite the proliferation of standardized selection featured in the first book in this series,
templates and a preponderance of similar or Packaging Prototypes, and have been chosen to provide
successful designs available on the market, there designers with a variety of samples from a wide range
remains always scope for improvement, innovation, of applications that are intended to inspire, inform,
and creativity. Structural design, when applied and encourage the design process, and help stimulate
successfully, will often surpass the numerous other future improvements in carton design. No list of
methods of winning customer loyalty, such as carton designs will ever be exhaustive, but the 25
advertising, marketing, and graphic imagery, and can principles of any design can be used in an infinite
significantly improve competitiveness in the number of different applications. This book has
marketplace, as well as offer improvements in been conceived to assist with this process and help
performance. A successful carton design can forge a designers arrive at packaging solutions that suit their
company image in the public’s eye, convey a sense of own specific requirements.
quality that becomes the envy of its competitors, and
deliver functional and environmental improvements
that exceed its predecessors.