Developing New Product Packaging
The high level of competition in the consumer market has prompted companies to continually redesign their products and packaging techniques to meet the needs of their clients. Environment friendliness is one of the new factors that are currently influencing the purchasing decisions of many consumers. Modern consumers prefer green products and packaging techniques, which they believe are of high quality and helps in protecting the environment (Mayteekriengkrai, 2013). Interestingly, consumers are now ready to pay more for green products and packaging. Apart from green packaging, other factors that are considered in packaging industry include cost, volume, and time. The essay focuses on the most efficient print method that can be used in developing retail packaging for new products is produced in China and sold in the US. There are five primary methods of printing that are used for packaging that include lithography or offset, flexography, digital, rotogravure, and silkscreen (Mayteekriengkrai, 2013). All the print methods have both advantages and disadvantages and they are suitable for various business and situations. Therefore, a company should choose appropriate and suitable print method that suits its business operation and packaging requirements. The most suitable print methods, in this case, are lithography (litho) and digital. Digital is the most suitable printing method for the first small product runs. Digital printing refers to a process whereby a digital image is printed onto a variety of substrates like a paper or boxes (Keif, 2007). In this case, the term digital printing refers to print job that incorporate large-format inkjet that are aimed at handling high-volume printing task or projects. Digital printing is different from conventional methods of printing such as litho and flexography because it does not use a printing plate and there is no permeation during printing process. There are some reasons why digital printing method is chosen over other print means in the first smaller runs. Digital ensures high level of print quality compared to other conventional methods (Keif, 2007). Maintaining high quality packaging is important, especially when a business is introducing new product in the market. Therefore, the print method should be able to create opportunity for promoting new product in the US market, which can easily be achieved through digital print method. Digital print is flexible and it gives a business to produce personalized packaging materials that can be used to promote a new product in a foreign market. Consequently, a digital print method provides an opportunity for promoting a new product that is produced in China, in the US market. Digital print method is also relatively cheaper compared to other conventional print techniques because it does not require setup fees. Unlike other print method, digital does not need printing plate or any mechanical adjustment, which makes it cheaper than traditional print techniques. It is also cost-effective because it is flexible enough to utilize orders of all sizes (Keif, 2007). First smaller runs do not need large number of packaging materials, which makes digital print method more appropriate because the company will be able to control the number of packages. As a result, it helps in keeping the overhead low, as the company does not need to keep excess units in the inventory where they can easily expire and become obsolete. Besides, digital prototyping is also cheaper compared to producing prototypes using traditional print methods. It will enable the firm to print only the amount of packages that it needs. Therefore, digital print will help in reducing the cost of business operation in the short-run due to low cost of packaging. In addition, digital printing also helps the business to meet the needs of consumers who are sensitive to environmental issues and would like green packaging. Digital print method does not produce any fume into the environment during printing process, which makes it environmental-friendly print method that is preferred by many modern consumers. Therefore, many US consumers can be attracted to the new product because of its environment friendly packaging technique. Consequently, many buyers who value green products and packaging will purchase the new product, leading to high sales volume and profits in when the product is introduced in the US market (Mayteekriengkrai, 2013). As a result, digital print method will help in building the reputation of the new product in the US market, which will help in boosting its competitive advantage against the available alternatives. Finally, digital print method is suitable for the first small product runs because it allows customization product packaging. It is the best technique that can be used in customizing packaging because it is more versatile compared to the traditional printing methods. As a result, it can produce unique packaging materials that attract customers when they see the new product. Therefore, digital print method is suitable for the first small product runs of the new commodity due to its numerous advantages that are discussed above. However, the method has some disadvantages that make it unsuitable when the new product goes a large product runs. One of the main limitations of a digital print method that make it unsuitable for large product runs is that producing a large volume of packages is expensive. It is only capable of producing about 50 feet per minute, which is only sufficient for low volume production of the new product. In the contrary, the traditional printing methods can run at an average speed of 400 feet per minute, which makes the appropriate for large product runs (Keif, 2007). Therefore, large volumes are costly when the business uses digital print method for packaging. As a result, per unit cost of digital print method is high and can lead to high packaging cost in the larger project run. Ink limitation is another factor that makes digital print method unsuitable for a large product run. Studies have shown that digital inks are likely to fade faster than flexographic or litho inks, especially when they are exposed to direct sunlight. At the same time, the opacity of the ink in a digital print is not as great as that of litho or other traditional print techniques. Therefore, there is a need to consider conventional print methods when the new product goes on large product runs in the future. Therefore, I would change to lithographic print method if the new product goes to a large product runs. Litho is a printing method where inked prints are transferred from a plate to a rubber sheet, and finally to a final printing surface (Greasley, 2016). It is one of the oldest printing techniques that are still common in modern world due to its many desirable features. The litho print method has transformed over time due to the changing technologies in the printing process. A number of modern litho processes use computer-to-place system, which helps in enhancing the quality of packages. The main reason why litho is preferred to digital print method in a large product runs is its reduced cost in the long-run. Even though it is expensive to set up a litho printing system, its cost decreases significantly with the increase in the number of copies that are printed (Greasley, 2016). Consequently, larger volume of printing becomes more cost-effective when a firm is using litho method than if it is utilizing digital. However, litho cannot be used in small print runs because it is not cost-effective. Litho printing technique can reduce the cost of packaging in the long term. In addition, litho produces almost the same quality of images as digital print method. Therefore, using litho in a larger product runs will not significantly reduce the quality of packages. In addition, it also allows specialty coating that can be used to create higher perceived value such as super high gloss (Greasley, 2016). Besides, litho print technique allows a variety of paper types with custom finishes that can enhance the quality of a package of a new product. As a result, litho is the most suitable method that can be used in case the new commodity goes to a larger product runs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a number of print methods that can be used to develop a package for the new product, but only litho and digital print methods are appropriate in this case. Digital print method is most effective in the first small product runs while litho is more appropriate when the new product goes on a large product run. Businesses should use appropriate print methods when developing packages for any product to optimize their use.
References
Greasley, S. (2016). What is the Best Type of Printing for Packaging? Retrieved from http://howtobuypackaging.com/best-type-of-printing-for-packaging/
Keif, M. G. (2007, January). Cost-estimating for commercial digital printing. In Electronic Imaging 2007 (pp. 65000M-65000M). International Society for Optics and Photonics.
Mayteekriengkrai, R. (2013). Packaging print buyer willingness to trade off image quality forenvironmental benefits.
