Children's food packaging color research

Abstract: It is discussed that in the selection of children's foods, the packaging colors that give people the first visual effect are more able to impress consumers, and then they are the figures and explanatory texts. Therefore, in the packaging design of children's foods, it is necessary to use packaging colors reasonably and accurately. Modern children's food packaging is no longer a food package in the traditional sense. Faced with fierce competition in the market, the application and innovation of packaging colors are even more important. Through analysis and research on packaging colors, some feasible innovation requirements have been put forward. Modern children's food packaging.

Keywords: children's food; color; packaging design; packaging color

In the choice of children's food, the color of the package that gives the first visual effect is more appealing to the consumer, and then it is the graphics and explanatory text. Therefore, in the packaging design of children's foods, it is necessary to use packaging colors reasonably and accurately. Modern children's food packaging is no longer the traditional food packaging, facing the fierce competition in the market. The application and innovation of packaging colors are even more important. Through the analysis and research on packaging colors, some feasible innovation requirements are proposed and applied to the packaging of modern children's food.

l Current development of children's food market

Children's foods have been diversified both in the outer packaging, in the food itself and in the styling. Because of its cute appearance, it not only attracts children as consumers, but also the purchasers of these foods—adults also feel new. These delicious foods are accompanied by cute, innovative, multi-functional and green packaging. It is no longer just a simple food that allows you to exercise your mouth and fill your stomach. Children's food is the most beautiful, novel, and most versatile in the packaging design of all food products. This is because manufacturers and packaging designers have captured the results of children's consumer psychology. Children's food use silent color language, modeling language, while attracting children's curiosity, but also persuade parents to pay for their purchases.

For example, in the United States, Heinz, which specializes in the production of seasoned bud tomato sauce, has introduced seasoned ketchup specially designed for children. The color of its product packaging is originally only green and traditional red. In order to further develop new products, Heinz has conducted surveys on more than 1,000 children throughout the United States, designed a number of unique new colors and better appealed to a wide range of children.

According to the characteristics of children and the results of market research, the American packaging design experts summarized the successful experience of designing food packaging for reference. They believed that the most basic principle was whether the packaging would be of interest to children. How can we make children interested in food? We can attract people's attention by innovating the packaging's colors, shapes, and patterns.

2 Study on the Color Characteristics of Children's Food Packaging

Through the analysis and study of specific children's food packaging cases, we found that the packaging color law can be used as reference for future packaging design.

For example: Germany Dr. Oetker's pudding packaging is very powerful for people's visual effects. We can feel the taste and quality from the packaging color, as shown in Figure 1. Obviously, packaging colors can express the taste of food. Children's food packaging on the market now starts from the inherent color of food, and its color is refined and sublimated. It looks more colorful and lively, and it can attract children's attention. In color design. Children's foods are mostly bright red, yellow, gold, apple green, light purple or rose. Because the three primary colors and contrasting colors are more suitable for children's visual psychology, they can also affect children's color memory. Each color will give people different taste hints. Regarding the feeling of color, Japanese colorist Naito Konjiro found that the sweetness is yellow, white and pink, the acid is green, the bitterness is tea, gray, black, salty is white, Blue, tea, blue. The result of the experiment of the colorist Esbijk is: Sweet is orange-red, Acid is green, blue-green, bitter is black, “Salty is blue. The experimental result of Goulin support is:” Sweet is pink, “Sour” It is green. “Bitter taste is blue-purple and salty is blue J. The packaging color directly affects the children’s choice of food tastes, so it is necessary to carry out color design based on understanding the characteristics of color taste.

The use of packaging color is based on the characteristics of color laws, does not mean that it is an eternal law, is invariable, it should be innovative and breakthrough in the new situation. The traditional concept is that more should be designed with warm colors that are easy to produce. However, Kraft's "OREO" cookies are boldly packaged in blue and purple to give people a unique taste. You can try some new color combinations and make breakthrough innovations on the basis of the original, as shown in Figure 2.

3 Development of Packaging Colors in New Situations

New lifestyles and modern consumer attitudes have greatly enriched modern food packaging. Children's food packaging is also constantly developed and innovated. In its packaging design, it is necessary to accurately convey information, but also have advanced design ideas and guide consumption concepts. It should be fun, cultural, functional, and healthy. Its packaging color must be reasonably applied and grasped from the development and innovation of materials, and it must be inspired and applied in new situations. Thinking form.

In modern children's food packaging materials, most of them are packaged in plastic and paper because of their strong color. From an environmental point of view, we advocate the use of paper products and natural material packaging. A lot of foreign paper product packaging, instead of using a single white, but using colorful paper packaging, not only with their civilian customs, but also from a scientific point of view reflects the color of food paper packaging more attractive to consumers. In addition, the earliest used food packaging is mostly derived from nature, such as: reed leaves, banana leaves, bamboo, rattan, wheat straw, corn bran and so on. These materials can be used to express color effects, increase their sense of fun, and attract children's curiosity. There is also a remarkable packaging material - nano-packaging materials. In nanomaterials, nano-ATO powders with different blue tones can be obtained by adjusting the amount of impurities, thereby obtaining anti-static coatings of different shades, which are used in children's packaging. Not only can it prevent static electricity, but it can also increase the degree of enrichment of packaging colors.

In the information age today, interactive features have brought new enlightenment to packaging design. Dynamic packaging has appeared on some foreign children's food packaging. For example, some dynamic packaging itself has an upper temperature limit. When it reaches or exceeds this upper limit temperature, the package will turn into a cool tone; if it is lower than the upper limit temperature, the package will turn into warm colors; some may even be based on the surrounding. The color sense and self-adjust color. Such a package can be highlighted on the container, changing to static, letting the child think of a lovely chameleon, adding more novelty.

For example, in a department store or supermarket in Japan, it can be seen that the packaging of children's food is not only convenient and practical in appearance design, but also the pattern and color match are very harmonious and beautiful, and the printing is also very delicate, which has improved the quality of the goods invisibly. . It also increases the value of the product in people's minds. For example: Figure 3 Japan's children's food packaging, in the shape and color with the unity of the color of the surface and the color of the food itself is also very coordinated, but also in color contrast, so that the packaging visual effects are strong. Transparent packaging is used to visualize the food inside. The overall color tone does not leave the basic color of the food, the combination of red and yellow. The combination of cartoon patterns and colors, the use of traditional texts, etc., together underline a national cultural atmosphere.

Nestlé Canada launched three new "Smarties" festive candy cans. This new package can be composed of three different segments of the rotating body to form a variety of different color logo designs, which are very interesting for children. And its slender shape is easy to hold, and the red, green, and blue plastic closures are also easy to open and reclose. At the same time, the paper structure of the candy canister is safe for children. Its packaging color starts from the children's psychology, using a solid color contrast effect, with a cartoon pattern, to attract the majority of children's eyes, and promote their sales force, as shown in Figure 4.

4 Conclusion

Through the analysis and analysis of children's food packaging color, it has been found that modern children's food packaging is no longer in the traditional sense. It is a combination of entertainment, culture, functionality, and health. It puts a new emphasis on packaging colors. The requirements and guidelines must have advanced thinking in the continuous creation of the future. They should be considered and designed from the perspective of the consumers. In the matching of colors and shapes, new combinations should be used to actively develop new materials and their Color matching, learning foreign packaging color experience, take the road of nationalization of characteristics.

Wu Shan, Nie Xinxin Shaanxi University of Science and Technology

Source: Packaging Engineering