Color techniques should pay attention to the following points: first, the correspondence between color and packaging; second, the contrast between color and color itself. These two points are the key to the use of color.

(1) The correspondence between color and packaging

So, where should we start talking about the correspondence between color and packaging? Mainly through the external packaging color can reveal or reflect the internal packaging items. It allows people to basically perceive or associate what the inner packaging is when they look at the outer packaging. The author has mentioned this issue many times in past articles, but if we can go into the store and take a look at the goods, we will find that many products do not reflect this caring relationship. It makes it impossible for consumers to think about what the packaged items are from the outside to the inside. Of course, it will not play a positive promotional role in product sales. The color of normal external packaging should grasp the same characteristics to varying degrees;

(1) From an industry perspective, food products normally use the main colors of goose yellow and pink to express this to people. With a sense of warmth and closeness. Of course, teas use a lot of green, beverages use a lot of green and blue, wines and cakes use a lot of bright red, children's foods use a lot of rose, and daily cosmetics use other colors. The main colors are mostly rose, pink-white, light green, light blue, and dark brown to highlight the warmth and elegance. Clothing, shoes and hats are mostly dark green, dark blue, brown, or gray to highlight calmness. Emphasize the beauty of elegance.

In terms of performance characteristics, as far as food is concerned, gold, yellow, and light yellow are often used in cakes and snacks to give people an impression of fragrant fragrance; red or green are often used in tea, beer and other beverages to symbolize It brings out the richness and aroma of tea; tomato juice and apple juice are mostly red, which intensively shows the natural properties of the item. Although the main colors of some packages do not look like the colors with similar product attributes as mentioned above, but if you look carefully, if the design of the package is made by an artist, then in the picture of its outer packaging There must be the symbolic color block, color point, color line or the concentrated content highlighted by that color. This should be our proud work. Many such examples can be found in the packaging of some clothing, some cosmetics, and even some wine packaging.

(2) The contrast between color and color

Let’s talk about the contrast between color and color. This is the easiest thing to express in many product packaging, but it is very difficult to grasp. The design comes from a master, and the wound effect of the packaging is like spring and white snow. On the contrary, it is like a lowly person. There is a popular saying in Chinese calligraphy and painting that it is airtight but sparse can run a horse. In fact, it is a contrasting relationship. In packaging design, this contrasting relationship is very obvious and very common. The so-called contrasts generally include contrasts in the following aspects: that is, the contrast of dark and light colors, the light and heavy contrast of colors, the point-to-face contrast of colors, the contrast of traditional and simple colors, the contrast of elegant and vulgar colors, and the contrast of colors. Compare and so on.

(1) The contrast between dark and light colors. This appears most frequently in current packaging design colors and is used in the widest range. It is very common in many graphic designs (referring to posters, hanging paintings or scene decoration). The so-called contrast between light and dark should refer to the design colors in which two colors, dark and light, cleverly appear on a picture at the same time, resulting in a more coordinated perspective effect. Usually, a large area of ??light-colored paving is used, and a dark composition is used on it, such as a light yellow paving, using brown to compose the pattern, or using light yellow or white pattern lines in the brown color block; and such as Use light green for the base; dark green for the composition; pink for the base; bright red for the composition; light gray for the base; soap black for the composition, etc. These are all contrasts between dark and light colors. In packaging design, we can use this form on some cosmetic packaging or some Western wine packaging, especially Western European wine packaging. Most of China's Changyu wine and Shuanghui sausages as well as CJ's meat product packaging are expressed in this form. This form of packaging is also common in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The visual effect it displays is bright, simple, gentle and elegant.

(2) Contrast of light and heavy colors (or dark and light contrast). This is also one of the important reproduction techniques in the use of packaging colors.

This kind of contrast between light and heavy is often used to set off a dignified and deep theme pattern on a light and elegant background, or in a dignified and deep theme pattern (mostly color block patterns are the focus). Show the light and elegant packaging theme and name, as well as trademarks or slogans, etc. On the contrary, a large area of ??dignified and deep pigment is used as the base. In addition, use light and elegant colors or focus on a certain color block or fully decorate some patterns. In this kind of contrast between light and heavy, general pigments have harmonious color contrast and cold and warm color contrast. The harmonious color contrast method is often light green versus dark green; light yellow versus dark coffee; pink versus bright red, etc., while the contrast between cold and warm colors is mostly Black and white, red and blue, etc.

(3) Point-to-face contrast (or size contrast) in color use. This kind of contrast is mainly used in the design process of a packaging picture, using pigments to contrast from a center or concentrated point to the overall picture. , that is, the comparison between small-scale and large-scale images. In daily life, especially in washing cosmetics, we can see that on the packaging box of a product, the entire area is clean and empty, except for a very obvious small square of heavy color (or Oval or small round) and then reflect the theme of the brand and name of the packaging content from this small square picture. This is not only a combination of dots and surfaces, but also a contrast between large and small, and occasionally from dots to And the contrast of gradual transition.

(4) Comparison of traditional and simplified colors. We can see that on the packaging bag of Uni-President 100 instant noodles, the lower half is the actual pattern of instant noodles, while the upper part of the picture is full of clean green and red colors, and then it stands out very conspicuously. 100", look at the cover of issue 66 of "Packaging World" magazine (also called the packaging of the book). Using a large area of ??straw woven photos as the background makes it look very complicated, even including the words "Packaging World", but in the center of the main picture, there is a clean round blank. It is marked in it that "this magazine will expand its edition and capacity in 2000" and "you are welcome to subscribe to the local post office." It's so simple and concise, but it ingeniously and independently highlights the focus of the magazine's most important thoughts. The author has also seen a dumpling packaging bag and a seasoning packaging bag in a store. The whole picture uses green, black and yellow pigments and interweaves them on the same picture, which means that the trademark is forced to be impatient. I also wanted to express the name and the accompanying pattern, but as a result, the large area of ??complicated design had no practical meaning and the background pattern appeared, diluting and drowning out the above-mentioned main body, resulting in this kind of packaging. A feeling of depression and irritability in people's psychology naturally affects sales.

(5) The contrast between elegance and desire in the use of colors is mainly to highlight vulgar words and contrast their elegance. This vulgar way of expression uses "dirty" colors and disorder (actually unique, some Western oil paintings are very much about this kind of expression - that is, modern abstract art). This kind of composition either reveals the theme symbolically, or serves to "highlight the lotus" for the theme. Make it a little red among thousands of flowers. For example, on a packaging screen, it looks like a mess of colors has been piled or thrown on top of it without any care. Then quietly or subtly place the theme of the pattern on the side. This is very interesting stuff. In addition to packaging, even book bindings, advertisements, posters on promotional posters, and leisure columns on TV have all tried this.

(6) Contrast in color use. This kind of contrast is essentially a contrasting effect caused by the differences in a variety of pigments. This contrast effect is usually expressed in the following ways: the contrast of light and dark (or the contrast of yin and yang), like the Chinese picture of Yi Qing; the contrast of cold and warm, such as the contrast of red and blue; the contrast of movement and stillness, such as the elegant and calm background and the lively jumping Contrast of pattern and text: contrast of light and heavy, such as contrast of deep pigment and light pigment, etc.