Colouration of packaging

There are two aspects of quality; the level of quality and the repeatability. If one is reproducing an old master, the objective is to produce a picture that is a good reproduction of the original in terms of the medium used. Minor differences between two reproductions are of little consequence as a rule since they are considered side by side only very rarely. In packaging, however, the exact reproduction of image after image is highly important, particularly with depth of colour. Changes in colour can lead customers to believe that material is older and hence to ignore it. Consequently, contrary to many beliefs, the colour printing of packaging is often a more critical operation than the printing of publications. It must be remembered that all printed packages, whether in colour or not, must be odour-free and compatible with their contents. With products such as foods or pharmaceuticals, non-toxic inks are essential and these must be highly resistant to possible leaching out of the contents of the package.