Devonald Smith: ‘The benefits of glass all shout “quality” in a
way that no other packaging
material can match’
WHEN LOOKING FOR A PERFUMERY OR BEAUTY PRODUCT, THE FIRST THING TO CATCH THE
EYE IS ITS CONTAINER …..AND THE BEST MATERIAL FOR THAT CONTAINER IS GLASS.
by Mark Devonald Smith, sales director for perfumery and personal care, Stolzle Flaconnage
The importance of glass in cosmetics and perfumery packaging can’t be overestimated.
From the practical viewpoint, it’s inert; there’s no possibility of a reaction with the contents, or leakage of fragrance or other ingredient. Whatever the product, glass provides the perfect protection.
Equally important is the cachet that glass can give. Its brilliance, translucence, weight, and feel all say ‘quality’ in a way that no other packaging material can match. The fact that glass is completely recyclable in our ecological age is another advantage.
Glass is the poetry of packaging mediums. Intense heat transforms pure white sand into a fiery, molten matter that can be moulded into an almost limitless range of shapes: cylindrical, square, oval, tall, short, tapered, asymmetric, embossed – the list goes on and on.
Coloured glass, together with careful moulding and embossing, are all
embodied in this bottle for Gant
ESTABLISHING IDENTITY
Clear flint glass will display the container’s contents. Coloured glass can add identity. Acid etching, now electronically controlled, provides a pearlised finish that has a magic all its own and will act as an attractive base for printing. Each of these effects is an intrinsic part of the container and will contribute to brand identity.
Brand image is vital for product manufacturers, and the choice of bottle shape can be all-important. The right container offers shelf appeal, consumer recognition, and the gift of style and distinction.
Custom-designed bottles can establish a unique identity. Tooling, though, is expensive.
Glass companies like Stolzle Flaconnage offer a range of well-designed, well-balanced standard containers that have a chameleon’s ability to adapt to different looks. Standards can be available ‘off the shelf’, and so enable companies to respond rapidly to market opportunities.
A modern trend is to allow the bottle to proclaim product identity with either a minimum of, or no, print. However, this can be used for both branding and decoration, and new techniques are constantly increasing the possibilities available.
‘Individual branding through a scooped face effect’
State-of-the-art processes developed over the last few years include the use of spray guns, achieving multi-coloured finishes in one pass, with effects ranging from subtle to stunning; the graduating of one colour into another can be memorable.
Organic inks are eco-friendly, don’t require the same energy output as ceramic inks, and also offer designers a limitless range of colours. At the STO decoration facility, there’s now an area dedicated to organic finishing in both spraying and printing.
LASERS ASSIST LUXURY QUEST
Metallising glass bottles, together with laser removal of some parts of this to leave a pattern of artwork, is one of the latest techniques that can provide the touch of luxury sought in many perfumery and cosmetics products.
A vacuum process can coat a container with a metallised finish, after which a laser is used to cut away the finish – leaving a design that can range from the simple to the intricate, maybe within a frame.
‘Traditional perfume approach utilising accessories’
Hot metal foil blocking can add a touch of luxury to any glass container, and can raise a standard pack into the custom-design class.
Decals are another decoration tool, and automatic application means spot-on accuracy of registration and of placement on containers together with easy integration into the decoration process. Pad printing allows easy application to a rounded surface.
Accessories can be effective for branding and decoration. The glass-moulding process allows for the provision of a space on a custom-designed bottle that will accept any of a variety of accessories: emblems, discs, bases, shoulders, etc.
Any of these can contribute to a unique look. So will choice of closure, which can transform the look of a standard bottle.
This picture illustrates the clever use of a simple decoration method on a standard glass container
IMPROVEMENTS PAY OFF
Shrink sleeving can provide intricate printed offset litho and/or gravure finishes.
Recent improvements in this area have resulted in the process being accepted for perfumery and skincare products, allowing it to take its place alongside the traditional decoration methods.
A final advantage offered by any of these decorative techniques is that a glass bottle or jar can act as a primary container. This makes outer packaging redundant, reducing both material costs and waste.
Glass is indeed the perfect packaging for the perfumery and cosmetics markets.
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