Exquisite designs

A recent trend has seen the use of mixed materials for packaging incorporating plastic, leather and silk papers with tinplate. This requires the harmonisation of design trends with hard cold-metal sheets, producing a final package that not only serves a practical purpose but is also pleasing to the eye.

Here, we look at a few examples from metal manufacturing specialist Virojanglor, illustrating contemporary design on metal packaging.

The recent Nicholas Feuillatte tin tube, presented with discrete patterns of alternate matte and gloss varnish, reinforce the strength of subtle contemporary design in monochrome. The simple touch of a leatherette accessory and gold highlights makes the pack really stand out on the shelf, according to Virojanglor.

Contemporary design on metal can also be combined with practicality. For example, the Gauloises Blondes cigarette outer pack incorporates a zip feature, reassuring the customer of product freshness while at the same time providing a fun, quirky element. This practical approach can also be seen in the Veuve Clicquot Rare Vintage stackable wine cellar tins – the shape allows the customer to collect the series and create a stackable wine cellar.

Modern design on metal packaging really comes to the fore when we look at Pommery’s bottle-hugging packaging. The artwork design has had to be carefully silhouetted with the form and shape of the champagne bottle. This is where tinplate is different to any other material. There is a lot of manipulation of the artwork design in order to control the distortion in the moulding process. Therefore when the artwork is seen flat, it has been distorted, especially in the highly stretched areas of the metal can. This again is another positive indication of how design works to meet material constraints. The key is to really understand tinplate and work a design accordingly.

Full Metal Jacket by FMJ Paris is a lovely contemporary tin example where metal meets plastic literally in the middle. The plastic band is in the centre of two halves of tinplate, showing the product off to the customer at the same time as providing rigidity with the metal. The metal surfaces are embossed making the tin an ideal keepsake for gifts. The tinplate surface provides a canvas for the designer to add fine embossing detail, showing off the true metallic shine to its best advantage against the matte finish of the plastic.

For more examples and images of all products discussed in this article, log in to www.packagingtoday.co.uk.