Teknor Color taps into trend for stand-out packaging

Targeting the cosmetics market and showcasing the technology at the current HBA show in New York, the company says that its custom-made formulated concentrates help to achieve dramatic color-shift effects. Most importantly the company says that this effect will give beauty products more impact on retail shelf by creating a lustrous effect that distinguishes it from other regular PET packaged products. ColorMorph concentrates are produced using new types of raw materials and specific manufacturing innovations that yield distinct color shifts in the packaging as the viewing angle changes. "Instead of the often subtle effects achievable thus far, ColorMorph concentrates make possible packaging with colors that may well travel from one end of the spectrum to the other as shoppers move along the retail shelf,"​ said Merrit Siers-Foster, the senior chemist at the company and lead developer of the technology. "The result is shelf appeal that is literally active - a visual dynamic that commands the attention of cosmetic and beauty aid shoppers and creates a sense of luxury,"​ he added. The company says it is able to produce a whole spectrum of tailor-made color effects in the range, but two specific effects include Now Gold, Now Bright Red, as well as Now Transparent, Now Opaque. The effect can be used for monolayer bottles, tubes, boxes and other containers made from any type of transparent resin, including polyolefin, polycarbonate and PET. The product launch is the latest in a spurt of recent launches targeting special effects for plastic packaging aimed at giving beauty products extra impact on overcrowded retail shelves. Other popular attention grabbing effects include interference and color shifting, luminescence and phosphorescence, fluorescence, light sensitive photochromic and colour changing thermochromic finishes. Similar launches have included a range of shiny packaging products from Impressions Packaging - aimed at giving plastic packaging a metalicized look, whereas Ciba has launched a range of plastic packaging with a two-tone effect that sparkles with gold.