Cal Poly State University

Student Success Does Make a Difference

Packaging has played an enormous role of the graphic arts profession for decades and continues to be one of the fastest growing segments of the graphic communication industry. Its growth is largely due to consumer trends, increased number of different products (called SKUs), news materials that increase product freshness, and anti-counterfeiting measures to increase brand security. Packaging remains a growth business.

Packaging graphics is a diverse field emphasizing digital file creation, technology, printing, and converting. The field also involves an understanding of structural design and product freshness as they relate to consumer and industrial print packaging. Other important facets of packaging graphics are marketing, branding, shelf placement, ease of use, and printing processes combined with in-line and off-line converting processes.

The packaging field enjoys huge annual sales through its five sub-segments: folding carton packaging; flexible packaging; metal decorating; label printing; and corrugated cartons. Most facets of packaging graphics require some of the highest quality control standards in all of the graphic arts because of the need to reproduce colors that look natural – such as food, flesh tones, wood grains, and more – and match existing products already on the shelves.