Looking to make an impact with your dog treat packaging? You came to the right place.
Although it’s almost impossible to cover every possibility in a quick-fire blog like this, our team of packaging experts have summarised the big questions you’ll need to answer before starting a new project.
Format
We would always recommend stand up pouches for dog treat packaging. Flexible pouches have become a must for convenience-focused brands and retailers. The combination of great shelf presence and small compact sizing are great for dog treats, where consumers require portability and reusability.
Design
The number of colours in your artwork can impact the final cost of your pouches. Rotogravure printing requires a separate cylinder to be engraved for every colour in your artwork. So, if you’re looking to keep costs down it’s important to think about how you can use minimal colours to maximum effect.
There is also the choice of using process colours made from CMYK or spot colours that follow the Pantone Matching System. There is a helpful guide here for understanding more about colour in print. If your branding needs to stay consistent across a number of formats, we would always recommend using Pantone colours that follow the Pantone Matching System, to ensure colour consistency across all your products.
A number of material finishes can also be applied to enhance packaging design. Gloss, metallic inks, exposed metallic film, matt varnish and even textured varnishes all add to the look and feel of quality, as well as highlighting key claims and messaging on the pack.
Closure Features
It is very likely that your end consumer will want to reuse their doggie treats multiple times, so keeping the product fresh inside after opening should be one of your key requirements in dog treat packaging.
Stand up pouches offer a number of great closure technologies designed to keep produce fresher for longer as well as locking in aromas and preventing unwanted leaks and spills. Velcro / Aplix systems are proving increasingly popular as an alternative to the conventional zipper for snack-sized pouches that need to close and re-open quickly and often.
Brand Values
Packaging is one of the most visible brand touchpoints and should embody your core brand values. It can communicate USPs, resemble the quality of the product or demonstrate the authenticity and passion you have for your brand.
This can also impact your choice of packaging materials. If you require packaging to be sustainable, recyclable or environmentally friendly, there are several different options for you to consider. Firstly, no recycled materials can be used to package food products. But you can choose certain materials that can be made with sustainable considerations, recycled or destroyed in the right facilities.
Materials vs Shelf Life
Plastic pouches can be made from lighter weight plastic packaging which improves environmental impact through reduced material usage, production and transportation emissions, making it a great sustainable solution. Plastic also provides the necessary barrier protection to increase shelf life for perishable foods like dog treats.
Although paper packaging is widely recognised as the most environmentally friendly packaging alternative, the shelf life required for perishable foods, like dog treats, will always be compromised with paper. This is especially difficult for brands looking to export products, as paper will not provide the protection and longevity needed.
Many sustainably minded brands are looking to new and innovative bioplastics and mono material structures such as PE/PE allowing the plastic to be recycled at specific facilities. Although these materials are still in their infancy and recycling plants are looking to catch up to drive the push towards a more circular economy.
If your brand is looking to invest in quality dog treat packaging, we are on hand to guide our customers through the entire print process. Providing recommendations along the way to improve efficiency, reduce costs and add untold value to the end product.
Contact us on +44 (0) 161 440 7302 or follow this link to complete our contact form.
Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest packaging news and insights
