Package designers strive to choose colors, graphics, and decorative elements that convey emotion to connect with consumers. “A decoration can make a basic bottle look luxurious, without much effort,” says Gilda Mirra Cutri, VP of Operations & Business Development at Coverpla. “When a consumer walks into a store, they don’t necessarily know what a fragrance smells like—but their eye will automatically be drawn by color, or design.”

“I Want Choo” Le Parfum by Jimmy Choo, an Inter Parums brand, is in a package decorated to attract attention. The luxurious glass bottle is covered with a shiny gold chrome coating, with a gold “JC” on the front. The gold glitter decoration on the sparkling carton completes the festive look.

“Metallization is often associated with luxury and premium brands because of its reflective, high-shine appearance,” says Verena Fiori Ferreira, Marketing Director at Virospack. “This type of deco catches the consumer’s eye,” she says. Virospack offers a range of metallic finishes in silver or gold for its packaging solutions. “These finishes instantly communicate ‘prestige.’ Reflective surfaces create a high-end, polished appearance that reinforces a sense of quality,” Ferreira says.

The new I Want Choo Le Parfum in a glamorous gold bottle and sparkling gold carton for the holiday season. 

Partnering with a supplier specializing in decorating can ensure a brand’s success in the ultra-competitive beauty market. “A high-quality decoration has the power to turn a standard stock bottle or jar into a custom, brand-defining piece,” says Dave Desai, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at New High Glass. “From vibrant color to unique textures, our decorating techniques elevate glass packaging and add a premium appeal to stand out on crowded shelves.”

John Schofield, owner of Screentech/Sprayetech, a supplier with over 30 years of experience decorating cosmetic packaging, agrees that a decoration can transform a package’s look. “We have the ability to ‘bring to life’ the packages we decorate,” he says.

For more tips on transforming beauty packaging, from suppliers specializing in various types of decorating processes, read on. 

Sustainable Decorating Solutions for Indie Brands

New High Glass partnered with the skincare brand Phosis to decorate its glass dropper bottles and jars. The supplier specializes in eco-friendly, water-based sprays and UV-printing, which deliver stunning looks without sacrificing sustainability. “We offer a range of eco-friendly decoration options for glass bottles and jars that help brands differentiate on shelf,” says Desai.

Related: What’s New in Sustainable Packaging?

New High Glass worked with indie brand Phosis to decorate its glass bottles and jars. 

Small and medium-sized companies benefit from working with New High Glass, says Desai, because they don’t need a large budget to create striking designs, according to Desai. “We offer low MOQs and shorter lead times than most U.S.-based decorators,” he says. “We make it easy for indie brands to access top-tier packaging solutions.”

Cost-Effective Multi-Color Finishes

ScreenTech/SprayeTech provides in-house color-matching services. “This is a unique capability for a decorator and accelerates the approval process—helping brands get their products to market faster,” says Schofield. The supplier specializes in decorating glass, and has the ability to decorate all types of rigid containers. The company offers eco-friendly water-based spray and organic screen-printing processes. “Plus, our internal decorating scrap is recycled,” says Schofield. UV-screen-printing, hot-stamping, and labeling are a few of ScreenTech/SprayeTech’s other decorating processes.

ScreenTech/SprayeTech’s tall Boston round bottle featuring a multi-colored decoration produced using its new ‘EZ Deco’ process.

ScreenTech/SprayeTech offers a new decoration that Scofield says “offers endless design possibilities.” The “EZ Deco” is a heat-transfer process developed by Peyer Déco AG. “Using this technique, a brand can achieve a wide range of brilliant multi-color finishes and effects—and it’s cost-effective,” says Schofield.

Eco-Focused ‘Clean Coatings’ & More

Virospack offers a variety of decorating options for its dropper packs and packaging solutions, including in-house decorating for its tubular glass range, which can be finished in transparent glass, shiny white, or frosted. Colorful gradient decorations for its mono-material pump are shown.

“A brand can customize our packaging solutions by using a simple decorating technique, such as spray painting and single-color printing, which are budget-friendly options,” says Ferreira. “These are effective ways for indie brands to create distinctive packaging without the need for large orders.”

Virospack’s eco-friendly 100% recyclable mono-material pump, with colorful gradient decorations.

Premium decorations, such as metallic finishes or multi-layered coatings, often come with higher minimums due to the complex technology involved. “Metallization requires more extensive setup costs,” says Ferreira. Virospack’s in-house metallization section operates with two automatic lines and a continuous sputtering line, with a 40 million piece-per year production capacity. “Our sputtering line enables us to apply coatings with a metallic effect, boasting high abrasion and chemical resistance,” Ferreira explains.

Related: Metal Mania Radiates Luxury

Virospack uses eco-friendly water-based inks and low-emission coatings, which reduce environmental impact while still providing high-quality finishes. “Our high-vacuum sputtering stands out as the cleanest of all coating techniques. It produces subtle and uniform coatings while minimizing waste,” Ferreira says.

Digitally Printing Tubes with IML Technology

ICONS America specializes in luxury decoration and finishes for plastic squeeze tubes. “Every decorating technique enhances a packaging’s look and feel—and with our IML tube technology, brands can incorporate multiple finishes into artwork to effectively convey a brand’s story,” says Joaquim Camps, President of ICONS America.

ICONS America’s In-Mold Label (IML) technology allows for full-surface tube decoration, plus luxury finishing options. The supplier can decorate a tube over the shoulder, with a nearly invisible joint line. “IML digital printing provides brands with a 360-degree panoramic canvas to unleash creativity with intricate patterns and vivid imagery, turning packaging into a work of art,” says Camps.

Related: From Jars to Tubes

The supplier’s IML tubes are mono-material PP and recyclable, with the option to add PCR. “Our solutions are sustainable and visually stunning. Combine matte and glossy finishes for a subtle sheen with tactile appeal, such as a matte tube with spot gloss elements, or vice versa,” Camps suggests.

More Decorating Services—& Ensuring Recyclability

Coverpla, which offers decorating services for glass and plastic components, says silk-screening is always in demand. “Basic black is always the most requested decoration, followed by shiny gold hot-stamping,” says Cutri. The supplier’s capabilities include in-house silk-screen, pad-printing, and hot-stamping. “We are able to decorate starting at 1,000 pieces,” says Cutri.

Coverpla’s 2-pass silkscreen on its new SONI 50ml bottle.

Matching a decoration on various components or packaging sizes is one of Coverpla’s specialties, and will elevate a sample size or mini. “It is always nice to include a regular-size bottle with a purser or sample size—and add the decoration on both. Our turnaround time is quite fast,” adds Cutri.

WISTA.DTS, a supplier offering a wide range of decoration techniques, says beauty brands are investing heavily in creative and eye-catching designs. “There’s a world of techniques and effects available to achieve a distinctive look. But various factors have to come together to create memorable packaging,” says Helena Eusébio, Head of Quality, Environment and Sustainability at WISTA.DTS. The supplier offers flexography, total or partial varnish finishing, gradient color, hot-stamping, silk-screening, tampography, holographic effects, and more.

Related: Why Mono-Material is a Win-Win for Beauty Brands & Consumers

Reflecting the demand for more sustainable packaging, WISTA.DTS works with experts to ensure a decorated package will be recyclable. The supplier refers to tests conducted by certified external independent research institutes, ensuring a brand that a decoration is recyclable. “We know that by following specified standards, we can maintain the recyclability of our packaging—assuming we’re using 100% certified mono-material PP, PE, or Green PE packaging as the base,” explains Eusébio.

Machinery & Printing Technologies

Since decorating is a highly specialized area of packaging expertise, it requires the proper machinery. Over 400 printers, finishers, or converters, globally own a Scodix digital press. Scodix says it is a global leader in digital embellishment and offers 16 applications, with the ability to combine effects for additional textures or finishes.

A detailed printed glistening decoration on a box, digitally printed on a Scodix press.

April Lytle, Global Brand Innovation Manager at Scodix, explains the benefits of its printing technologies, saying, “Our Smart High Definition (SHD) presses leverage AI technology for the smallest text, finest lines, and most detailed embellishments on the market. And our Multi-Layer-Embellishment (MLE) technology allows for embellishment on uncoated sheets, as well as high-builds capable of inclusivity solutions.”

Scodix embellishments are ideal for limited-edition collections. “Scodix technology offers all of the applications to make a short-run, multi-sku project exceptional—from tactile or flat varnishes and foil to glitter and holographic effects,” says Lytle.

Scodix says as long as the substrate that a decoration is applied onto is “de-inkable,” then it will be recyclable. Western Michigan University tested the supplier’s decorating processes, and its embellished sheets were certified in partnership with Westrock.

A Machinery Solution Tailored for Cosmetic Packaging

Tapematic, a supplier offering extensive solutions in decorating machinery, says beauty brands expect innovation. The company specializes in UV-varnishes, producing metallized components, and manufacturing decoration equipment—focusing on solutions tailored for cosmetics packaging. “Our IDM II In-line Hot Stamping and Laser Decoration Module offers cosmetic companies an innovative solution for decorating their own packaging, in-house,” says Tony Denning, President of Tapematic. “Our machinery has the capability to offer Photoluminescent Coatings, featuring a metallic matte finish in daylight—with glowing green tones in the dark,” he says.

Tapematic’s IDM II is designed to integrate into a modular and fully automated line, such as the Tapematic PST Line II, to combine metallization, 360-degree Side Decoration, Top Decoration, Serialization, and varnishing. “Colors and effects are unlimited,” says Denning. “With our Tapematic PST Line Systems, we are offering brands a solution for creating multiple decorations in an easy-to-manage, in-line process.”

Tapematic’s PST Line systems boast high production capacities, at 7,800 pieces per hour. For smaller companies, Tapematic recently introduced a new sampling service for small batches, prototyping, and pre-launches.

Related: Innovative Packaging That Meets Consumer Demands

Tapematic’s IDM II decorating machinery.