Custom red packets can come in all shapes and sizes! Just in 2020 alone, corporate brands in Singapore came up with more than 170 red packet designs to celebrate the Year of the Rat! That is a whole lot of red packet designs – not inclusive of the mass-market designs or family designs. Now, how can your brand stand out amongst the crowd?
If you are getting ready to create a unique, “talk of the town” worthy corporate red packet design for 2021’s Chinese New Year celebrations, this is the right article for you!
With the help of Weio’s team of in-house experts (designers, planners and production), we’ve compiled some of the most useful tips & techniques to elevate your red packet design.
Ready to learn more?
3 Key Tips & Techniques to Enhance Your Custom Red Packets
When it comes to red packet printing, there are a ton of methods you can use to create beautiful and unique red packet designs. But these are the 3 absolutely essential tips and techniques you cannot do without:
Matching the Right Material to Design
So, you have completed step 1 of the 8 simple steps towards creating your own corporate red packet – shortlisting designs and concepts?
Fantastic! Now it is time to materialize the design into reality with tangible materials.
And usually this stage is where many corporate clients are simply overwhelmed by the incredible range of options at their fingertips.
Why? Just for the material of the red packet alone, there are hundreds of permutations – with the different paper types, finishes (matt/glossy/textured) or thickness of the paper stock.
Not to worry, here are some tips from our printers so you know what to look out for your designs:
There are two main classes of materials that most printers work with:
Printables – These are normally white based materials which you can do full colour printing on. So, if you have multi-coloured designs or colourful illustrations in your artwork, this is most suitable for you. Examples of printables include Soft touch paper, Starlight paper, and Fabric paper.
Non-Printables – Like the name suggests these are materials that cannot handle direct printing but are more suitable for other techniques like foil stamping, spot UV or laser cut. Hence if your design has only no colours or up to two colours which can be foiled on, this is a possible consideration.
Paper Finishing
A great way to standout from the crowd is with a different or unexpected finishing. Red packets pass from hand to hand, the right materials’ visual or tactile finishing is bound to get people talking!
Matt – A common finishing that gives the ang pow a simple matte and understated visual
Glossy – Looking for your colours to pop? Go with a glossy finishing to add their added sheen to your overall design.
Textured – There is a whole range of interesting tactile finishes that come with various paper types. For example, the Soft Touch paper comes with a special smooth buttery touch, whereas Silk paper feels very much like a superior cloth-like material.
Paper Thickness
Ever held a red packet in your hand and formed a quick impression of whether it is made of cheap or quality materials? That feeling can usually be attributed to the paper thickness amongst other factors.
Standard Red Packets - Ranges from 128 gsm – 157 gsm
Premium Red Packets - Ranges from 160 gsm – 260 gsm. The thicker it is, the more elaborate techniques can be applied to it effectively (such as laser diecut and embroidery)
Utilizing the Right Printing Techniques for Special Effects
The next step to elevate your printed red packet involves the right printing techniques to add on special effects. And how do you decide which special effect you want?
Here is a simple description of 6 of the most popular effects we offer:
Foil Stamping
A special printing technique that utilizes heat, pressure, a metal mould, and foil that transfers a design or text onto the red packet. Foils come in a wide variety of colours and finishing, making it easy to complement any colour palette you have in mind. Common colours used for red packets are gold, silver or red matte or glossy foil.
Spot UV
It is a special clear coating applied over specific surfaces and bonded via UV light. This results in a subtle sheen and smooth texture over the areas where the coating is applied. Used for emphasis on certain designs or to incorporate subtle graphic elements in red packet design.
Embossing
A process which creates a protruding relief image on the surface – that quite literally pops out. Gives a 3-D effect that places emphasis on certain parts of the design. Usually used in red packet design for a luxe effect.
Laser Cut
Uses a high-powered laser to cut out intricate detailed designs. This allows the incorporation of multi-layered designs for more complex red packet designs – usually also for more premium red packet design.
Embroidery
Like the name suggests, traditional Chinese embroidery techniques are used to incorporate an expensive visual and tactile finish – much like that you see on the robes of Chinese royals.
Flocking
A process where fibers of cotton, wool or other materials are applied to a coating of adhesive. This results in a unique velvety texture to the area where flocking is applied.
Use these effects as stand-alone or mix and match them to create an even more special combination.
Do note that different base materials can accommodate different types of techniques. But not to worry, our in-house team will be there to advise you based on your design and desired effect!
Complete with A Perfect Packaging Presentation
First impression matters! Which is why many corporates opt to complete their red packet set with special packaging designs. Over the years, we find ourselves working with brands to designing and creating more innovative packaging to give their clients the “wow factor”.
Here are some of the more common packaging and presentation sets we have come up with:
OPP Pack (Standard)
Without any additional packaging, all our red packets come in standard OPP plastic packs so you can give them out in sets of five, eight or ten.
Envelope Packaging
Imagine an enlarged version of the red packet that can fit multiple ang pows inside. This packaging style allows for a wide range of printing techniques and designs to complete the red packet designs.
No frills Box Packaging
A standard box packaging that opens up on all four sides to unveil the red packet set within. With more than one visible printable surface, this opens up the opportunity for messaging or surprising design elements on the inner side of the box packaging.
Doublet Box
A sturdier box packaging that opens up to two slots – one on each side that can hold either multiple custom red packets or even a marketing brochure.
Accordion Fold Packaging
An interesting multi-fold packaging design that allows you to display your red packet collection. This is particularly useful for brands who opt for multiple designs or a special themed collection – allows to showcase the full set when fanned out.
Suitable for collections of 4 up to 8 designs.
Depending on your branding and messaging needs, our team of designers can help advise which type of packaging would be most suitable for you.
Interested to see our more innovative packaging designs in recent years?
Reach out to us to see our full portfolio!
Ready to Make an Impact With Your 2021 Corporate Ang Pows?
Want to make the right impression on your clients with a well designed and impactful ang pow for the new year? We can be of help!
From shortlisting designs and concepts to delivery and distribution, our team of experts are ready to guide you through the steps of creating your very own corporate red packet.
Ready for a hassle-free experience of getting your custom corporate ang pow for the new year?
Simply fill in the contact form at the bottom of the page to reach out to us!
Our team at Weio cannot wait to help you on your customization journey for 2021!