Guide to Designing CBD Packaging

Newcomers to the CBD business are often shocked by the impact that packaging makes on their revenue. And it’s not just about the type of packaging used — though that is an important factor. The designs themselves can make a huge difference.

Here’s a guide on how to design CBD packaging that attracts customers and keeps you out of trouble with authorities.

What Is CBD?

First, here’s a quick explanation of what CBD is. 

CBD is short for cannabidiol. It’s a chemical compound found in the cannabis plant. CBD shouldn’t be confused with THC, another chemical that you get from cannabis. THC is a psychoactive while CBD isn’t.

It can’t make people high when taken. But they will get some of the claimed benefits like reduced anxiety and inflammation.

Products made from CBD come in many forms. This includes capsules, oils, creams, lotions, beverages, and more.

The Benefits of CBD Packaging

Here are some of the benefits of using custom CBD packaging.

Protects Your Products

CBD packaging protects products from physical damage and prevents exposure to air, moisture, and other elements that can affect their quality.

You’ll need packaging whether you’re selling products in a retail location or shipping them to customers if you want to keep them in great condition.

Complies With Regulations

CBD is unlike other products. If you’re going to sell them, you’ll have to comply with certain regulations. 

Your packaging will be key to satisfying government requirements. For instance, you can print everything you need to disclose about your products right on the packaging.

Impresses Clients

Your customers want a great unboxing experience. With the right packaging, you can give that to them. Create designs that will leave customers speechless.

A great presentation will help you build your customer base — especially if you make designs that resonate with your target audience.

Promotes the Business

The use of CBD packaging allows you to push your branding forward. Showing your business name and logo will help shoppers recognize your products as soon as they see them.

Frequent exposure to your packaging will help you earn public trust. You can also use packaging to introduce other items your customers might find interesting.

Customizing CBD Packaging

These are some of the things you need to know about designing CBD packaging. Keep these in mind when it’s time to create and order packaging materials.

Choose a Packaging Material

Before anything else, you’ll need to figure out what type of packaging you’re going to use. You’ll make your decision based on what type of CBD product you’re selling. If you’re selling powdered products, for example, then it makes more sense to go with pouches than boxes.

We have a blog post called “What Is CBD Packaging?” where we discuss the most popular packaging products used in the industry. These include:

• Product Boxes — Outer shell designed to protect the products from damage.
• Mailer Boxes — Multi-purpose boxes that are commonly used as subscription boxes.
• Shipping Boxes — Large boxes for shipping bulk orders.
• Gift Bags — Eco-friendly alternative to plastic shopping bags.
• Pouches — Food-grade packaging for storing CBD gummies and similar items.

If you’d like to discover other packaging solutions for CBD businesses, visit the PackM custom CBD packaging page.

Find Your Design Language

Design language refers to a company’s rules when it comes to its visual identity. It makes sure that the style used across all packaging materials remains consistent.

By being consistent, customers will have an easier time figuring out which products are yours. It will also make it easier for you to create new packaging down the line since you’re just building on top of existing designs.

Use the Right Typography

The font and font size you use will affect how effective your packaging becomes. Some businesses use what they think are cool fonts. The problem is that customers have a hard time reading them.

You’ll need to make sure that your text is big and legible enough for customers to understand all the information you’re providing them.

Add the Right Graphics

The graphics you use on your packaging is important because it’s what usually draws people in. Understanding your target audience will definitely help. Use images that they’ll find appealing.

You also need to pay attention to the colors you use. Some colors naturally complement each other. Find a color wheel and see what combinations work best for your packaging.

The Challenge of Designing CBD Packaging

The biggest challenge when designing CBD packaging is complying with existing regulations. You’ll need to disclose certain details about the products you’re selling. 

It varies from state to state but there’s information that all CBD sellers are expected to disclose. These include:

• The amount of CBD in the product per container or serving
• The level of CBD concentration, typically in milligrams
• The list of ingredients, including the source of CBD

Consider adding a batch number so you can track your products more easily. You’ll need this in the event you have to recall your products for whatever reason.

Consult local authorities and/or the FDA if you want to know more about the details you have to print on your packaging.

CBD Packaging Tips and Best Practices

Here are some tips and reminders for those who are creating CBD packaging for the first time.

Be Honest in Your Packaging

Don’t make unsupported claims when creating copy for your packaging. You want to be as transparent as possible, especially when making statements about the efficacy of your products. You can’t say that they treat diseases or anything like that.

You can check with the FDA to see what claims you can make about CBD.

Normalize the Use of CBD Products

While people are now more open to the use of CBD, some people still aren’t sold on it. This is possibly because of its link to cannabis. 

You can try to normalize CBD through your packaging. Show all of its benefits. Let customers share how CBD helped them through testimonials. Position CBD as an everyday wellness product. 

Try a Minimalist Design

It’s easy to go overboard with packaging design, especially if this is your first time doing it. Your safest bet is to make a minimalist design. 

Just because there’s not much going on visually doesn’t mean it would get anyone’s attention. Sometimes, minimalist designs are even more effective. It can make your products look more premium.

Explain the Product

You can use different marketing materials to explain what makes your CBD products special. Cards are a great way of sharing educational content with customers. Use these to tell customers the benefits and misconceptions about CBD.

Print custom labels to let everyone know how to use your product and what to expect when they do. That will help them temper their expectations.

Conclusion

When you create CBD packaging, it’s important that you pick the right packaging material, use a consistent design, and disclose everything that the FDA and your local government require you to. 

You want to keep your design simple and readable. More importantly, you don’t want to make any claims that you can’t back up.

If you’d like to learn more about CBD packaging, call or chat with a PackM representative today.