While it may not seem obvious at first, attractive graphics can improve the shelf life of a product. To understand how it works, we first need to learn what shelf life is and what factors it depends on. Only then we can establish a link between shelf life and graphics.

The shelf life of a product is defined as the time period during which perishable goods such as food products, chemicals and some drugs have to be used. The shelf life of a product depends on a number of factors – the materials used to manufacture the product, storage conditions, and the barrier provided by the packaging material.

Of these three, the materials used in manufacturing the product are the most important. The storage conditions (cold storage) constitute the second most important factor. A strong package provides protection against environment, wear and tear during transportation, and minor scratches.

Great graphics require an additional layer of plastic or some other material to be added to a package. This increases the thickness of a package, thus making it stronger. This happens in stand up bags, spouted pouches, barrier bags, and other related packaging options.

In other words, improved graphics don’t just make the packaging more attractive, it can also increase the shelf life of the product by making its packaging stronger.