There’s a moment in the packaging design process when every detail matters. The choice of material, the graphic composition, and the weight of the paper. And then there’s the finish: that water-based ink, which determines how light interacts with the surface, how the product feels to the touch, and how the brand communicates its identity even before opening the package.
Packly introduces a new water-based matt finish that expands the design possibilities for designers, brands, and marketers. It’s not just a technical alternative but an aesthetic choice that redefines how packaging conveys value, sophistication, and modernity.
Matt as a conscious design choice
In the premium packaging landscape, the matt finish has established itself as a distinctive language. Where gloss amplifies and reflects, matte absorbs and concentrates. This difference isn’t just visual: it’s perceptive, emotional, and strategic.
A matt finish on packaging lends the product an aura of controlled exclusivity. It doesn’t seek attention through reflection, but through presence. It’s a choice that speaks to trust: the brand doesn’t need to shine to be noticed. This quality makes matt packaging particularly effective in sectors where understatement conveys authenticity and refinement doesn’t need ostentation.
How matt changes the perception of value
The psychology of perception teaches us that matt surfaces are associated with artisanal quality, naturalness, and durability. Unlike glossy surfaces, which evoke the idea of protection and immediate brilliance, matt surfaces suggest stability and substance.
This feature is particularly important for brands seeking to position themselves in the premium segment without being flashy. The water-based matt finish offers this option: effective protection that doesn’t alter the tactile perception of the underlying material, maintaining a more direct, authentic contact with the paper substrate.
In premium matte packaging, the velvety feel of the surface creates a multisensory experience. Touch becomes an integral part of the brand’s message: matt packaging conveys a sense of care, attention to detail, and a search for an aesthetic balance that transcends the immediate effect.
Matt vs. Gloss: when to choose one or the other
The choice between matt and glossy finishes isn’t a question of superiority, but of design coherence. Both finishes play a specific role in building a product’s visual identity.
The glossy finish enhances colors and images, adding brilliance and depth. It’s ideal when you want to maximize color impact and highlight detailed photographs or graphics. Gloss captures and reflects light, creating dynamism and immediately drawing the eye.
The matt finish, on the other hand, subtracts rather than adds. It attenuates reflections, focusing attention on the shape and graphic composition rather than the surface effect. It’s the perfect choice when you want to convey a subtle elegance, when the design needs to stand out for its visual architecture rather than its sheen.
In short: gloss amplifies, matt defines. Gloss is expansive, matt is introspective. Choosing matt means controlling the dialogue between light and surface, guiding the eye toward what really matters: the project itself.
Matt and glossy: the art of contrast
It’s when combined with finishing touches that the matt finish reveals its full design potential. The contrast between a matt surface and glossy, metallic, or embossed details creates immediate and effective visual hierarchies.
Matte packaging enhancements give it a three-dimensional presence that would otherwise be less noticeable on glossy surfaces. A gold foil logo on a matt base isn’t simply decorative: it becomes an architectural design element, a focal point that stands out from the underlying surface. The same goes for selective UV coatings, which create tactile as well as visual contrasts on matt surfaces.
This principle is particularly powerful when working with silver foil or embossed details. The matt base acts as a neutral canvas that doesn’t compete with the embellished elements, but rather supports and enhances them. The result is packaging where each level of finish plays a specific role in the overall composition.
The matt finish of the packaging thus becomes not only a protective layer, but also a design tool: it allows the creation of visual and tactile layers that guide perception and generate interest without resorting to excessive graphic complexity.
Application sectors: where matt makes the difference
There are product categories in which the matt finish is not just an aesthetic choice, but almost a strategic necessity.
Premium cosmetics and beauty. In this sector, matt communicates naturalness, purity, and formula research. Cosmetic packaging with a matt finish suggests a scientific approach to beauty, a promise of effectiveness that requires no visual artifice. Brands that choose matte in this context position themselves on a note of authenticity and intrinsic quality.
High-end food & beverage. For premium, artisanal, or organic food products, matt packaging reinforces the values of authenticity and care. Matt packaging for extra virgin olive oil, artisanal chocolate, or quality tea communicates respect for the product and the consumer. The less reflective surface also improves the readability of information and brand storytelling.
Jewelry and accessories. In an industry where every detail matters, the matt finish offers an elegant, neutral base that doesn’t distract from the product. Gift boxes with a matt surface convey a subtle sophistication and lend themselves perfectly to embellishments that take center stage in the design.
Corporate brand identity and packaging. For marketing materials, corporate presentations, or corporate product packaging, matt conveys professionalism and attention to detail. It’s the choice of those who want to be remembered for substance, not effect.
The water-based matt finish: aesthetics and responsibility
Beyond aesthetic considerations, the choice of a water-based matt finish responds to an increasingly central need in contemporary design: sustainability.
Water-based paints represent a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional solvent-based solutions. They reduce environmental impact during production, facilitate packaging recycling, and meet the growing demands of a more responsible graphics industry.
This aspect is not secondary: more and more brands are building their identity through production choices consistent with their values. A water-based matt finish allows you to combine aesthetic excellence with environmental responsibility without compromising the final result.
Packly uses a water-based varnish to protect and enhance each package, ensuring a durable and eco-friendly result. The matt finish adds elegance and sophistication and is ideal for contrasting with embellishments.
Designing with matt: a look to the future
The availability of a high-quality matt finish significantly expands the design possibilities for packaging designers. It’s not just about adding a technical option to the portfolio, but about offering an expressive tool that meets specific aesthetic and communication needs.
Choosing a matt finish means having complete control over the way light, color, and shape interact. It means being able to create packaging where elegance emerges from subtraction rather than addition, where each element has a defined role in the visual hierarchy, and where touch becomes an integral part of the brand experience.
For designers and brands seeking to stand out in increasingly crowded markets, matt offers a distinctive language: it doesn’t shout out for attention, but asserts itself through presence, consistency, and attention to detail. It’s a choice that speaks of design maturity, a profound understanding of how surfaces communicate, and respect for those who will receive and use the product.
Packly’s new matt finish
Packly’s new water-based matt finish fits into this scenario as a concrete response to a real design need: offering aesthetic quality, technical performance, and environmental responsibility in a single solution. Because the packaging of the future can no longer afford to choose between beauty and sustainability, between effective communication and awareness.
Matt isn’t just a finish: it’s a statement of intent. Start designing your product packaging with a matt finish. Packly will add the final touch of class.
