Reflecting on Calbee's Shift to Two-Color Printing from the 'Inside the Packaging Industry'
The Trigger
Calbee announced that it would limit the printing of its snack packaging to two colors.
When I was browsing X after the announcement, I saw opinions from people in the printing industry saying, 'Instead of a combination of white and black, using two complementary colors would improve color reproducibility.' While I understand the comment from a technical standpoint, I felt compelled to add, 'Aluminum bags require a white base layer for JAN code readability.'
Posting this on X was the trigger for writing this article.
The landscape of this Calbee initiative looks quite different when viewed from the outside versus the inside of the industry. I wanted to put that difference into words, as a record to look back on in five years.
Reading it as 'Cost Maintenance' rather than 'Cost Reduction'
In news reports and on social media, this initiative is often discussed in the context of 'cost reduction measures.' However, my reading is a bit different.
Isn't thiscost maintenance rather than cost reduction?
In gravure printing, the number of colors corresponds directly to the number of printing cylinders. If they were to maintain full-color printing in the current environment, they would be hit by rising costs for raw materials (film, ink, adhesives), increased energy costs, and higher prices for imported materials due to the weak yen. The shift to two colors is a means to absorb those increases, and I think it is more accurate to view it as a measure to 'stem the tide of rising costs' rather than 'making things cheaper than they are now.'
The meaning of 'cost reduction' and 'cost maintenance' changes depending on where you set the baseline. This difference may seem small, but it is significant in understanding the essence of the initiative.
The Technical Side
Returning to the X discussion mentioned earlier. The point that using two complementary colors would improve color reproducibility is correct. So why use a combination of white and black?
When printing on aluminum-deposited film, it is necessary to first print a white ink base, known as a 'white base layer.' There are two reasons for this.
One is for color development. If you print directly onto a metallic substrate, the colors will look dull and muddy, so a white base is printed first, and then the design is applied on top. The other reason is the accuracy of JAN code reading. Because the aluminum surface reflects light like a mirror, there is a risk that barcode scanners will misread or fail to read it. The white base layer functions to ensure contrast.
In other words, white is not a material they use because they 'want to,' but because it is 'essential for the product to work.' Composing a design in two colors by adding black (or a dark color) to that can be called a rational choice within the constraints.
Conversely, if the JAN code reading issue could be cleared, a design using two complementary colors would be technically possible. One could think of ways to do this, such as ensuring a white background only for the barcode section.
Thinking about 'Can it be replaced?'
Here, I broadened my perspective a bit and asked the question: is it even necessary to use aluminum packaging in the first place?
The idea of switching to RFID
As a way to fundamentally resolve the constraints of the JAN code, there is the option of switching to RFID tags. RFID does not require a line of sight for reading, allows for bulk scanning of multiple items, and creates significant freedom in the printing design of packaging materials. Led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, its adoption in the convenience store industry is also progressing.
However, there is a paradox here. UHF RFID is the greatest enemy of metal. Aluminum is a material that reflects and attenuates radio waves, making standard RFID tags even harder to read on aluminum packaging than barcodes. While special metal-compatible tags exist, the cost is prohibitively high.
Potato chip bags may be the category least likely to benefit from an RFID transition. The realistic outlook is that apparel and home electronics will lead the way, while flexible food packaging will be left for later.
The idea of switching to paper-based materials
From the perspective of environmental impact, there are calls for a shift to paper packaging. However, the barrier requirements for potato chips are high. It is necessary to block oxygen, light, and water vapor simultaneously, and paper alone cannot satisfy these needs.
Attempting to ensure sufficient barrier properties would require laminating the paper with an aluminum vapor-deposited layer or a PVOH coating, making the cost equal to or higher than the current standard. Since it becomes a composite material despite being marketed as 'paper-based,' it often leads to the ironic result of actually reducing recyclability.
There are cases in Europe of transitions to paper-based snack packaging, but a closer look reveals that many of these are achieved by setting shorter expiration dates to lower the required quality standards.
Aluminum packaging cannot be replaced so easily. That is the honest assessment of those of us in this industry.
Is it hype or a substantive measure?
If a company of Calbee's scale proceeds with two-color printing for all SKUs, the cumulative effects of reducing the number of plates, ink usage, and setup time should be significant enough that it is not a 'meaningless measure.'
However, I feel it is a bit of an exaggeration to frame it in the context of contributing to the naphtha issue. The impact of one company, Calbee, reducing its ink usage on the overall naphtha supply and demand is within the margin of error from an industry-wide perspective. It might be more straightforward to interpret this as a branding measure within the context of sustainability.
The effectiveness of maintaining costs is real. However, there is a slight gap between the context of the announcement and the reality. That is my frank view at the moment.
How will competitors move?
Whether competitors will follow this trend or move in the opposite direction for differentiation—personally, I see it polarizing.
Mid-sized manufacturers facing similar cost pressures are likely to follow suit. With Calbee providing a justification, it may become easier to get internal approval.
On the other hand, brands that have clearly defined a premium path may choose to go against the grain here. Precisely because Calbee has simplified, a strategy of 'standing out' through foil printing, spot colors, and high-design packaging becomes viable. As simple packaging increases on the shelves, the presence of full-color packaging becomes relatively higher.
As I touched upon in the previous discussion, there is also a concern that as national brands move toward simplification, visual differentiation from private brands will diminish. This is a phase where each company's strategy will be tested on how they judge that.
A question for five years from now
Finally, I would like to leave this as a question without providing an answer.
First: When the stable supply of naphtha returns, will Calbee stop using two-color printing? However, considering the context of energy transition, it is unlikely that petroleum-derived naphtha will head in a direction where it becomes 'stably cheaper.' Calbee may have unintentionally stepped onto a path that is difficult to turn back from.
Second: Is 'Simple Packaging Calbee' established as a brand? The simple packaging of MUJI and Apple worked because it was designed as a brand strategy from the start, whereas for Calbee, the order is reversed. Will a reversal occur where a measure started for cost reasons eventually becomes a brand asset over time and through the actions of competitors?
Third. Whether Calbee continues this policy in a few years or reverts to the original. That will be the final answer as to whether it was 'just a buzz-driven move or not'.
This article has no conclusion. I intend to stand in the snack aisle of a supermarket five years from now while holding the same question. No one knows what the scene will look like then.
(Part of the article has been revised following feedback. 2026/5/31)
Added on 5/13
It was also featured on Hatena Bookmark.
