Saturday, 31 May 2014

Designing Soap Bars: Oval (Ellipse) and Circle Shapes with Company Logo/Artwork on Surface by Masterline Molds

Here are some images of how Oval and Circle shape dimensions, surface edges, and the way the Company Logo/Artwork is placed on the soap bar surface all create a style for the soap bar.




Left is the Company Logo/Artwork for La Lavande s Soi and Right is the Finished Soap Bar Design
 
 
 Left is Great Karma Company Logo/Artwork and Right is the Finished Soap Bar Design
 
 
 
 
Left is Cocoonig Collections SA paper rendering and Right is Finished Soap Bar Design
 
 Left is the Benton Clay Company Logo/Artwork and Right is the Finished Shaving Clay Soap Design
 
 
 
 
  

Wednesday, 28 May 2014

Designing Soap Bars: Oval (Ellipse) and Circle Shape Surface Edges by Masterline Molds

As with  Rectangle and  Square Shapes; Oval and Circle Shapes have a different profile and style when you decide the surface edge...





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Tuesday, 27 May 2014

Designing Soap Bars: Oval (Ellipse) and Circle Shapes and Measurements by Masterline Molds


Now that we have gone through the process with Rectangle and Square Shapes, lets look at Oval(known as Ellipse) and Circle Shapes....


 
Using the measurements of a soap bar that is 3.5" long x 2" wide x 1" thick, an oval 3.5" x 2.25" x 1" thick, and 3.5" x 2.5" x 1" thick.  We see that the more we increase the width of the soap bar, the more rounded the oval shape. For a circle the larger the diameter, the more surface there is for the soap bar.  When deciding on an oval or circle shape, knowing how many ounces you would like the soap bar to be really defines the measurements of the soap bar and  how rounded you would like the oval shape to look. 
 
To find the area of an oval we need to multiply Pi (3.14....) by the radius of the length multiplied by the radius of the width.  Let us use 3.5" x 2" x 1" thick as our soap bar dimensions for the oval shape.
3.14... x (3.5 / 2 = 1.75) x (2 / 2 = 1) = Area
3.14... x 1.75 x 1 = 5.49...
5.49... x 1 (thickness) = 5.49... Cubic Inches
 
From the area x the thickness, we know the volume in cubic inches is 5.49... which converted to ounces is 3.04 ounces.  Our 3.5" x 2" x 1" oval shape will have a soap bar that is about 3.04 ounces (remembering that the ingredients we choose for the formula may cause soap bar to weigh more and/or should we be placing anything additional in the formula like an abrasive or an embedded item such as a kids toy). 
 
Say I would like my Oval Soap Bar it look like a more rounded oval like the oval with the area measurements of 3.5" x 2.5" and I would like the soap bar to weigh around 3 ounces. 
3.14... x (3.5 / 2 = 1.75) x ( 2.5 / 2 = 1.25) = Area
3.14... x 1.75 x 1.25 = 6.8...
6.8... x 0.8125 = 5.58.... Cubic Inches
 
When converting the 3.5" x 2.5" x 0.8125" (or 13/16 of an inch) thick oval soap bar that is about 5.58 Cubic Inches to ounces, the soap bar would be about 3.09 ounces.  We could take the ratio aspect of the length and width and size that down should we like the shape and would like the thickness to be around a 1" thickness to have the soap bar weigh about 3.0 ounces.  After we know what ounces and/or measurements we need, we now look at our edges and Company Logo/Artwork design choices and adjust any of the dimensions to get our soap bar with our cubic inches needed to get the ounce weight we would like for the soap bar.
 
 
For a Circle Shape, let us use the 3" diameter x 1" thick for our dimensions.  Pi x radius squared x height or thickness lets us know that a 3" diameter x 1" thick circle shape is about 3.9 ounces or 7.065 Cubic Inches.  Like the Oval Shape, we could decrease the thickness of the soap bar to get the ounces we would like or decrease the ratio aspect of the surface area and/or thickness to get the ounces we would like for the soap bar.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Friday, 23 May 2014

Designing Soap Bars: Company Logo/ Artwork Branding and Visual design By Masterline Molds

Using a rectangle and a square shape, we have shown how shape, edges, corners, weight and measurements form a soap bar design...Let's discuss the Company Logo/Artwork for the soap bar design....


     When designing a soap bar we encourage the use of the Company Name and/or the Company Logo/Artwork on the soap bar.  Branding is the way we recognize products.  Whether it be someone enjoying a bar of soap that they discovered at a friend's place, pushing a cart down a store aisle, strolling around the cosmetics counter, watching TV or Internet accessed shows, browsing E-stores, or shopping the streets in your community for small stores that carry beautiful natural products, we as  consumers need to know who made the product so we can purchase product.

     As consumers, we can take a company name and discover the product information or search the Company Logo/Artwork and discover what company made the soap.  When you have Artwork/Company Logo on the soap bar you are establishing your brand.  The style of the soap bar enhances your Company's brand.  I may have my grandmother's recipe for a soap formula and create my brand style around the concept of an old general store and have my soap bar designed in that style.  My company may be modern or contemporary and I would like my soap bars to show that in the style.  A Company brand could be focussed on a special ingredient that is used in the soap formula.  When a Company is establishing a brand, they are working to expand product information, traffic and use of their products.  Cavity molds work great for control over the weight of the product, consistency in appearance of the soap bar and effective visuals that lets everyone know the Company that placed care in developing their product line. 

     We, at Masterline Molds make suggestions as well on raising or engraving parts of the Company Logo/Artwork or the Company Name on the soap bar surface and content on the soap bar surface.  Here are some Square Shape and Rectangle Shape Soap Bars showing a Company Logo/Artwork and the Finished Soap Bar Design.


Left is the Catleya Botanica Company Logo (packaging label) and the Finished Soap Bar Design
 
 
 
Left is the Anyce Sydney Soap Company Logo and right is the Finished Soap Bar Design
 
 
 
 
Left is The Good Red Earth Soap Company Logo and Right is the Finished Soap Bar Design
 
 

Left is Just Elayne Naturals Company Logo and Right is the Finished Soap Bar Design
 
 

 
Left is Gritts Company Logo and Right is the Finished Soap Bar Design
 
 
Lettering when sized to the soap bar may be small and difficult to read so we will either suggest not having the lettering on the surface or making the lettering larger to read.  
 

Monday, 12 May 2014

Designing Soap Bars: Calculating Dimensions and Ounces of a Soap Bar By Materline Molds



Lets pull out our rulers and calculators for a moment and discuss the size and ounces for a soap bar...


     Using a rectangle shape for our soap bar design, we need to find out what dimensions we need to get a soap bar the ounce weight or volume we would like.  The length, width and thickness or depth of the soap bar lets us know what the cubic measurements of the soap bar are going to be.  Say I would like my soap bar to measure 3.5" long x 2" wide x 1" thick.  3.5 times 2 times 1 equals 7 and since we used inches as our measurement choice the rectangle shape would have 7 cubic inches.  Converting the cubic inches to ounces lets us know that a rectangle that is 3.5" x 2" x 1" thick would create a soap bar that is about 3.878787... ounces in volume.

     Now we need to look at the ingredients that will be used in the formula and the ounce volume of the oils which weight more than water volume, the water in the formula (knowing some will evaporate when bringing the soap to the trace temperature), and anything else that may be added to the soap bar formula  such as an abrasive (seeds, flower petals, bark, an embedded toy for kids, et all).  All of these ingredients can add to the weight of the soap bar.  Our design choices as well can remove some volume or weight to the soap bar such as rounded corners or a rounded surface edge, and engraving into the surface.  Some design details may add volume or weight to the soap bar such as raised artwork/company logo on the surface and raised borders on the surface of the soap bar.

   When we design a soap bar and a client would like their soap bar to be around say 3.5 ounces and it is to be a rectangle with the dimensions 3.5" x 2" x 1" thick, we could round the corners (should the company/artwork logo compliment the choice) and that would decrease the volume placing the soap bar within the minimum range of weight or volume needed.

 When a product is labelled with a weight, the contents of the package must have at least the weight labelled on the package.  Should the soap bar weigh a little more than the package, that is acceptable  to the labeling laws and FDA regulations.  It is when the contents weigh less than the label, a company would face fines.  As we know, it is priority to get as close to the weight as we can knowing there is a minimum the soap bar has to be but not so much over that it costs more to manufacture the soap bar.  A conversation with the client lets us know should they be adding an abrasive or object to the soap bar which helps. 

     One of our suggestions for a company already manufacturing soap bars and would like to have their company logo/artwork and a shape to their soap bar is to measure the length, width, and depth or thickness of the soap bar they are manufacturing and weigh the soap bar to know that is the ounce weight they would like.  We can use those measurements to create their design for the new soap bar.  We can use the dimensions and weight and even change the shape once we have the information.  We at Masterline Molds, as a policy, do not ask about the details of a company's soap bar formula so by having existing weights and measurements of a product, we can use that information to create any shape and size for a soap bar design.

  The measurements of a package or box are good to use as well when creating a soap bar design as we need to make the soap bar fit within those dimensions.

     For a Square Shape Soap Bar  2" x 2" x 1" thick, the soap bar would be 4 cubic inches which is about 2.21645...ounces and a Cube Shape Soap Bar 2" x 2" x 2" would be 8 cubic inches or 4.4392...ounce.  You can see that be changing the thickness can increase dramatically the cubic inches or ounces a soap bar may contain.

Thursday, 8 May 2014

Designing Soap Bars: Surface Edges of Rectangle Shapes and Square Shapes By Masterline Molds



Let's discuss the detail of Surfaces Edges for a soap bar design....

    
 
The Surface Edges are a detail of design for a soap bar.  A rectangle or square shape with straight surface edges and corners gives the soap bar a sharp, crisp style.  A slightly rounded surface edge give the soap bar a clean style and more rounded surface edges of the shape gives the soap bar design a soft fluffy look as seen in the image above.  Rounded corners with straight surfaces edges or slightly rounded surface edges are a contrast from straight corners.  Bevelled edges on a soap bar may be slight as seen in the image or may have a larger angle like a jewel cut. 
 
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Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Designing Soap Bars: Rectangle Shapes and Square Shapes By Masterline Molds

 
 
When Designing Soap Bars.......
 
There are some basic details to review when designing a soap bar.  The shape, the edges, the size and the how the artwork/Company logo should be presented on the surface of the soap bar.  All details of the design are effect when establishing a brand.  Let's discuss Rectangle Shapes and Square Shapes....
 
 
Here are Line Renderings of some Rectangle Shapes that are 3.5" long x 2" wide and Square Shapes that are 2" long x 2" wide.  As you can see, when you change details of the shape, the style dramatically changes for the soap bar.  One can take a rectangle or square shape and add a sculpted patterned detail to the overall shape of the soap bar.