Packaging Decoration Focus - Acid-Etching and Frosting

Packaging Decoration Focus - Acid-Etching and Frosting

Acid-etching and spray frosting are processes where regular clear (or self-coloured) glass is transformed into a translucent aesthetic, which ultimately reduces clarity but allows light to diffuse and filter through.

What are Acid-Etching and Spray Frosting?

Acid-etching and spray frosting are both processes where regular, clear (or self-coloured) glass is transformed into a translucent aesthetic, which ultimately reduces clarity but allows light to diffuse and filter through.

Normally, you’ll find frosted glass being used in a practical sense as the material of choice for privacy windows, partitions and doors. In recent years frosted glass packaging has taken these practical elements and turned them into signs of luxury such as privacy, intimacy, exclusivity and so on.

We see these traits with some of our clients’ frosted bottles or frosted jars, particularly if they are creating an upmarket or premium product. We’re always seeking to match the right container and decoration method to all of our clients’ brands and marketing.


Development of Acid-Etching and FrostingClear Frosted Jars

Acid-etched glass is a decoration process thousands of years in the making. Also known as “French embossing”, craftsmen applied heat to fluorite and saw it produced hydrofluoric acid. This acid when applied to glass would erode the top layer and leave a frosted or opaque appearance. Much safer methods have been developed since then, giving greater protection to those that work with the materials and being less harmful to the environment.

Spray frosting is a different method which involves spraying a semi-translucent lacquer evenly to the surface of your container. This lacquer is then cured, normally with heat to ensure successful adherence. We use the highest quality decorators especially when it comes to spray frosting to ensure little to no defects or scuffing of your product. The frosting effect can also be achieved without any chemicals at all. A specific mould can be created to replicate the uneven surface of acid-etched glass, meaning the surface will appear frosted straight from the manufacturing mould.


Acid-Etching and Frosting Design

We work closely with our clients in helping find the best decoration method for their container, be it bottles, jars, lids or anything else. The acid-etched process will leave behind a uniquely smooth, satin appearance which gives that luxurious frosted look. The design will not peel, chip, or wear down over time.


Frosting Colours and TexturesAmber Frosted Jars

Spray frosting allows for the introduction of coloured tints and textures however acid-etched frosting is much less susceptible to scuffing in transit. We can talk you through the most appropriate method for your product’s design as we have experience in managing production expectations for many industries, particularly in the cosmetics, personal health and organic skincare industries.