Tag Archives: custom boxes

What are Packaging Inserts

Packaging is great for marketing the stuff that you have, but you also need to look at more than just the box where this came from. Box inserts are actually a great way to enhance, and boost the branding, elevating the experience of unboxing.

It also can be good for cross-selling, feedback, and a personalized connection that comes with the market you’re going for. Here, we’ll discuss the benefits, and options of these inserts.

What Inserts Are

Inserts are some new additions that are put within the packaging, making a better, more impactful type of unboxing experience.

They include materials that are printed, product types of samples, and even tiny gifts that care divided into two types of categories.

They are:

Inserts for the boxes
Promotional types of inserts.

The box ones are used for product protection, to further support these products so that they get to the doorstep of a customer safely.

While the primary focus is to protect, the printing on these is possible for box inserts, to offer more branding to the interior of the box through shapes, patterns, even text sometimes.

Promotional inserts on the flip side are what communicate to the customers for another reason rather than the product itself. Thank-you, inserts of the product samples, or even code discounts are put there. the goal of these is to bring value and also build the connections of the customer.

Types of Inserts

Now that you’ve got an idea of the two main categories, let’s talk about each type of insert.

First, we’ll go over the box inserts. Box inserts do range from a simpler type of product to more complex variants of materials, depending on each of the products themselves.

Some more common material types include:

Corrugated cardboard
Foam
Molded pulp
Plastic or blister packs

Foam is the most common because they’re super lightweight, so they won’t eat your shipping costs. They also are mostly resistant to wear and scratches.

It also is great for glass products, or anything that’s fragile like a camera lens, since they provide extra protection against shocks and jars.

Corrugated ones are another very versatile option and are used for durability and protection of these products during the shipping process. It also maintains sustainability by offering recyclable and renewable materials.

But, despite the fact that they offer less protection, they are also better for high quality printing, finishing, and sustainability, which is something that foam inserts may not be able to accomplish.

Molded pulp or a plastic one is much similar to the other two, but they are a bit different. They cannot have printing on them due to the texture of the surface. They also offer more precise molding, however, which is cool for a lot of people.

There are some differences between molded pulp and plastic though. molded pulp is good for protection and is good for sustainability. Plastic however, unlike molded pulp, is not as eco friendly, but it’s actually more food safe, which is why some people use it.

Plastic, compared to molded, is also more lightweight, but offers greater protection. But, plastic inserts, despite their problems with environmental sustainability, are still very common in the food and medical industries.

Printing on these only works on paper, or the cardboard ones. However, most people don’t print on these a lot. They might if they know that it’ll enhance the unboxing that comes with this.

Overall, look at your options, and see which type of insert will work for the needs you have.

Retention Vs Suspension Packaging

Both suspension along with air cushioning are two forms of packaging that are good if you don’t want to use packing peanuts or other materials.

But which one is better? What’s the ideal option if you’re looking to use this, and why should one or the other be used?

Here, we’ll give you some information, and also give you some cool tips to really get the best out of the packaging that you use.

Suspension Packaging

This is where you put items within inserts, and they’re suspended. Usually, a film is put around this item, so it stays in one place. The combination of both suspension and retention are great for protecting items from this damage, and also offers space between these items and the packaging edges.

This is very popular for ecommerce markets, especially when products are usually more fragile. There are also a lot of benefits that come with this, rather than just safety.

Suspension packaging odes offer the following benefits:

They’re simple, so you can pretty much put anything in there, and it’s the ideal solution for all packaging
They are great because you don’t need to buy a whole bunch of machinery just to make this work. It doesn’t require as much expense, or training either.
They’re affordable, and usually don’t require a whole lot of expensive foam to do this. it’s also very easy to store the items
It’s cleaner too, so you’re not having to worry about getting stuff everywhere. That means less of a mess, and customers will be far less upset when they are able to easily get their items out.
Finally, cardboard is more sustainable, and it does give it the edge. It also uses far less materials, which does amplify this

Air Pillows

Air pillows are becoming a lot more common as a replacement when you compare this to packaging peanuts.

They’re essentially little rolls of plastic that’s flat, with little pockets within. You inflate this, and air is there. it then is sealed, cushioning these items so that it doesn’t jostle about when it’s there.

The very common in ecommerce because it’s good for holding those more delicate items that are out there, giving it a stuck palace to sit while being transported.

It also is much cheaper than other types of packaging options that come with this, and there are a lot of great options for your to enjoy. If you’re someone looking to save money, then you’ll want to look at this.

The benefits of air pillows are as follows:

They’re lightweight, so if you’re shipping stuff that has a bit of extra weight, you can reduce your expenses this way, making this far more affordable for the business, and for the customers that are getting the items as well.
They’re affordable, and usually are much cheaper than even foam packaging, or packaging peanuts as well.
They’re compact, so along with saving money on this shipping, it also saves a lot of warehouse space. This is something that starts out initially as a plastic roll, so it takes up far less space.
They also are good as well for eco friendliness. Foam peanuts along the like are usually not. Not only that, but this is also pretty clean too, and air pillows are less obtrusive.

Both of these packaging types are great, but when to use them is dependent on the needs.

In general, use suspension packaging when you want to minimize damage risk. Air pillows are good for products that are lightweight, and also don’t take up a ton of packaging space either.

Pallet Stretch Wrapping to Secure Shipments Better

Pallet stretch wrapping has been popular since the 1970s, when it came out as a better, more affordable type of shrink wrapping, while the early wraps didn’t have the stretch rate we see today, this has evolved into many different ways over time, with lots to choose in terms of options.

Most people don’t know that there are options, so here’s but a few that we love.

Pallet Wrapping with Holes

This is called vented pallet wrapping. These holes are made with a die cut in order to obtain the best airflow. They usually are limited, and they keep the condensation otherwise. This airflow is vital for wrapping frozen foods, produce, and a whole lot more. Most companies that wrap this do it to trap moisture within this. This moisture that’s trapped does cause your produce to spoil much faster but with holes, it allows the air to escape, and it reduces spoilage.

It also helps with condensation issues, a major problem for frozen foods due to the changes in temperature. With pallet wrapping, this condensation then refreezes, and from there ice crystals begin to form on the outside of this packaging. They don’t look good, but with pallet wrapping with holes, it can prevent the condensation from forming, and prevents these packaging options from being torn up and damp.

Pallet Wrapping for a Machine

This is one with decades of use. This is one that’s evolved a lot due to the different wrappers that are there. this resin formula also does change too. In order to make this possible, various extruders will melt the resin pellets that are formed, creating a thin, unique line.

As they melt, a lot of additives get thrown in there, and for the most part, it provides different types of characteristics, including stretch rate, and also has a capability of stretching to many levels. It can reduce the usage and the costs of the film. But there is no amount that doesn’t prevent the tearing, especially if it has an extreme amount of stretch.

When you’re looking for this type of wrapping, check out the many different options that are there. Normal gauged types of pallet wrapping is the status quo for many, but it’s not as prevalent as it was previously.

The equivalent stretch wrapping makes a lot of the pallet wrapping that’s sold today. There are different varieties, with the main characteristics of this being thinner, and much more compatible and even equivalent in order to keep the retention. You should always ask for a sample when you’re talking to suppliers, since they can give you many options.

Handled Pallet Wrapping

This is one that comes with a core that’s the standard 3 inches. The insides of this can be uncomfortable for some people, and you need to roll this pretty tight in order to apply this.

But that’s where the pallet stretch wrapping with handles comes from. The core is just one inch, so it’s very easy for you to use, and a lot of companies that wrap different stuff in many areas will use this. The rolls become much easier to put together, and it causes much less stress on your hands during the application process. The best part is that it’s easy for someone to recycle it, as you can discard this pretty quickly.

Stretch wrapping has a variety of uses, and here, we’ve given you a few of them, so that, when you’re able to use this, you can create the ideal stretch wrapping experience for your goods and needs too.

Affordable Packaging Ideas for Small Businesses

Whether you’re running a small business with one idea, or a lot, the first thing that you must do is make sure that the packaging offers the prime first impression you want for the product.

The correct packaging is functional, appealing, and friendly to the budget. Packaging is more than just transporting, and also protecting these products. Rather, it plays a focal role in the decisions of consumers that must be considered in a lot of cases. Packaging allows you to market the small business aptly, and also impress the customers, in order to set the quality tone that you want to.

For small businesses on a budget, it’s imperative to get creative. you don’t need a huge budget in order to create an affordable option. Kraft paper is one thing that’s super impressive.

Here are some ideas for packaging on budgets.

Evaluate your Needs

First, you need to make sure you get the right packaging items for your needs.

Do you tend to have lightweight, heavy, or large or small objects? You need to know these needs.

You may want to also look at the products that are for display, and only display. This is something that a lot of people need to consider when they choose the correct packaging.

Next, you want to look at the customer base, because some industrial clients may ask for different things rather than retail. Retail needs less packaging than industrial, which might require some heavy duty materials in order to protect this.

Finally, you need the expectations, because products that are fragile will need more care. Remember, customers want these products to be intact. Make sure you know your needs before you continue on.

Understand your Budget

Small businesses especially must know their budgets, because the packaging needs to be a part of this. don’t choose different products just because of the price.

While packaging that’s affordable is vital for the operations of the business, and the budget, you must never skimp out on the options and quality.

For instance, an envelope that is white might be the best business parcel type of packaging, as this is classic, and affordable. Basically, have the budget, and choose the correct items that fit into it.

Understand Packaging

If you don’t know the right types of packaging for your needs, you want to make sure that you get a good feel for this.

Learn about your options, what’s available, and also the applications and videos that go with this. This is great because it’ll help you better understand this process.

Get Creative

You want to get creative with your packaging. It also doesn’t have to break the bank either.

Don’t be scared of color. For instance, tissue paper that’s packed within a box can be fun for customers. Patterned boxes for shipping with a printing inside is a great way to create a design trick.

This doesn’t have to be super expensive either. Don’t go too crazy with this.

Layer your Stuff

Finally, consider the layering, especially for those luxury products, or anything you want to ship out to customers that you want them to look at, and feel a little special when they receive it.

One simple means is the box within a box. Silky bags for jewelry, or even some fabric pouches can be good. Even little envelopes that are unique and customized are good.

Giving them layers also adds more fun to the unboxing experience, and also is great for you to discover the products that you have. You’ll be amazed at the different means that you give to the customer.

How to Make Food Packaging POP

If you’re someone who is stumped on how to bring your cupcakes and cake pops, or even jams and cakes to others, you’re not alone. The typical plastic container is so last season, and you want to use something that’s more eco friendly, while also looking good.

Well, we have the answer, and our food packaging is definitely quite unique, and provides you with a fun experience that you can do.

Food packaging doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s actually quite simple. The first thing to do is to measure the food packaging that you have, and the product itself. Chances are, you’re using something that’s not the right fitting size.

Because of the advent of digital printing, there are now more ways than ever before to build and make packaging that really stands out. And what’s better, is if you’re not sure on whether a design will work, you can now purchase food packaging that runs only about 50 or so copies, so you can determine for yourself if this is the right option for you.

The beauty of this packaging is its versatility. All of these come with snap lock base boxes, so they snap close, and will lock. This is great because it allows for product protection without having to add seals and other aspects. They’re easy to fold together, and then, once you have everything in place, you can place the items in there.

These are pretty sturdy and will withstand most jostles to a small degree. It might not survive from a high fall, but it may keep most of the product intact.

Now, let’s talk about design. Remember when we said these could be used for jams as well as cakes and other baked items? That’s true. To put a product like that in there, just insert the jar, and then close this. The cool thing about this is that it’s very easy for you to get this set up, boosting the capabilities of this, wherever possible.

As for the types of designs to make on this, the sky’s the limit. Your front is where you want to focus, and you should add the name of the product, the logo, and important graphics. For instance, orange jams may require you to put some oranges on there, and strawberries for strawberry jams. Whatever the case, go for packaging colors that fit the brand.

If you have pink cake pops, consider a pastel color for these, as that will help with improving the way that this looks.

The top of this can have the name of the product there, for ease of use. There are a lot of great ways for you to incorporate this, building the different aspects of the product however you wish to.

Finally, we’ve got the back of the box and the sides. The back of the box can include nutritional information, which you can add into there if you need to. Not every single vendor may include the nutritional information for cake pops, but it’s a thought to consider, especially when you’re trying to improve your ability to boost the sales of the products that are here.

Finally, there’s the top. While it might not seem like much, there are still unique ways for you to boost this. consider adding some nice little design to the top of this to really add a nice effect.

Overall, food packaging is a great way to improve your items, and the right food packaging can win over customers. Consider these options when choosing to change your packaging too.

Mandatory Information for Food Packaging

The EU recently put in regulations on a European level to decide the mandatory information to be on food packaging of the products. What are they? Well, here, we’ll go over the food packaging that needs to be printed, and why each must be there.

The Physical Product Form

This is a product specification that discusses the state of the product. For instance, if the product is frozen, powdered, or concentrated.

Table of nutritional Information

Another thing that needs to be on there is the nutritional information table, which indicates the amount of calories in the product, along with the nutrients that sit within this product. Calories, fats, carbs, fibers, protein, and salt also must be included. They all need to be expressed on a per 100 grams or 100 milliliters of this product or based on a specified portion.

Nutritional tables also need to be easy to see, and usually sit on the back part of the packaging, since the front is usually used for promotional purposes.

Vegetable Fat and Allergens

Along with the ingredients list in a lowered weight order, there are also lists for the allergens that must be in the product. For instance, gluten, nuts, eggs, and milk are commonly added. They also may highlight each of these allergens in a different font, size, or even a color so consumers can see this and realize it contains an allergen before consuming.

They also might specify the types of oils, or vegetable fats that get used in this. For example, palm oil, olive oil, hydrogenated fats, sunflower oils, and the like usually gets added. Most of the time, vegetable oils won’t do enough. Some companies, however, do bypass this legal vacuum and didn’t specify the exact vegetable oils that were used, so it hid that there was a chance they were using cheap, or bad ingredients. For example, palm oil and rapeseed oil were two common ones, and they usually were not included.

Size of the Font

The characters that get used for a lot of the food information needs to minimally be 1.2 millimeters, and usually the characters get printed in a lower case. For a smaller package, minimally, it must be .9 mm.

Date of Expiration

You also need to include the expiration date, especially on products that are very perishable, and usually, they precede it with the words “best if used by” so that the date that’s specified there talk about the best case for the product to be used.

Some products can handle a longer period of usage, and usually, that says “best before” instead. That means that they can have this past that use date, without endangering themselves, especially in terms of health. However, there may be small changes in the health of a person if they use this after the expiration date.

Storage conditions and the Usage Terms

The person also needs to indicate on tehri products the best ways to store this. For instance, if it says to stay away from heat, or in a place that’s cool and dry, they must indicate such.

Address and Origin country

Finally, you need to make sure that you have the address of the company, and optionally, the production plant addresses.

If there are certain products that have specific origins for their countries, you also want to make sure that you include this.

Finally, everything must be written in languages that people are able to understand, especially in the EU. For instance, they will make sure that you have the same packaging that’s distributed to each of the different customers in various countries too.

Creating Printing Files for Packaging Designs

One thing that you’ll want to know how to do when you’re creating customized packaging, is make printing files for this.

Designing the right printing files is vital to your project’s success. This is because the source files have all of the information necessary to create great graphics, and results with the colors, and there are different elements which are positioned and designed based on the rules to avoid the ongoing problems with printing.

Most printing files must be created in what’s called CMYK mode to start with.

You can download different die cut templates that have printing files. Your die cut is made up of three different kinds of paths. The green lines, which talk about the way the artwork needs to be extended outwards, the blue lines that talk about where the artwork will have some trimming, and then red lines that indicate the precise location for folding and scoring the box.

The colors as well must not be used in the printing files that are there, because they do represent the way that the manufacturing information works. Some graphic elements that are realized through the spot colors options are not printed, or they may indeed get processed by the colors used for manufacturing.

Some beginners will look at this and think that their graphics should not cross the lines to cut. This, however, is an incorrect thought, and ultimately, it depends on every single case. If you’ve got a background that’s colored, or an image that’s extended outwards towards these green boarders, during the creasing and die cutting part of this, your paperboard sheets might have some level of displacement based on microns, which is precisely why these graphics must be extended in order to bleed out so that the border isn’t totally white.

Due to the requirements for the sheets, it’s vital to put together pictures, texts, and symbols that are 3/5 of a mm minimum from both the red and the blue lines, in order to stop them from being cut up, or on the crease itself.

When you do this, try to overprint, because for these templates, this properly manages the colors. Be default as well, when you print out these colors and they overlap, the top color usually knocks out those under all of this.

Overprinting is oftentimes used to prevent the knockout of these colors, making them seem more transparent when it’s done in relation to the ink that’s underlying.

It’s vital to ensure that overprinting is done for the text in black that’s placed within backgrounds that are colored so that they aren’t out of register, a term that means that the text is not overlapping with backgrounds.

If this is not overprinted, there’s a white, bordered part of each of these typefaces.

In order to set the overprinting in your photo editing software, you’ve got to select the die cut layers, place this forward, and from there, choose the multiply layer effects.

Then there is the black that goes along with this in the background colors, and the percentages are usually 100 just for the K a value. But, if you want to; enjoy a black background, and the K provided is not enough, you will have to change out the values of this, and the percentages ultimately depend on the technologies used.

For images with higher resolutions, you want to make sure that the images, texts, and logos orientation is done based on what’s on the box. Die cut templates show these external sides of the packaging as it’s opened, and each side makes the last part of the box.

Packaging Symbols

There are a lot of labels used for boxes, especially within different industries of said products. Symbols offer a more standardized sort of means. With each symbol, you convey this information in some less space. Each of these symbols provide a meaning that’s unique and different there.

The Typologies

When we discuss different packaging symbols, they usually refer to these as ideograms, or pictograms, which are created for different actions, identifying them, and also the use conditions, or to communicate information that’s essential in order to choose, and further utilize this product.

Symbols are typically used to convey some direct types of information, more or less in an effective way, to every single consumer. These also provide some kind of technical element, which is designed for different people that handle filling and manufacturing of packaging. It is definitely about different types of typologies, and also functionalities that are specific, and depending on the type of product, the recipient, and the industry, these can vary.

Providing smart communication.

The symbols on packaging are made for consumers to convey different types of information about protection, rights, and what’s working to preserve, and recycle within each and every single product.

Every single item type, based on a product category, has some type of standard forms and symbols, which are governed by different kinds of regulations too.

Foodstuffs and products for instance use materials that realize every single packaging, and you want to make sure that the symbols are ideal for those who use this with foods, and there are features shown on boxes with different symbols too. In contrast, different animal symbols are identified with specific types of identification marks that are oval shaped. Within each of these, the indicated country name where some manufacturing is, and the reference number along with industries concerned are also on there. you may also have the CE abbreviation on this too.

These signs are usually called CE marketing, and both the recycling and environmental ones are then put onto the packaging when this specifically conforms with different requirements that are there right now.

All of these symbols do refer to a need within your packaging design and industry. This is to communicate with each of the different consumers within a tinier space.

From this, the box dimensions are then bound closely to the product dimensions inside, and in a few cases, it’s about the small packaging that’s needed, and later on, you must insert some specific types of information.

Designer Tools

There are now different vector charts that one can download and use, and they’re all free. You’ll be able to keep these used symbols on hand, while also working on different product and product designs that are there. While you begin to realize your graphic design is imperative, you’ll also start to find as well the different dimensional cand chromatic limits of these symbols. Some of them must be there for legal reasons to satisfy different types of regulations and requirements.

If you’re struggling with this, don’t’ be upset, but instead, open this up with some Adobe Illustrator, and then, put it together.

Remember too that the usage of each of these symbols is something that’s only allowed with conformity in some cases, and with specific agreements and licenses. Failure to add this and to conform to the needs and licenses will cause some issues, and you might be subject to various legal issues and actions that are there too, so make sure to keep this in mind when you’re designing, and always make sure that you’ve got everything in place when you design the packaging.

The Best Packaging for Medical Items

When you create a packaging, the appearance of this does matter a whole lot, especially in the realm of packaging.

When you’re building food boxes for instance, you want something that’s appearing to be inviting and tasty. You want the drink packaging to be lip smacking, and medical packaging should always be as trustworthy as it can be.

All other kinds of packaging that’s used for daily activities should also be good to the eyes. this is something that’s important to consider but remember it can also be monotonous.

Medical packaging and pharmaceutical packaging should be beautiful, but you also want something that’s effective and clear so that patients don’t get confused when they use and purchase all of these.

Drugs need to communicate to the patient what to do with this. you want to make sure that the goal of medical packaging s to communicate everything, in a simple manner.

The Style “Choice

One of the biggest reasons why a lot of packaging for pharma items get characterized by white, is because it’s a symbol for sterility, and purity as well. different texts and other information is put on there, in a very legible font. This is because it helps the person figure out right away the name of the medicine, the features, use and composition of the packaging, along with all of the essentials that are there.

In order to guarantee that there is clearness of these products, there are regulations for these packaging options, and a lot of times, there are now regulated minimum dimensions on there for the types of packaging, the barcodes, and a whole lot more.

Some might also contain different dosages and other important colors on there. colder colors may refer to something more regular and lighter. Warmer ones are stronger, and they point to higher, more powerful types of dosages.

In regard to images, there are also illustrations of the organs that are there, and different apparatus that are there, including tablets and pills, which pass through different chemical element representations, and also molecules that are far less styled.

Consider the target group.

Finally, you want to consider this target group. The choice of graphics might vary based on the audience that’s there, and the target, especially when you’ve got products for both kids and adults. Minimal, elegant, and defined graphics do contrast with different designs that are lively, colorful and the like.

For kids, you want to go with the more colorful route, as that’s more appealing to them. That also shows to adults that that’s a product for kids. You want to make sure as well that you don’t go too crazy with the colors. For adult packaging, you want to go minimal, but not super boring either.

There are a lot of different ways to encourage this too. For kid’s packaging, having them in cartoons that they like is always a plus. For example, Flintstones gummies and vitamins are all really good for kids, and there are a lot of great ways for kids to enjoy this. kids will see the box and know that it’s a Flintstones gummy or vitamin, because of the graphics there.

As for adults, you want to go minimal, but not so bland and boring that it impacts the overall state of the packaging. You want a packaging that provides a really good, really immersive type of packaging that’s really good for you, and one that can provide you with the right message.

Check the message, and always make sure you have it correctly conveyed on all of the packaging that’s there.

The Biggest Packaging In the World

We really want to tell you about something big, like really big. This big part is the biggest packaging that you can get.

Here, we’ll talk about why this is really important. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that they do contain products, and a lot of times, big packaging gives you a chance to offer both aesthetics and functionality. This is a great form of advertising too, and it’s something that’s partially why it’s really good for ensuring that you have the right packaging size.

When it happens, for instance, some of them might even break world records, or even similar records out there.

The other reason why some people might use this is to communicate, as it does provide a unique, compelling reason and purpose for you to have the item. This is because it’s used in a variety of cases as a guerilla marketing campaign. This is because it does show the purpose of the item, and also shows how exciting and fun these new packaging experiences can be too.

Making a large package is very eye-catching, along with being emotional for a lot of cases. It’s something that works on a smaller type of scale too. It also incorporates the surprise effect, this is one that does leave the market that you wish to have on the customers, a memory of what’s to come. In some cases, the memory might be so ingrained and important that the product might even go viral in some cases.

You want to make products unforgettable, and a big package will do just that.

So what are some examples? Well, Thornton, a candy company, had a “moments” collection for their chocolates. This was a huge box of chocolates inside. It shows to others that it’s okay to share the moment.

There are also cereal companies that love to use this for a reason. Honey Bunches of Oats, a healthy cereal that a lot of people love, is one example of this. This is a marketing campaign where they used a huge box, showing the importance of a balanced breakfast, while also creating a very profound effect through the use of the packaging that they offer. It was miraculous, and quite beautiful as well, a real winner for you.

Then there’s amazon. We know Amazon because of their delivery services, highlighting a two-day delivery or even sooner in a lot of places. With this delivery box, you’ll see amazon coming from a mile away, or sometimes even further. They used a marketing campaign where they put the box on a big truck, to showcase how fast they work, and how important they are.

With big packaging, you can create an effect. While the world is going more minimal with their packaging, for packaging showcases, it’s best to consider going big with them, as they can create an effect.

The one downside is that they may be purely for cosmetic purposes only, to the point where it might not be usable for you in a lot of cases. But, with the newest additions to the realm of packaging, there are now more ways than ever for you to get everything that you need to.

When choosing the right packaging, and choosing the ideal state of packaging, you want to have a box, and one that’s quite beautiful, for your packaging needs. You’ll be able to, with this packaging, highlight and create the best results possible. Through this, you’ll be able to craft and enjoy packaging that really stands out and appeals to others.