Rigid Boxes (also called “Set-Up Boxes”) are a very common type of packaging and they are often associated with luxury products. Rigid boxes are typically four times thicker than an average folding carton and are not usually printed on directly. They are instead wrapped with paper that can be as plain or luxurious as desired. (If you are need a quick explanation on the 3 … [Read more...]
The High Cost of Rigid Boxes – An Alternative Solution
You've found the perfect rigid box style to showcase your wonderful product. You request quotes from different rigid box companies only to be stunned by the cost per unit. Yikes! Yes, a lot of people want a rigid box for their product. Who wouldn't? They increase the value of your product in the mind of the consumer, but the high cost of a rigid box makes using them unrealistic … [Read more...]
Types of Packaging – The Stretch Pak
Even though I wrote about Stretch Pak packaging in a blog post about blister packs some time ago (you can read it here), I felt that it deserved a little more time in the spotlight. What makes it so special is that it's a wonderful alternative to standard blister packs or clamshell packaging. Stretch Pak performs as well as blister packs do (in some cases better) but it has … [Read more...]
Why All Packaging Businesses are Actually “Packaging Brokers”
In today's packaging industry there is a lot of grey area concerning the roles of packaging businesses. What exactly is the packaging company doing in-house and what are they hiring others to do for them? How many middle men are in the equation? It can get confusing for a packaging buyer to determine what the packaging company they hired is actually doing themselves and what … [Read more...]
What Are The Common Types of Packaging Companies?
While looking for packaging for your product, you will likely encounter many different types of packaging companies. I think it's important to know, to some degree, how these packaging companies differ so you can understand the advantages each type has to offer. The two most common types of packaging companies are: manufacturers (they make and sell packaging) and brokers … [Read more...]
Packaging Prototype – What it is and Why You Would Need One
What is a Packaging Prototype? A packaging prototype is an example or mock-up of what your packaging (with full printed graphics) would look like before it goes into mass production. It is often hand-made or assisted by light, specialized machinery. A prototype is not "functionally proper" packaging, and may not be technically perfect, but it does a good job at representing a … [Read more...]
Paper vs Print – The Value of Premium Paperboard
When it comes to folding cartons (an industry term for a product's retail box packaging) many packaging buyers believe that all the fancy packaging graphics printed on ordinary white paperboard (what the folding carton is made of) is what wows the customers and sells the product. They erroneously believe that all the magic happens at the packaging manufacturer's print shop. But … [Read more...]
Custom Packaging – What Quality of Materials Are You Using?
Custom boxes used for packaging, such as folding cartons or rigid boxes are made of paper, as are labels, bags, gift cards, hangtags, signage and much of the marketing collateral we are exposed to. And even though paper is the main ingredient in much of our packaging and branding it is something most packaging buyers, surprisingly, don't pay much attention to. When buying … [Read more...]