The demand for cardboard packaging is growing exponentially. Smithers the research organization for the print and paper industry, has published a new study stating that the demand for cardboard packaging will increase from $15 billion to $67 billion worldwide by 2017.
With the increasing demand, manufacturers are trying to find various ways to provide customers with packaging solutions that will meet their needs. For this reason, many manufacturers offer specialized custom printed boxes, along with a variety of services.
Materials
For packaging manufacturers, meeting the client’s specific requirements is the ultimate goal. To make sure that the products meet the client’s expectations, manufacturers provide a range of raw materials to choose from.
- Paper board / Cardboard: For many customers, cardboard and paper board are still considered old favorites. Both these materials have the right amount of weight and strength for certain products.
- Corrugated Cardboard: This is another popular option chosen by manufacturers and customers alike for its light weight and durable strength.
- Wood: For specialty products such as foods and beverages, many customers opt for wooden boxes because of their overall strength and longevity. Wooden boxes can be imprinted with company logos, and can be reused by the buyers.
- Eco Friendly Boxes: As many companies have become more environment friendly, they also opt for recycled boxes. These boxes are made from recycled post consumer and industrial waste.
Box Types
Manufacturers offer custom packaging with designs comprising different shapes and sizes. The boxes can be folded, cut, or die cut to meet specific requirements. Some of the well-known types of boxes include:
- Regular Slotted: This is perhaps the most common type of box. All the flaps are of equal length, and they are commonly used for shipping small items like coffee mugs, home show pieces, cutlery, etc.
- Half Slotted: These are similar to the regular slotted boxes. The half slotted boxes have just one set of flaps, allowing product to slide into the box. You will find this box being used for heavier items like washing machines, computers, and refrigerators.
- Die Cut: Custom corrugated boxes are often cut using the die cutting method. A specialized die is used along with a press to create boxes of specific shapes for unique products.
- Overlapping Lids: This box has two top flaps that overlap each other, creating a strong and tight lid. The flaps are of equal length and breadth. They are mainly used for products that require extra support.
Printing
To meet the client`s branding and marketing goals, the customer`s logo color scheme is used as the main set of colors when printing the design. A variety of inks are used including biodegradable soy based inks, fast drying water based inks, and specialty UV inks.
As various clients will have different requirements, most packaging providers have multiple printing presses. Some of the common printing methods they use are:
- Printing: This printing method is similar to rubber stamping. Flexible rubber or polymer plates are used to stamp an image onto the cardboard.
- Screen Printing: In this method, ink is poured onto a screen with a stencil of the image. The ink is forced through the screen and onto the cardboard.
- Lamination: Also called laminating, the image is first printed on paper from a separate printer. The paper is then glued onto the cardboard.
Benefits
Both the manufacturer and the customer can benefit from the option of custom printed boxes:
- The customer has the freedom to send in a design of his choice, which can be printed onto the box.
- The manufacturer can place all important information such as product information, safety warnings, company address, logo, etc. on the box itself.
- There is no necessity to choose a box with a set size or shape. Manufacturers can design a box meant specifically for the product.
- An extra layer of cardboard or paper board can be added during the initial design process itself. This cannot be done with off-the-shelf boxes.
Companies are now researching into creating better packaging technologies and solutions. With such efforts, the future of the packaging industry will surely be a bright one.