How to print your first branded packaging
Are you ready for custom boxes?
How are you going to get those boxes printed? Here’s a quick look at options for launch pricing on folding cartons.
Go digital. Packaging printers and their equipment suppliers are finally getting together to provide the equipment needed to produce very good looking digital folding cartons. It's not just the printing on a digital press, it's the finishing steps that you'll need too. You'll need a protective coating, the carton has to score/diecut and glue. Do you want any extra decoration such as foil? Depending on your print vendor, you may or may not be able to do all of the bells and whistles during the first run. Running small quantities is excellent for showing your product in sales presentations, at tradeshows, to industry magazine editors - all the places you need to show your product to get started. The digital carton we make and sell can be a comp, but it can also be used on shelf because it’s been finished just like a full production carton. Get to know us better and we can do a few at no cost to get your foot in the door at that retailer or for that photo shoot.
Go full production all the way. Quantities of 5000 and up will have you running a packaging project with offset printing. You’ll most likely incur some one time charges for prepress, plates and probably the cutting die (aka “tooling”). If you don’t change your art or structure on your reprint, you won’t have these charges again. Some printers will roll the cost of tooling into the unit cost. You should have your choice how you want to see those costs.
Some folding carton structures are lower cost to produce than others. If your carton doesn't glue - you've figured out a way to use tabs and tucks instead of a glue seam - that will be less expensive than a glued folding carton.
The bulk of our work has been custom, but there are some stock items out there that may work for you as well.
As always, please give us a call or send an email to discuss your brand and your plans. We’ll figure out what works best together.
Another great place to start is the Packaging Conversation Starter. You can grab that here.
