We appreciate a great-looking box, even if it is not one of ours. The one in the photo at the top of this post is a box we received from one of our customers. It was manufactured somewhere overseas and what really makes it outstanding is not visible in any photograph. The interior features a “soft touch” litho label producing a luxurious and premium feel inside, where it matters most.
Three Basic Print Options
We often talk about offering three different types of printed boxes. We can utilize any one of the following methods to print just about anything you and your graphic artists can imagine.
- Flexographic Printing – by far, the most popular option because we can create great looking boxes, even with complex graphics, at minimal cost. It uses water based inks and requires rubber plates which make it less feasible for short runs under 1,000 boxes.
- Digital Printing – much like the printer on your desk, it can print virtually any graphic design, with any number of colors. Unlike Flexo above, it does not require print plates. Some digital printing equipment is capable of small quantities (as low as one or two), but most of the inks for digital are petroleum based, making them not the greenest option available.
- Litho Label Printing – high quality “litho” paper is printed using an offset process. The inks are not water based but there are a great number of coatings that can be applied to provide unique finishes including satin, high gloss, and the subject of this post, soft touch. That printed/finished paper is then glued (hence the term “label”) on top of the board of choice.
What You Need to Know About E-commerce Litho Label Boxes
First, please keep in mind they are usually not for the faint of heart or short of budget. Litho boxes can be costly, especially for smaller quantity applications. There may be exceptions, but the minimum can drive short runs to one of our other print options. There are, however, situations when the end result and eye appeal are far more important than the cost per box. (God bless those marketing types!) For example, special product launches, promotions, or special high value customers and influencers.
The second piece of advice we offer is – be very careful when selecting your supplier or partner. Check out this recent Inside Sustainable and Branded Packaging post. The fact is that not everyone has sufficient experience to know what the potential pitfalls and problems are. For example, label cacking or production scuffing, more prevalent with certain paper grades, colors and box designs.
Last but definitely not least, let us show you how you can incorporate a soft touch finish into your design. It is elegant and truly sets your packaging well above almost everything else. For example, a beautiful design is great but a soft touch inside or even outside is unforgettable. The paperboard black mailing envelope shown in the photo in this post, would be attractive without the soft touch finish, but with it, no custom printed envelope can compare.
Design Combination Options for E-Commerce Packaging
The greatest benefit we offer our customers is expertise in all three printing options. We can guide our customers to choosing one process over another, or to show them how to combine these three very different methods to produce a very custom printed box. We have been working with an incredibly creative customer for over five years. Below is a partial list of different printing option combinations we have produced for them:
- Flexo inside and out
- Flexo out, litho label inside
- Flexo out, digital inside
- Digital out, flexo inside
- Digital inside and out
- Litho label out, digital inside
LITHO OUTSIDE, FLEXO INSIDE
There is nothing we enjoy more than when any customer shows us a new box graphic design they want to ship to their customers, but they are not sure it is able to be printed on corrugated board at a reasonable cost. We always appreciate a good challenge because with the experience and tools we have available, we are almost certain to produce their awesome box at the lowest possible cost.
Check out our gallery to see just a small sampling of our work. If you have an application, you want us to look at, there is no charge for a confidential design review. Call us at 630-551-1700 or contact us via this web site. We have trained, experienced at Salazar Packaging branded packaging advisors ready to help you.
Related posts:
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/custom-e-commerce-packaging-rest-easy-weve-got-this/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/salazar-packaging-gallery-updated-whats-new/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/can-transparent-inks-improve-your-e-commerce-graphic-design/
