A Guide for Packaging Design Basics

We have already highlighted some vital points that our clients at ClipnBox need to consider at the first stage of their packaging orders. However, for those who might have missed all the action, here is a quick replay of the points to ponder when getting new packaging tools for your products. We assist our clients in making decisions by asking them a few questions. These questions are the keys to the successful packaging they are looking to get from us. So, let’s start;

Does Your Product Require Transport, Shipping, Retail Couture, or Everything?

It is essential to know the selling channels and platform for your products. Are you thinking of operating an e-commerce business? It will require shipment and transportation. Even the brick and mortar companies need transport to carry their stocks to the retail. We strongly suggest our clients discuss with their internal departments and then get back to us after learning how they sell products. The geographical areas they will be covering and other related details. The looks and the packaging features will change according to these requirements. The products focusing on retail packaging will be more glamorous, while those requiring shipping are primarily crafted for space efficiency and durability.

Have you Allocated the Packaging Budget yet?

How much do the clients plan on investing in their packaging is the key to adding features? We at ClipnBox try our best not to turn down any order. We know that packaging plays a significant role in enhancing the appeal of the products, which eventually boosts sales. Therefore, we try to develop cost-effective options for our clients facing a financial crunch. We encourage them to use options like;

1. Custom printed sleeves to revamp their old packaging
2. Stickers and labels to add elegance to their existing packaging, which companies can store for use later as well

These are not the only options that we have. Get in touch with our online representatives to explore more features and options that we can work out according to your budget.

Who is Your Customer?

Knowing whom the product is intended for is winning half the game in designing successful packaging. The themes will be lively with popular Disney characters if the products are for kids. If the themes are for the weight-watchers, the design will include a visual element representing the same. The products are packaged in easy-to-tackle boxes for seniors. They often have tug-me ribbons and other related features.

Decided on the Material yet?

The above factors will help our clients in deciding on their material. Some might want to attract the niche market in the holiday season using the custom rigid boxes with supreme printing and a personalized unboxing experience. Other companies might be interested in offering pretty subscription boxes to their customers to make them feel happy and excited about receiving products in the mail. Many green companies that do not want to add to the littering of the planet require Kraft material that is sustainable and biodegradable and offer flexibility and durability.

Effective Packaging Styles

The packaging styles are also knowns as the layout of the boxes. Our clients will not find themselves short of the layouts we can craft for them. However, they might feel overwhelmed by the number of choices. It is essential to know what they want from packaging and how their customers conceive their products.

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These factors help in finalizing the box layouts. Select the ones that best fit the products and help represent them to the best for their customers. Let us explore some popular box styles together;

Straight Tuck End

The name is abbreviated as STE in the industry. The salient feature of tuck end boxes includes a clean front, which is ideal for using the option of window patching. The closures of the boxes can be tucked towards their back. They come with dust flaps which keep the products inside safe. The closures do an excellent job at sealing the box. For more security of products packaged inside, they can be ordered with a catalog lock option. It comprises a flap inserted in a slit for closing. Most cosmetic-related products come in these boxes. These are commonly used for packaging;

• Toys
• Stationery
• Eye drops
• Oral tinctures
• CBD oil, etc.

Reverse Tuck End

The name is abbreviated as RTE in the industry. The salient feature of reverse tuck end boxes includes closures that tuck in the boxes straight and back. The experts in packaging know that this box style is more cost-effective as it nests on a cutting die. Because of their signature lock mechanism, these boxes are ideal for packaging heavier products as well. They are also perfect for shipping products. They often feature slit lock to and bottom tabs. These are commonly used for packaging;

• Light fixtures
• Medical equipment (inhaler, pumps, etc.)
• Cosmetic items
• Hemp products
• Electronic equipment (torch, etc.), etc.

Display Box

As the name suggests, these boxes present the products to the customers attractively and conveniently. They come in various sizes and are made from the lightest materials offering the most durability. Clients must know that these boxes are prone to wear and tear. Hence, clients must use stock material considered the sturdiest in crafting these boxes. Companies are now developing portable SKUs of their products, displayed using counters and shelves the retails. The counter display boxes and shelves display boxes have unique layouts depending on the product. Pop-up display boxes are currently trending in the markets because of their ability to display and protect the products.

Display boxes are also used during trade shows and exhibitions. We offer wall-mounted multi-tier boxes for the ease of our clients who can showcase their products easily at such events. These boxes are easy to carry from one venue to another. These are commonly used for packaging;

• Sweets
• E-liquid
• Beard grooming accessories
• Bath bombs
• Cigarettes, etc.

Gable Boxes

Gable boxes are a delightful option used as souvenir boxes, favor boxes, and packaging multiple items. Their salient feature includes handles. Their handles can customize the looks of the boxes. They are ideal for use in the food and beverage industry, where multiple items in deals need to be packaged together. People order these boxes as it keeps products safe and mess-free. Different features are used on these boxes and their handles to highlight a brand. The handles are often given personalized looks using Spot color, Foil stamping, and other related finishes. ClipnBox auto-lock gable boxes are ideal for marketing products in a distinguished manner. They are commonly used for packaging;

• Food and beverage
• Invitation boxes
• Favor boxes
• Souvenir boxes
• Product kit boxes

Custom Printed Sleeves

It secures these boxes and provides an easy way to give them a new look. Custom printed sleeves are personalized three hundred- and sixty-degree sleeves that clients can add to the boxes. These printed sleeves can be composed in varying colors and shapes to go around the boxes. Almost all finishes and add-ons usable on boxes can be used on these sleeves. The dye-cut mesh on the sleeves is often used to compose a 3D pattern that looks mesmerizing on these boxes. Some clients order the sleeves in majestic color combinations that catch the customers’ attention in the first go. Clients can add these to almost all box layouts.

Sleeve and Tray Boxes

Sleeve and tray boxes are sliding two-piece boxes that offer compact packaging to the products. This kind of packaging offers more security as the walls of the lid and the base both envelop the products packaged inside. The top slides out to reveal the products elegantly. These boxes are an excellent tool for wrapping heavier objects like crockery, etc. they not just market the product effectively but manage their shipment securely. These are commonly used for packaging;

• Cosmetic kits
• Crockery
• Premium products
• Hair extension boxes
• Apparel boxes, etc.

Magnetic Closure Boxes

These boxes are the heart and soul of packaging. Every product that needs highlighting in the mainstream markets for the niche that does not shy away from premium payment is packaged. The magnetic closure boxes are the most expensive when crafted from a rigid material. The products that require premium packaging are composed of long-lasting stock sturdy enough to bear the weight of finishing accessories and keep looking new for a long time. These boxes have many different styles. Some include a flap that attaches itself to seal the box automatically. These boxes, at times, are called magnetic flap boxes.

Broadly these boxes are categorized into two categories; the collapsible and the assembled boxes. The collapsible magnetic boxes are delivered flat. They are pre-glued, pre-stapled, and provided with adhesive tools for proper assembling. ClipnBox even provides video tutorials regarding assembling complicated magnetic boxes for their customers’ ease.

The assembled magnetic closure boxes, on the other hand, are delivered in their final form to the clients. They are not space-efficient, which may add to the shipping cost against the orders. These boxes are used for;

• Niche marketing
• Event-based product advertising
• Jewelry boxes
• Medical tools, etc.

Pillow Box

These boxes are commonly used for packaging wraps. They get their name from the shape they represent. This one-piece box takes hardly a few seconds to assemble. It features flaps on either side. Sometimes a tear strip is added to pillow boxes for easy product access. When flat, these boxes are easy to stack. They are used for packaging;

• Wraps
• Hair extension
• Apparel (scarves, etc.)

Snap Lock Boxes or one-Two-Three Bottom Boxes

The bottom of these boxes is formed from the interlocking closures. More security can be added using locking folds and friction locks.

Hexagon Boxes

These are available ass two-piece hexagon boxes and one-piece clam shape boxes. They are great for packaging items that are sold in sets of six. It includes; pastries, macrons, and much more. The best thing about these boxes is that they are easy to fold flat.

Lid-off Boxes

These boxes are two-piece packaging boxes with detachable lids and tops. They are available in several styles and sizes. Lid-off boxes can package smallest to large SKUs of products. They are often lined with internal trays that are dye cut according to the shapes and sizes of the products. It prevents these products from bumping into each other and keeps them safe. The inner sides of the lids and the base can also be printed with logos and personalized messages, instructions, and other details. They are used for packaging;

• Jewelry
• Apparel
• Sweets
• Macarons
• Cosmetic kits, etc.

Special Effects used in Packaging

It is not just the box styles that capture the heart of the audiences, luring them into buying the products. Instead, the visual content printed on the boxes plays a significant role in making these boxes appear eye-candy to the customers. The mesmerizing looks of these boxes come from different features used on them, some of which are discussed below;

• Spot UV – UV-based coatings are used on the box surface to give them a glamorous look. These coatings are available as gloss and matte coatings, which add to the elegance of the packaging. Most FMCG entities stick with the glossy looks as they reach out to a broader target segment. The corporate packaging is biased toward matte coating, which mutes the glares and adds a sophisticated appeal to the packaging. This coating keeps the packaging free from smudges. UV-based coatings are known to enrich the color tones.
• Foil stamping – One might have come across the papyrus material in the museum. It is an ancient Egyptian technique in which precious metals like silver and gold were beaten paper-thin as writing material. Egyptian priests used this material during religious ceremonies and other significant occasions. Today we use temperature and pressure in a similar process for adding metallic notes other than gold and silver to the visual content of the packaging boxes. Beautiful 3D art is created in these styles that charm the audience.

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• Embossing – Give your visual content more depth using the embossing technique. The specific area on the artwork is selected to be raised from the rest with impressions. If the chosen area of the visual content is indented, the technique is referred to as debossing. It adds texture to the plain surfaces of the custom printed boxes and makes them pop. Other features like Spot color and Foil stamping infusion with embossing elevate the product packaging to a new level of retail couture.
• Soft-touch coating –This coating adds a glamorous shine to the packaging boxes. Its salient feature includes the velvet-like feel that makes the products packaged inside the box valuable. The best part about this coating is that it is eco-friendly and does not show signs of aging with yellowing. We provide many green coating options for our eco-friendly clients seeking packaging solutions.

What Your Printer Might Inquire About

ClipnBox has also enlisted a set of questions that the clients will be asked. They are listed below;

a) Dimension of the Products

In some cases, even the weight of the products may be required. The printer will want to know if an individual product is being packaged or does the packaging need multiple products. In the case of electronic equipment, the chords and other accessories require internal boxes and other specially engineered trays.

b) Whether the Packaging offers a Post-Sales Storage Option

Most business entities demand one-time-use packaging. It is valid for medical equipment like a sphygmomanometer, diabetes pen, and so on. However, countless others order durability in packaging so that the printed packaging boxes are used as storage options by their customers in between usage of products. Depending on the demand of the clients, the printer will suggest to them the stocks.

c) Can Existing Packaging or Previous Orders be Customized for New Products?

Packaging boxes require investment. A printer can suggest many cost-effective measures to use the existing packaging for newer products. Instead of printing and creating new boxes, the older ones can be revamped using personalized stickers and labels. Ingredient list, instructions, and other details can be added to the boxes using these options. Add-ons like foil stamping and embossing are also applicable to these tools.

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Not all companies want to display their products using packaging. Some want their products transported and shipped safely from one corner of the world using custom packaging boxes. We provide durable material for our clients who wish to cater to their shipping requirements through packaging. Clients can also add stickers and labels to these boxes with care instructions and final destination details.

e) Final Shape of The Box

We highly recommend our clients opt for shapes that are easy to stack on top of each other. They are easy to store and display. Products that keep rolling off the shelves are inconvenient for the retailers and their customers. Moreover, those shapes that are space-efficient must be given a priority.

f) Collapsible or Assembled Boxes

Some premium boxes involve labor work. They cannot be folded or collapsed in technical jargon. To deliver them, the companies have to ship them assembled. It also leads to an increase in the shipping price. However, other boxes with detailed work are easily collapsible and can be folded flat for shipping.