When it comes to selecting the correct materials, pay attention and you can't go wrong. After all that package is one of most important aspects in success for any product!
The correct package will not only entice customers, but it will also keep your goods secure and fresh during shipment. When buyers know they can bank on a fresh item from the moment it touches the shelf until it reaches their hands, it affirms the brand's and item's quality.
The wrong packaging and material choices could make or break your supply chain. You need to choose the right one in order to reach success.
It's important to have an excellent branding and design on all of your products, from the container they come in as well as what is written on them. If you want a successful product that stands out among its competition then it needs some special packaging treatment!
Table Of Contents
1. Establish Your Budget
When you're ready to start your package design project, the first thing that needs deciding is what kind of budget will work for this? You might be able use some materials and others not so much. It all depends on how much money can afford.
More Expensive Options
The cost of manufacturing and shipping materials like glass may be high, but it's worth the visual aesthetic sometimes. Consumers want items that look good with their style; this can only happen if they're made from durable substances like natural fibers or genuine crystal-clear plastics.
More Affordable Options
Food grade cardboard is a cheap and easy alternative to pottery. It can be decorated with paint or drawn on for an interesting shape that will keep your plant safe from damage caused by crushing, plus you have more design
options than just basic and white.
We all know that plastic isn't the most environmentally-friendly option, but it can often be recyclable or contain recycled materials. Talking up this benefit on your product's package might help convince consumers to feel good about buying what you have for sale.
The balance between what you want to spend on creative and in production versus the materials needed will largely affect your project’s success.
How Quantity Affects Cost
We all want to keep our costs down as much possible. The best way is managing per unit, which means looking at how many boxes you make and then figuring out what tooling or set-up time needs there are for each design so that everything runs smoothly without any hiccups along the line.
The more units you can order to spread those expenses out, the longer the manufacturer can run which streamlines costs.
Example:
If you order 2000 Units at once: You would need to pay all up front tooling costs, wait for the project to be prepped, and purchase all the materials up front. Then consider the entire supply chain, including storage, of your 2000 boxes.
If you order 5 runs of 400 Units over 3 Months: You would need to pay all up front tooling costs, wait for the project to be prepped, but only purchase the initial materials up front. Then you can actually redesign the graphics of the following 4 orders of 400 boxes.
2. Shipping And Storage
It's important to think about function when choosing a design. The more beautiful the package is, if it doesn't work as intended then all of your hard work will go down the drain with no benefit from using such an attractive exterior.
A quality product has always been integral parts in making any brand or business successful - especially online where customer satisfaction can mean everything. functionality should be forefront on every designer’s mind whether they're designing for retail space (like furniture) or digital platforms including e-commerce websites.
A great design that convinces customers it was designed for them but can't get from your facilities to the stores without being destroyed is a useless product.
If your product is bulky, delicate, or any kind of unusual shape, it’s important to consider materials that are designed for strength.
Product Shelf Life
Long-lasting products that need to stand out even after a long time on the shelf require special attention. A better print finish, such as a UV-treated high-gloss, liquid-based coating, might be the answer - more on coating later.
The cost of product damage is an unfortunate reality for any company that produces goods. Do you want to spend more money on repairs or replacement? The results will be similar, but in the long run paying up front can save your business from unnecessary expenses down the line.
Our best recommendation is somewhere in the middle. Then both your production budget and customer expectations should be met without sacrificing anything important such as quality control standards.
Key Questions:
- What is the total weight of shipments?
- How and Where will you store your Packaging?
- What is the cost for your Packaging Supplies?
- Are there any fulfillment costs?
- How will you account for returns?
Supply Chain Solutions
After you've finalized your Packaging design and are ready to begin manufacturing, you'll need to develop a Supply Chain strategy.
You should think about the complete process, including manufacture, storage, and retailer distribution, among other things.
Pro Tip: If you need to order on a consistent basis, speak to a packaging expert to map out your inventory expectations and schedule. This will make it easier to maintain a healthy inventory flow and allow the manufacturer to know exactly when you need it.
Storage
Your packing materials will be heavily influenced by how your product will be stored, distributed, and transported.
Finally, packing serves to safeguard and support your product so that it arrives in good condition in the hands of your customers. As a result, it's critical to think about how your packaging will function in each of these scenarios.
This is also very dependent on your product; if your product is exceptionally fragile or heavy, you should prioritize sturdy, long-lasting packaging.
Corrugated fiberboard, for example, is ideal for e-commerce enterprises because of its thick, sturdy texture, which provides perfect support and protection to any goods.
3. Materials
It's a good rule of thumb to treat your items as you would treat yourself when it comes to the materials you use to package them. The correct room for the right package has a major impact on the ultimate outcome, just like you wouldn't want to live in a house that is too big or too little.
Shrink Film
Shrink films, like many other flexible films, are lightweight and produce great printing results in the majority of cases. When compared to heavier, bulkier choices, the freight and delivery costs are also quite attractive for enterprises. There are other video choices available to assist your business in promoting sustainability.
Felxible Film
Flexible films are great for protecting, extending shelf life, and providing an appealing package on and off the shelf for food, dairy, cosmetics, medicines, hardware, and retail products.
Carded Options
Carded alternatives are versatile and suitable for produce, fragile products, or items that need to be seen to be sold. In the retail setting, they're also a great choice for hang-tab displays.
They include the following types:
Blister Packs
The term "blister pack" refers to a variety of pre-formed plastic containers that are frequently used to package items such as consumer goods, perishables, and medications.
Clamshells
Clamshells are the most straightforward to use. They resemble their namesake in that they are made up of two similar "shells" that are joined on one side and have little hinges on the other that allow it to close.
Skin Packs
Skin packs are containers that contain a piece of skin board on which the product is placed. Before applying the backer, a thin film of surlyn or skin poly will be used to cover the object.
E-Commerce Boxes
From a consumer's perspective, it's all about simplicity of use. Today's flexible bagging alternatives can safeguard your product in transit while still being simple to open and dispose of.
Tamper Protection
There may be needs for tamper evident protection depending on your industry. Not to mention, it might assist your buyer feel more confident about making a purchase.
You will not be sorry for spending the time to familiarize yourself with the many materials accessible to you. Discover which materials function best and select the ones that are most suitable for your goods.
Check out more information on 8 Packaging Options For Your Products.
4. Special Coating
A coating may be used to finish the aesthetic of your container while also providing extra protection and even augmentation.
Matte Lamination
The overall appearance of matte laminated surfaces is modest and beautiful, yet it gives your package a noticeable high-end and professional vibe.
Gloss Lamination
This results in a stunning sheen, brightness, improved visual contrast, and more brilliant color depth. Even things like moisture and dust are better protected with gloss lamination.
AQ Coating
AQ Coating is a transparent, water-based coating with a quick drying time. It's eco-friendly, making it an excellent choice for food, household, and fast-food items. In comparison to UV coating and lamination, it has a relatively low gloss finish.
UV Coating
This can provide a similar effect to lamination, with the exception that UV is delivered directly to the material. UV coating is applied to packages in a flood or spot application. Spot coating refers to a coating that is applied to a single part of the package, whereas flood (or overall) refers to a coating that is applied to the whole package.
For optimum visual "pop" and rub-resistance, spot UV is often screen coated in copious volumes. Flood, on the other hand, is normally roller coated in lesser volumes.
Varnish
Varnish improves the product's perceived quality. In compared to aqueous coating and UV coating, it provides a lesser level of protection. They're also prone to yellowing with time.
Varnishes are also not very environmentally friendly. This is the option with the least amount of support.
There are other options, but these are the most popular.
5. Sizing
If your product comes in four sizes, you might be able to save money by making two different sized packaging instead of four unique sizes by getting creative with the measurements and design.
Being innovative and integrating cost-cutting techniques like these might help to assure the quality of the goods you ship. You'll save time and money as well as assure uniformity across all of your items as a bonus.
What type of Shipping Box do you need?
Depending on your goods, you'll require different types of packaging. This will be determined by the size, form, and weight of the individual.
If you have a delicate product, you'll want to think about a solution that's both structurally sound and cushioned.
What are your box dimensions?
Begin by measuring the height, breadth, and length of your goods, as well as the contents inside the box. After that, think about the type and size of any protective packaging inserts you'll be using.
This will determine the size of the box you need.
Pro Tip: Minimize your box as much as possible. This will allow the product to fit safely, and avoid any shipping damages. Most importantly you will reduce your costs and carbon footprint.
Perform a packaging analysis
A reliable partner can assess your present packaging solution or assess the efficacy of a new one. You should be collaborating with someone who can supply you with not just any solution, but the best one possible.
There are two types of costs associated with new packaging.
- Visible costs: such as the upfront cost of design and the price of the box itself.
- Hidden costs: such as additional filler, breakage, and more.
Your budget should include the cost of Packaging Supplies and Shipping Boxes. If any kind of packaging fillers are required, you need to account for them.
You can also include a Contract Packager to help with fulfillment or assembly. Read about the Benefits of A Contract Packager.
A budget that analyzes the economics of the entire process is required for a successful packaging effort. You should think about your product's pricing, profit margin, expected sales, and the length of time your packaging will be in place.
Setting a budget for your packing, or at the very least a range, ensures that the procedure does not become inefficient or aimless.
Volume Purchasing Shipping Boxes
Due to the economies of scale, like with most printed items, you only get a fair deal when you buy in bulk.
If you don't buy in bulk, each package will add an unnecessarily high cost to each shipment.
If you buy in bulk, you'll pay more up front for not only manufacture, but also storage, shipping between warehouses, and handling.
6. Sustainability
Corrugated packaging is easily adaptable, which helps to reduce waste. This material not only minimizes waste before it is used, but it also decreases waste after it has been used since it is 100% recyclable. The entire container may be readily dismantled , repurposed or reused.
It is totally reusable while reducing the quantity of material utilized. This material is made to be easily foldable and reused for a variety of applications. Reduce the cost of packing and the environmental effect of this packaging material.
Industry Shift
As people have become more ecologically sensitive in recent years, sustainable packaging has become increasingly prominent.
As a result of the rising demand for eco-friendly packaging materials, significant progress has been made in the creation of recyclable packaging materials that are both attractive and useful.
Corrugated Is Extremely Recyclable
The corrugated industry has the best recycling rate of any packaging material used today. In fact, the fibers from corrugated fiberboard can be recycled up to 25 times. This means that most corrugated boxes are composed of 70% to 100% recycled materials.
Corrugated is an ecologically friendly alternative because it is a highly recyclable material.
While corrugated is highly recyclable, it relies on people to be recycled, which could be tricky. Luckily 94% of Americans have access to recycling programs that accept corrugated material. It's also a
biodegradable option that will break down organically in the environment, contributing to a healthy ecosystem.
Environmentally-Friendly And Legally Compliant
Choose items that are both ecologically friendly and lawful in terms of logistics and shipping rules. Also, check to see whether the things you're purchasing infringe on any existing copyrights or patents.
7. Branding
While it's critical to think about money, transportation, materials, and package design, and to include each of these components into your overall package design, it's also critical to keep your target audience in mind.
Keeping your target audience at the center of your design throughout the process can help you achieve overall package design success.
Choose What Appeals To The Customer
Because the sort of material you employ in your package design is an extension of your brand, any misalignment between your materials or design and your brand's message may confuse customers and cause them to lose faith.
Before making these crucial marketing and branding decisions, you must thoroughly study and understand your clients.
Market research is a wonderful approach to figure out what your target audience values and how to match those values to your budget, transportation, and sustainability goals. Always pay attention to your target audience and respond to their individual demands.
Keeping your target market in mind when designing your package is also crucial when deciding on the best material.
At the end of the day, client happiness and retention are the most important factors in ensuring the success of your product.
Tell Your Brand Story
Make sure to clearly define your brand narrative; this will aid you in selecting materials that will better support your artwork and structural design requirements.
When it comes to branding possibilities and materials, be sure you're addressing customer wants.
Order Packaging Materials From Bennett Today!
In order to create a successful and sustainable packaging design, it is important to consider all of the different aspects that go into making a package. You must think about the material you are using, how the material can be recycled or repurposed, your target audience, branding, and more. Finding a packaging supplier is an important part of the process.
It is also important to make sure that your design aligns with your brand's message. At Bennett, we understand the importance of sustainability and offer a wide variety of eco-friendly materials for you to choose from. Let us help you create a beautiful and sustainable package that will stand out on store shelves.
