Packaging is a big topic, that’s for sure. There’s certainly a lot to learn and a lot to consider, and naturally, that leads to a lot of questions. With all the great packaging options we’ve got listed in our custom shop, there’s been a few burning questions we’ve been asked to answer. Here’s 5 frequently asked questions about custom packaging (and 4 links to some interesting extended reading).

What is custom packaging?

It’s packaging that’s been printed with your branding. It can be as simple as a logo on a corrugated box, or as involved as a front lock mailer featuring your logo, brand colours and hi-res photography. Because so much shopping is done online now, there’s less physical interaction between a business and its customers. Using custom packaging—and the unboxing experience—in your customer orders is a way to help restore that connection.

What custom packaging should I use?

That all depends on your business, the products you ship and your eventual goals.

If you’re concerned about your packaging budget, then start with one piece of custom packaging (such as custom packing tape). It will allow you to test the waters, monitor your budget and see how your customers react. You can add more as your confidence or budget grows.

If you’re keeping dimensional weight shipping costs low by sending clothing orders out in poly mailers (also known as courier bags), then custom printed poly mailers can be an attractive addition to your packaging lineup. You’ll instantly brand your shipments and stand out from your competition.

If you’re investing in the unboxing experience, custom boxes can be used to build anticipation and excitement. And, wrapping customer orders in custom tissue paper will class up a shipment and make products look more expensive and valuable.

Does the material affect how my design will look?

Absolutely—a material’s texture and the printing process used will always affect the final product.

Matte textures and darker materials (like kraft boxes) will make colours and images darker and more subdued. Glossy and brighter materials (like custom poly mailers) will make colours brighter and more impactful. Depending on your branding and the look you’re going for, you can use textures and materials to your advantage.

Read our blog post Printing on Custom Packaging: All About Corrugate Board.

Read our blog post Printing on Custom Packaging: All About Printing Methods.

Are there limits to the colours I can use?

That depends on the custom packaging you’re interested in. For example, our custom boxes currently offer 20 stunning colours to flood coat them in. Our custom printed tissue paper uses a two-colour printing pattern. And our custom roll labels are printed on vinyl material in vibrant full colour. It’s important to know both colour limitations, and how they’ll appear on the final product.

Read our blog post Printing on Custom Packaging: All About Colour.

How do I design custom branded packaging?

There are two options, and they depend on your budget and your sense of adventure.

One, you can recruit a graphic designer to create it for you. This is a great option if you’ve got the budget for it, and aren’t confident in your own design skills. A good designer will follow your brand guidelines and listen to the goals you have for your packaging, and create something great.

Two—and this one’s shamelessly our favourite—you can design it yourself. Every packaging option available in our custom shop can be created with our free and easy-to-use online custom packaging designer tools. Depending on the packaging you’re interested in, you can use logos, colours, text, stock artwork and even photos to create something glorious. Just be sure to use hi-res artwork.

For more, read our blog post Printing on Custom Packaging: All About Artwork.

Do you have any questions about custom packaging that you’d like answered? Don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’d be thrilled to answer them for you. Let’s see what we can create together.