We all know that product boxes are awesome for packing purposes. Crafted from premium materials of cardboard, corrugated cardstock, and Kraft stock, they strengthen the safety of your fragile products. Their top overprint quality makes sure that the products packed inside them stand out when displayed on the retail shelves. Print the logo of your brand and other information regarding your products; they are ready to act as your silent salesmen in the market. You can apply different sorts of laminations such as glossy or matte and coatings to make them visually more prominent.
With the advancement of technology, we have a range of precise and accurate printing methods at our disposal. Each different method possesses unique characteristics, and their selection depends upon the need of your business. Since the product boxes are rigid and flat, you can have a lot of printing options for them. Look at the guide below to realize the seven most important printing methods that are available for printing product packages.
Screen printing:
Screen printing is the most popular printing method due to its rich-featured nature. Utilizing this technique for printing custom product boxes can provide you with high-quality results. This type of method uses a screen mesh which then transfers the graphics and other printed work on the material. Also, the printing process is performed quite quickly if you opt for this technique. The inks utilized in this process are of greater thicknesses than the other methods. Due to this, the printed text, graphics, patterns, and texture stay for a longer period on the surfaces of custom printed products boxes. It proves cost-savvy, particularly for large print quantities.
Offset printing:
This technique is best suited for larger print volumes. In this process, the printing plates made from aluminum are used. Each different printing plate carries the image of the content that is to be printed. The content of all these plates is transferred to the rollers, which transfer it directly onto the paper. You can get high-quality clean, and sharp images with this process. Not just that, but multi-colored prints can be obtained as well with this unique printing method. No matter what is the shape of your cardboard boxes, it can print on them quite easily and at a quick pace.
3D Printing:
This type of 3d printing technology is becoming very common among manufacturers due to the revolutionary advantages it offers. It can be utilized to print the complex designs on the custom packaging, which most of the traditional methods cannot do at all. This technology helps greatly in reducing the number of wasted materials which makes it an eco-friendly option. Another fundamental benefit of using this process is rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping is the capability to design, manufacture, and test the customized part of the product packages within minimal time. Moreover, this method proves very cost-effective for small production runs and applications.
Flexography:
Flexography is among the modern version of letterpress printing and can be utilized for printing even on the uneven surfaces of custom product boxes. Not just that, but it enables you to print on both porous and non-porous materials as well. This process of printing utilizes quick-drying and semi-liquid inks and often suits best the large volume jobs. It is most favorable for imprinting the continuous patterns on the product packages. It has a rotary operation along with a perfect ink control which allows you to print the same design over and over again without disturbances in the pattern. Apart from that, it is highly cost-savvy, which does not put any burden on a budget of your business.
Digital printing:
It is a modern printing technique that is quick and involves a variety of other printing techniques as well such as inkjet and laser printing. In this technology, there is no need for printing plates as the images are sent directly to the printer in the form of digital files. Due to this, the need for printing plates is avoided, which not only saves you time but also proves cost-savvy. It can quickly print the desired design on the custom packaging and is quite feasible for the smaller print volumes. Requests can be made to the designers for as little as one print. It also provides you with multiple color options such as CMYK and PMS, which enhances the visual appeal of the product packages further.
Rotogravure:
Rotogravure, also known as gravure, is a type of printing process which is capable of printing continuous tone images. It is a high-speed, high-quality, and long-run printing method. The main reason behind the high speed of this process is the utilization of quick-drying solvent-based inks. This type of printing is not as common as other printing processes are such as lithographic printing and flexography, but it is still used in commercial printing. It is known for its premium quality prints that last for longer periods on the product packages. Tooling costs of this process are quite higher; therefore, you must consider printing larger volumes of packaging if you are considering this technique.
Large format:
As expressed by the name, this printing technique exists to produce maximum print roll width. This technique is best known for creating clear and sharp images and contents that are highly visible and prominent even from a distance. If you print the logo and name of your brand on the product packages through this method, your packages will instantly grab the attention of all potential customers. You can also imprint different kinds of deals and special discounts your company is offering, and with a high visual impact, your offerings will get promoted to a wider target audience. Unlike traditional offset printing, which is suitable for bulk printing only, this method enables you to print according to the quantity you need. You can avail of various kinds of printing solutions for your product boxes as per the needs of your business. For instance, digital printing is the best choice for shorter runs and provides greater color accuracy. The offset printing is favorable for large print volumes. Similarly, there are other techniques as well with unique characteristics which can be used in this regard.