Packaging Resources for Collection Kits

Guides

Box styles, and what each is for

The order to make the decisions

Most packaging problems come from making these in the wrong sequence. Contents before structure, structure before surface, surface before finish.

• 1. Fix the bill of materials. Every packaging decision downstream depends on what goes in the box and how big it is. If components are still changing, stop here and use a stock box.
• 2. Decide whether the box ships alone. This determines whether corrugated has to be in the construction at all.
• 3. Decide the return path. If the outbound box comes back, it needs a second closure and it has to survive two trips.
• 4. Lay out the panels around the required marks. Regulatory copy, transport marks, and the instruction panel need space, and they need it before the design is pretty.
• 5. Choose the material and style. Now you have enough constraints for this to be a real decision.
• 6. Choose ink count and color. One or two inks covers most kit boxes. Price process before assuming spot.
• 7. Choose the finish. Lamination, coating, foil, embossing. Last, because it changes how every color reads.

What a printer needs from you

The most common cause of a delayed print run is incomplete artwork. This is the list.

• The dieline, supplied by the printer or converter, with your artwork placed on it. Never design the box shape yourself before you have one.
• Bleed past every trim edge, so a small shift on the press does not leave a white sliver.
• Safety margin holding all text and logos away from folds and trims, because scoring and folding are not perfectly precise.
• Correct color space, with spot colors specified by number rather than approximated on screen.
• Outlined or embedded fonts, so nothing substitutes at the printer.
• Image resolution adequate at final print size, not at screen size.
• A separate layer for any finish, so foil, spot gloss, or emboss areas are unambiguous.

Glossary

• Bleed. Artwork extended past the trim line so no unprinted edge appears after cutting.
• Caliper. Board thickness, usually in thousandths of an inch, called points.
• Dieline. The flat outline of the box showing cut lines, fold scores, and glue areas.
• Dimensional weight. A billable weight calculated from the parcel size rather than its actual mass. A larger box costs more to ship even if it weighs the same.
• Draw down. A physical ink swatch pulled on the actual substrate so you can approve a color as ink rather than as an image.
• Emboss and deboss. Raising or pressing an area of the board for tactile effect. No ink involved.
• Flute. The wavy layer inside corrugated. Letters denote thickness, with E thin and used for retail packaging and B thicker for more protection.
• Foil stamping. Metallic or pigmented foil applied with heat and a die.
• Kraft. Unbleached brown board. Cheaper, warmer looking, and it shifts every ink printed on it.
• Litho lamination. A printed paperboard sheet bonded to corrugated to get print quality and strength together.
• MOQ. Minimum order quantity. The smallest run a converter will produce, which usually rises with customization.
• Rigid setup box. Wrapped chipboard box that does not fold flat. The premium construction.
• SBS. Solid bleached sulfate. Bright white premium paperboard with the best print surface.
• Score. A pressed line that lets board fold cleanly without cracking.
• Soft touch. A matte laminate with a velvet feel. Mutes color and is highly memorable in the hand.
• Spot color. A pre mixed ink applied by its own press unit rather than built from process inks.
• Tooling. The dies and setup specific to your box. Paid once, and paid again if the design changes.