The items you sell are only one-half of the total product you are offering. The other half is the packaging that the item goes into. However, you can&#;t just stick your products into unmarked packaging bags because no one will know what&#;s stored inside. You need some way to add your brand information and logo to the exterior of the packaging. You have two options: labels or custom printed packaging. How do you know which you should use for your business? Consult the following guide to learn the pros and cons of the two branding options.
Pro #1- Cost-Efficient
Labels and stickers are the cheaper of the two branding options, and for some businesses, that is the end-all-be-all. However, there is a high amount of variation in the labeling industry that can drastically affect the price. One color, paper labels will be tremendously less costly than holographic multi-color vinyl stickers. Do you want your label to be glossy, matte, or somewhere in between? The additional bells and whistles all add to the overall cost. The general trend is that the cheaper you go, the worse it will look. Decide how much you're willing to spend to improve your brand&#;s image, and move on from there.
Pro #2- More Room for Variation
Due to the lower cost and the lower minimum order quantity for labels, you can create more variations of designs than you could through custom printed packaging. If you own a tea business and want different packaging designs for each of your flavors, then labels would be the way to go. Lower MOQ's make it possible to have custom labels for each of your product types. It also allows for quick customization. You can swap the color of your packaging for seasonal trends or events but still use the same label.
Pro 3#- You Can Do it Yourself
If you have a Cricut or a printer you can design and print labels from the comfort of your home or office. Even if you lack the right machinery, you can easily order custom stickers online. The freedom to do it yourself is appealing to some businesses looking to be completely self-reliant. It can also be more cost-effective to print labels yourself.
Con #1- You Have to Do it Yourself
Unless you are paying someone to apply the labels for you, you are going to have to individually apply each of the labels to your packages. This can be a time-consuming and tedious task if you have a large inventory. The human element in the process also increases the chances for mistakes. The label can be placed crooked, upside down, or in the wrong size. The result is then a wasted sticker and a ruined package. If you are running your business yourself, applying the labels can be a days' worth of work that could have otherwise been spent doing something more productive.
Con #2- Requires two Separate Purchases
When you split the labeling and packaging process, you will then have to deal with two separate purchases, and maybe even two separate businesses. You will have to repeatedly check to make sure the labels are the right size for the packaging. Mistakes can be made if you are dealing with two separate companies who do not know the exact dissensions of the other product. You can also quickly be placed in a situation where you have the labels but are still waiting to receive the packaging. Dividing the two processes will inevitably lead to stress and confusion.
Con #3- Labels Wear Off
Whether it be through abrasion, moisture, or handling, labels will eventually fall off or tear. Nothing looks worse than a ripped sticker with the residual glue still stuck onto the package. That just screams cheap and low quality. The highest-end glossy vinyl stickers are still not 100% waterproof, so any contact with moisture will degrade the look of your branding.
Con #4- Labels Looks Unprofessional
Think of the top brands on the market or any product in the supermarket. All of these products have custom-printed packaging. That is because stickers are just less professional. Stickers are fine for your farmer's market or start-up products, but if you want to break out in the major leagues and package your products like a legitimate business, then you need to ditch the labels.
Pro #1- It's Easier
Design your package, receive your package, fill, and sell. That's all you need to do. With custom printed packaging, you don't have to worry about preparing the package. Now, all you have to do is add your product. Your brand information and logos are ready and waiting for your customers to see. No placing stickers, no adding labels, just fill and seal. Also, by getting your packages and printing from the same spot, you know that the design will work on your packaging.
Pro #2- It Lasts Longer
Unlike labels or stickers, the printing on your custom bag is as durable as the bag itself. When you use waterproof bags like our metalized film or aluminum bags, the custom printing will be equally as resilient. The printing can't peel off or wrinkle, and it will still look great for much longer than labels can.
Pro #3- It Looks More Professional
Every legitimate business uses custom printed packaging. That is because custom bags exude an air of quality. When a brand has designed and created its packaging, you know it cares about its image. That concern then also extends to the quality of their product. A premium package signals a premium product stored inside.
Pro #4- Custom Printing can be combined with Labels
Each of the two branding methods has its benefits. So, why pick one over the other? You can easily design your package with custom printing and leave a space to place labels. You can add your logo and brand info on one side of the bag, and place a label for the unique product type on the other side. This way you get the professional look of custom printing, with the customization and versatility of labels.
Con #1- Price
Custom printing can be more expensive than labels. However, there is also room for variation for price-sensitive businesses. Single-sided, one color printing is going to be the most affordable option. However, if you want a more colorful and cohesive look, you can spend a little more on double side multi-color print.
Con #2- Less Room for Variety
Custom printed packaging has a higher minimum order quantity than labels. At QQ Studio, our minimum order quantity for custom printed bags is . This means you have to be committed to your design. You also need enough inventory to utilize all the packages. Changes and alterations in the design cannot be easily made when you are printing custom packaging.
Consider this list of pros and cons before you decide on which branding method you will choose. If you are interested in custom printing, visit our page to begin the process of creating your own fully personalized packaging bag. For more information on the sales process, consult our blog on direct and indirect distribution channels. QQ Studio is here to ensure that your products are spread far and wide, all while looking the best they possibly can.
The Best Printing For Packaging &#; Pros And Cons Of 5 Printing Methods
The finish can be enhanced with the addition of specialty coatings to create a super high gloss, matte or soft-touch finish to increase the perceived value of your products.
Compared with other printing methods, there is virtually no banding, creating a smooth color gradient in the printed graphics.
The Downside To Lithography Printing
For more information, please visit HaiPak.
It requires a significant investment in tooling to create custom printing plates. But those are a 'one-time' charge and assuming there are no changes to artwork when you need to print more packages, you will be able to re-use your print tooling for that run.
Lead times are also longer. And to keep lithography printing for packaging cost-effective, high volumes are typically better.
Here's a detail showing magnification of lithographic printing. Note the regularity of the print. Offset printing creates a regular pattern.2. Flexographic Printing
Best Used For:
Very High Quantities
Printing for flexible packaging is becoming increasingly popular due to the numerous benefits this packaging type offers.
Flexographic printing for packaging, also known as flexo printing, is commonly used for flexible packaging such as stand up pouches.
It can also be an effective printing for packaging solution for corrugated boxes.
One of the advantages of flexographic printing is that it is cost-effective per unit.
One of the advantages of flexographic printing is that it is cost-effective per unit. As the tooling costs are lower, this saving can be passed onto you.
Turnaround times are typically much faster than with other printing for packaging methods.
And, with flexo printing, you can use both water-based and oil-based inks, giving you more options.
On the other hand, compared with lithography printing, the quality can be noticeably less.
Banding can occur, as the color gradients are not always smooth and it has a hard time reproducing photo-quality images to a high standard.
However, despite these downsides, flexographic printing&#;s affordability helps it to maintain its popularity when it comes to printing for packaging.
3. Digital Printing
Low Quantities, Fast Turnaround
As one of the most versatile printing methods for packaging solutions, digital printing has countless applications.
Digital printing is highly effective in producing top-class print quality for labels, corrugated boxes, folding cartons, prototypes, stand up pouches and more.
In addition to its versatility, digital printing also offers fast turnaround times, sometimes within 2 weeks, and there are very little tooling or set-up costs associated with this printing for packaging method.
In fact, there are usually no die plate charges as all die cutting is usually done via an automated cutting table.
Low minimums are typical and the print quality is almost as good as lithographic printing, creating amazing final results.
Advances in corrugate digital printing has made this method a go to source for companies getting started or testing new products OR new packaging.
Digital printing is highly effective in producing top-class print quality
The Downside Of Digital Printing:
Not Cost Effective For Large Quantities, No Custom PMS Spot Colors Available.
However, there are a few negatives to digital printing for packaging.
If you are printing in large volume, the costs can add up quickly. So there is a quantity point where another package printing method may be more economical.
Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors can also be challenging to match and there are not as many coating options as are available as with lithography printing for packaging.
Although the price per unit can be high, digital printing can be an excellent solution depending on your needs.
Detail of digital ink jet printing on corrugate. Note the pattern of ink. Inkjet printing created a dispersed pattern of ink. A digital laser print will more closely resemble offset lithography.
4. Rotogravure Printing
Best Used For:
Very High Quantities, Precision Color
Most commonly used in flexible stand-up pouch printing and on folding cartons, rotogravure printing for packaging is one of the most widely used printing techniques for high volume printing.
Also, known as gravure printing, this method is often used in printing packaging designs.
rotogravure printing is still one of the most popular printing options and could be the perfect printing for packaging solution for your business
Rotogravure printing offers excellent print quality and is more than capable of reproducing high-quality photo images.
Printing times are very quick, with modern presses capable of producing fourteen meters of film in a single second!
Rotogravure printing can produce continuous-tone images, meaning consistent high-quality prints, even at high volume.
High Initial Cost, Fewer Coating Options
Although gravure cylinders are very durable and can be used for multiple printing runs, the original cost is very high.
There are not a lot of coating options available and for it to be cost-effective, higher volumes are generally required.
However, rotogravure printing is still one of the most popular printing options and could be the perfect printing for packaging solution for your business, especially if you require high-volume, top-quality printing for your packaging.
5. Silkscreen Printing
Best Used For:
Low Quantities, Fewer Colors
Silkscreen printing produces a clean, sharp finish with printed images and text.
This printing for packaging method can be used on a wide range of materials, such as fabric, corrugated packaging, and plastics.
Samples of screen printed bottles and jars. Screen printing is used to print on rounded or irregular shapes of containers. Image courtesy of bluelinelabels.com
It can be used for prototypes, labels, promotional materials, corrugated boxes, and folding cartons.
Silkscreen printing is an excellent choice for businesses that use pre-made or stock packaging.
This printing for packaging method is an excellent choice for businesses that use pre-made or stock packaging.
It is also the perfect choice for printing marketing and promotional materials such as t-shirts and mugs.
Samples of screen printed corrugate boxes. Imagewww.onepoundcoffee.com
Set-up costs are typically very affordable and it&#;s a good solution for smaller volume jobs. Silkscreen printing is best used on corrugate packages and surfaces that are not flat.
Want Us To Do It All For You?
Best Package For You - We&#;ll determine the best type and size of package that fits your product and your budget.
Design - We&#;ll create a design that will stand out from your competition.
We&#;ll Get it Printed - Don&#;t be left with a pretty design and nothing else. We can also print your package so you can get it on the shelf and sold!
Slower Turnaround, Not Photo Quality
Some disadvantages of silkscreen printing for packaging are that turnaround times can be slower than litho printing and it is more susceptible to human error.
The finish is not usually as clean and it is difficult to reproduce photo-quality images with any real conviction. With that said, silkscreen can be the perfect solution for smaller volume packaging jobs and prototypes.
When it comes to printing for packaging there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
With so many variables at play, it&#;s always best to get the advice of an experienced and reputable packaging design company to ensure you make the right decision.
Here at Catalpha, our team has the knowledge and expertise to help you take the best possible approach to your packaging design to ensure the best outcome possible. Get in touch today to see how we can help you with your printing for packaging needs.
Need more help with your packaging? Here are a few other blog posts that might help explain the packaging process:
How Much Will My Packaging Cost?
Custom Packaging For Small Business &#; Why It&#;s Important & How To Get The Best Results
Follow This 10 Step Process To Create Packaging Design That Sells Your Product
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