Custom Packaging Boxes: All You Need To Know

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Your business needs to stand out in today’s growing world of e-commerce and social media ads. Primarily if you deal with deliveries, and of course, who doesn’t? Custom product packaging is a great way to arrest attention and loyalty and increase sales.

The custom boxes you send out will not only be a distinguishing factor between you and your competition but will also signal great customer service in the mind of your customers. Whether online or brick-and-mortar businesses, reports show that custom packaging boxes can be the perfect solution to increase engagement with your brand.

Not convinced?

In this article, we’ll show you why you need to invest in custom boxes, how to create packaging boxes, and some examples to inspire you.

Why should you invest in custom boxes?

Protect your product throughout transit time

Regardless of the product type, your packaging needs to protect the product. Right from storage in the market to the hands of the final consumers, your products must remain intact inside the custom package.

Now, imagine you sell electronics, accessories, or clothing. Aside from protecting the product, how do you intend to make it easy to transport the product? A sturdy and durable product box is your answer. To extend their shelf life, you can also package perishable food items inside boxes. Check out some eco-friendly packaging design ideas.

Sell a compelling brand image with your custom box

Custom shipping boxes help you take charge of customers’ image of your brand. That’s why you need to put a lot of effort into the visual details, the box styles, materials, colors, fonts, patterns, and copy.

Suppose you haven’t fully developed your brand identity concerning design. In that case, you may want to bring in a branding expert to liaise with your in-house graphic designer or outsource your packaging needs to a professional design agency.

Opportunity for free social media ad

If you’re a lifestyle brand, your customers can document their unboxing experience and post it on their social media pages. Why would they do that? You’ve simply given them top-notch aesthetics fit for their social media feeds. You give them a satisfying and instagrammable experience, and they give you a free advert- free digital proof. It’s a win-win. The more they talk about your product boxes as they show off their swag, the more organic traffic you’ll generate. Check out the guide for social media image size.

To make the experience more profound, here are a few tips:

Add a personalized note: Even if your customer never intended to show off your beautiful custom packaging, an emotive postcard with the customer’s name might be the tick. Bring your customer service team into this. You can also opt for custom-printed packaging with your customer’s name on the exterior. They’ll be more interested in telling people you care about them. That way, you’re selling a feeling, not just your product.
Add extra layers in your custom box to build anticipation: Make sure your product isn’t immediately visible when a customer opens the packaging. That might not necessarily mean adding an extra fold. Instead, you can build anticipation by concealing our products with bubble wraps, paper, tissue, or other protective layers. Each layer creates excitement and shows that you invest quality time in the custom packaging box.
Present multiple items in an organized manner: When delivering multiple items in a single box, ensure the items are neatly arranged to distinguish each.

Affordable with High ROI

With custom boxes, you can show your customers that you have excellent customer service, and they can repeat purchases as well as spread the word about your brand. Moreover, if you sell in-store, your packaging design’s aesthetics can be why your customers choose you above your competitors.

When outsourcing your custom packaging box design and you’re concerned about the quality, you can order a sample box to see how you will place the items for optimum presentation.

How do I make custom boxes?

Know Your Brand Inside and Out

Before you begin making boxes, understand your brand identity, your customers, and your product. This will guide your choice of box style and design.

What feeling are you conveying with your custom box?
What’s your brand about?
What’s your color scheme and font?
What do you sell?
What are your brand goals?
What’s your unique selling point?
Are you an eco-conscious brand looking for sustainable packaging?
Who are your customers, and what are their purchasing habits?
Where do they live?
Are your customers young or old, male or female?
Is sophistication or simplicity a priority to them?

These questions are essential so that you’ll match your customers’ expectations while communicating your message. You’ll also stand out better when you can identify the experience your packaging gives your customers.

Choose a Box Material

There are different materials used to make boxes. But let’s talk about the two most popular ones cardstock and corrugated cardboard.

Cardstock: Cardstocks are lightweight materials and ideal for small, single items. They come in three thickness options allowing for flexibility 14 pt (ideal for snacks and coffee), 18 pt. (great for cosmetics and smaller gadgets) and 24 pt (excellent for skincare and similar products in larger containers).
Corrugated cardboard: Corrugated cardboard is the best if you’re shipping your products to other countries. This material has three layers that help your box protect your items from external damage. It has two variations – rustic kraft (brown) and white, which also come in two variations (smooth and glossy white).

Find the best ideas for cosmetic packaging design.

Choose Your Type of Box

Once you decide on the material, you can choose which custom box style you want to create. Let’s show you some box styles you can consider.

Product Boxes

Also known as folding boxes, product boxes are the go-to if you’re looking for retail packaging solutions. They’re the most popular boxes you’ll find in stores. They often have a tuck flap on one of both ends of the box. They are ideal for lightweight items such as food, candles, soaps, cosmetics, and electronics.

Rigid Boxes

Rigid boxes are ideal for heavier items and aren’t collapsible or shipped flat like traditional boxes. Usually, you’ll find rigid boxes wrapped separately with something else that allows you to add personality to the look. Find some beautiful product label design ideas.

Mailer Boxes

When you receive these cute little subscription boxes, these are the types of boxes they come in. Mailer boxes are great for gift and eCommerce business deliveries. This is also great for small businesses. You’ll find these boxes in the clothing & apparel, health & beauty, and electronics industries.

Shipping Boxes

This is the ideal box for shipping large and bulk items through long distances. The shipping box is also great if you run fresh produce, electronics, and appliance deliveries.

Full Overlap Boxes

These box styles offer incredible durability with an excellent exterior that allows you to be fully creative. Overlap boxes have outside flaps that overlap the width of the box. Its structure adds strength to the box, making it ideal for heavy-duty purposes.

Roll End Tuck Top Boxes

Have you ever had a candy shipped to you in a box? They come in this type of box. These boxes are super easy to make, even without glue or tape. You can build this type of box just by folding the ends and tucking them into the front. You can make the top of the box transparent making it ideal for showcasing food products inside the box.

There are more boxes you can choose to create, but these are the most popular ones that fit almost every need and tick all the boxes. You can make any box style in custom dimensions and sizes. Getting familiar with them will help you make informed decisions. Explore some unique packaging design ideas.

Consider Storage and Distribution

When choosing the material and the type of your boxes, consider the shipping transit time or storage duration. If you’re shipping heavy items a long distance, corrugated cardboard will be your ideal material. However, cardstock will be the better option if you’re storing items in a warehouse or stores before sales.

Create a box design or label

How would people know the product is coming from your company? First, it’s the exterior design. Then, you can choose to add a pattern to the whole box or go for a simple label.

If you can already design but need minor help with 3d design, you can check out this article to learn how to design simple boxes with an online design tool like Adobe Illustrator or Indesign.

If you’re not the design type, you can save yourself the hassle by contacting a professional design agency to handle your custom-printed box.

Add Personality

Ensure that your materials align with your brand identity and values. For example, Kraft corrugated cardboard can be excellent when showing an organic and down-to-earth personality.

Also, go for something that increases customer satisfaction. Check your customer’s profiles to see what appeals to them. If they are the luxurious type, you may want to spend extra on the premium white corrugated cardboard plus glossed exterior to add a unique feel to the box.

Also, consider the custom box design. The box design or label with your logo can also do justice to your brand personality and messaging. Ensure you put enough thought into every sensory element of your custom box. Also, check in with your designer for the final look of your custom-printed boxes.

Whether your box is to be delivered to or displayed in a store, ensure you create a unique custom box that is exciting enough to pique the interest of onlookers and create the chance of repeat sales.

Consider your budget

Once you’ve decided on the materials you’re using for your box, check how far you’re willing to spread your budget. Although more features on your box can increase durability, expensive boxes don’t always equal better packaging than more affordable ones. For example, smooth and clean standard white corrugated cardboard can give your box the bright finish you’ll get with premium white corrugated cardboard at an affordable price.

If you’re going for more expensive options, making bulk orders can help you save costs.

Order Custom Printed Boxes

You can order custom boxes from different packaging solution providers such as Uprinting, Buy Boxes, Print Place, and Refine Packaging among others. These sites allow you to upload artwork but often have no minimum order quantity option. However, they’ll deliver within a few business days.

You can also let All Time Design handle your request. We can help you with your design from scratch to different custom sizes. If you have inquiries, you can speak to our customer support team to guide you and also give you an instant quote.

Some Inspiring Examples of Custom Packaging Boxes

Final Thoughts

Custom packaging may seem like a costly venture to put money into, but we assure you the time and money you spend on packaging comes back in multiple folds higher than you expect. You have a higher chance to stand out in a sea of others. You also customize the experience you give your customers which can lead to more awareness and repeat sales. Interestingly, excellent packaging with nice artwork can serve as interior aesthetics which increases loyalty. The opportunities are endless with custom boxes.