72% of American consumers agree that the design of a product’s packaging influences their decision to purchase it. In other words, the way your custom corrugated boxes look is undeniably a deciding factor in whether or not a prospective customer will purchase your product, so it’s absolutely critical that you nail the visual appeal of your packaging.
One easy step you can take towards accomplishing this goal is to have a design printed directly onto your custom corrugated boxes, such as your brand name and logo, or other forms of eye-catching imagery and information.
Once you’ve completed your designs, and are ready to have an image, brand or logo printed onto your custom corrugated box, you will need to choose one of the three print options at your disposal.
They are flexographic printing, lithographic printing, and digital printing.
Each one of these printing methods has its own distinct style, look and feel, along with a unique set of strengths and weaknesses, but actually deciding which one best suits your needs can be a bit challenging, especially if you are unfamiliar with them or their processes.
In order to help you decide which of the three printing methods will work best for your packaging goals, we’re going to help you to better understand each of the options by going over what each of them are, what their pros and cons are, and what each style is best suited for.
Flexographic Printing
Flexographic printing, also known as surface printing, is a process that transfers images directly onto the corrugated cardboard like a rubber stamp.
It is the fastest, cheapest and most common method of box printing.
Flexo printing is the fastest, cheapest and most common method of box printing. It is also less susceptible to scratching or cracking, which makes it excellent for shipping containers and cartons, and although the process is limited to only five available colors, our expert designers have been trained to get the most out of the limited color palette.
Why Choose Flexographic Printing?
It’s hard to argue with flexographic printing’s fast speed, low cost, and overall versatility, but like with any of the available methods, the choice to use flexographic printing mostly depends on what your custom packaging goals are.
Additionally, be aware that flexographic printing is mostly suited for simple designs: if your ideal custom packages feature complex patterns or images that demand high resolutions, flexographic printing is probably not the best choice, as it does not do well with detailed or intricate images.
Lithographic Printing
Lithographic offset printing has its main advantage in its high and consistent image quality and enhanced color flexibility. Labels are first printed onto a heavy paper stock, then laminated onto your custom corrugated shipping box.
This method is more expensive than flexographic printing and also has a higher risk of cracking and scratching, but it is capable of producing high-resolution images at a massive scale, making it well suited for bulk orders of high-quality prints.
Why Choose Lithographic Printing?
If your designs feature intricate details or high-resolution images, lithographic printing might be exactly what you need.
Additionally, the lithographic printing process is economically priced for bulk-orders, so if you need a large amount of custom corrugated packages featuring your designs, you might find that this option might make the most sense for you, financially.
Digital Printing
Digital printing is a cost effective way to get vibrant, detailed and consistent printing on your custom corrugated boxes.
Best for low quantity orders, digital printing allows you to tailor your boxes for specific markets.
Digital also has fast turnaround cycles, allowing you to update your containers in response to changing market trends. However, the labels created with digital printing won’t last as long as flexographic labels, nor will they stand up to the same level of wear and tear.
Why Choose Digital Printing?
Digital printing offers a high level of customization, excellent image quality, vibrant colors, and the ability to quickly make changes or updates to your designs at a moment’s notice.
Digital printing also happens to be the fastest of the three processes, so if you are short on time or want a quick turn around, this option might work for you.
That said, be sure to keep in mind that digital printing is better suited to smaller orders, and despite being capable of photo-realistic imagery, the final, printed product usually won’t last as long as the other options.
Contact Us Today For Custom Corrugated Boxes
We are dedicated to providing packaging solutions for all kinds of shipping needs, and are happy to help you keep up with the latest packaging trends of 2022 with our 70 years of experience, state-of-the-art technology, and superior team of designers.
Contact Victory Box Corp today to discuss our custom corrugated packaging products and services, along with our dedication to sustainability.
