Different Types of Printing for Packaging Boxes
Many elegant shapes of Customized boxes are available. They can come in various appealing colors and alluring styles. They are obtainable in different sizes and shapes. Their shapes may be according to the desires of the business owner. They are made of eco-friendly materials such as kraft, cardstock, and others. They are biodegradable and decomposable. They can help to keep the environment safe. They may come with additional compartments and custom inserts. They can also possess customized placeholders and die-cut windows. They can come with beautiful handles and airtight lids. They come with the printed logo of the business. They help to promote the business and its products through their printed content. They come with printed graphics and imagery according to the type of business. Their printing is carried out by making use of modern technologies. PMS and CMYK color schemes are used for their printing. They look beautiful due to different types of finishes.
We know that printing has become essential for making customized boxes attractive. Different boxes have to come with different kinds of printed content. This printed content either promotes the product or its manufacturer. There are different types of printing of these boxes. Following is a detailed guide about different types of packaging printing.
Lithography
You should know that another name for lithography is offset printing. It can have various advantages. It is the best technique for printing retail packaging products such as cosmetic boxes, food boxes, and others. They can produce high-quality printed products. It uses four colors as it combines four colors with 1 or 2 PMS colors. It may use specialty coating for producing high-quality effects. Super high gloss and matte or soft-touch finishing options are the best choices. You should know that there are some drawbacks to this technique as well. It requires high-volume printing to reduce prices. It also requires higher investments because, in this process, custom-made plates are required. Another drawback is that it requires higher lead times.
Flexography
You should know that flexography is another printing technique for Custom boxes that can be less costly. It requires lower tooling costs. The best benefit of this technique is a faster turnaround time. Another good thing about this technique is that it uses both water and oil-based inks. However, there are some important drawbacks of this technique that you should know. The printing quality is noticeably lower as compared to lithography. It also faces trouble with producing smooth color gradients. It also has trouble in registration on 4 color printing process jobs. Finally, it doesn’t have the potential to reproduce photo-quality images convincingly. Hence, it would help if you considered the benefits and drawbacks of these techniques.
Digital printing
There are many benefits of this technology for printing Custom Packaging Boxes. First, you should know that it requires minimal to zero set-up costs. Its best advantage is that it has a faster turnaround time, even less than a week. Its printing quality is comparable with litho. Like all other printing techniques, there are some disadvantages of this technique. When you have to print large volumes, it may be costly. PMS colors aren’t easy to match with this technology. It scuffs easier and requires minimal coating protection. It can’t use metallic inks. The cost per unit is high. Hence, you may understand that this technique can be more beneficial when you have a small volume of printing.
Silkscreen printing
There are many advantages of silk screen printing. It can be a great technique for printing on pre-made packaging such as bottles and caps. Its set-up costs are lesser. You can use it on smaller volumes. It doesn’t require flat surfaces to print on. Hence, you can produce custom printed packaging of any kind from this. You should know that it also has some drawbacks. Its production may be slower than litho. There are greater chances of human error during the process. It isn’t clean-looking. It also can’t reproduce photo-quality images. It is also not good for high volumes.
Rotogravure printing
This is the best technique that can produce premium quality prints. It can easily print photo images. It has the best benefit of easily adding PMS colors to the 4 color process for printing. Its printing cylinders can last for a long time. It can print high volumes with no spoilage in the quality of images. Its disadvantages may include that it doesn’t have a lot of coating options. It requires a high investment in tooling. You can use this method to print very large volumes. Its lead times are also longer. Hence, it would help if you used it when you have to print large volumes.
We have described the different benefits and drawbacks of different techniques of printing for packaging. You should know that the number of customized boxes will decide the choice of printing technology. You can read the details of these techniques and choose the best one that can suit your needs. You should consider its pricing and quality while making a decision.
