Packaging 101: Everything You Should Know About Paper Board

Paper board is a material that has been widely adopted for various purposes. In a nutshell, it is a thick and flat piece of paper manufactured from a network of fibers. Its multi-layered build makes it more robust than a typical paper or thin card. One of the reasons it makes the preference is how sustainable it is. Paper Board is typically made from trees or waste paper and can easily be recycled in most cases.

 

Custom Box Packaging with Paper board

 

Designing new packaging may seem like a challenging and even sometimes somewhat daunting task – and while it is most times out of ten – it is not impossible., and we know that first hand

 

At HeTien, we receive many quote requests in which our potential clients are sure about one thing only: they need excellent packaging. But solving that need requires many considerations, including structure, safety, printing, quantity, size, color, material, product conditions, practicality, and so much more! It is no mean feat to create the perfect custom design for our valued clients.  

 

In summary, there are hundreds of variations when it comes to the packaging, design and production process, especially using

paper board as a material.

 

But where do you start? The answer entirely comes down to your brand’s specific needs. There is no unique way to do it, but a couple of steps are essential to give your packaging design and production a sleek and stylish finish.


Know your product

You may think this is an obvious one, but no one knows your product better than you do. Your product knowledge is critical to getting the best from your packaging. With this in mind, your packaging needs to answer your product’s needs and enhance its performance and overall feel. So always think about how you want to present your products to your customers.


Set a budget

Packaging needs planning, and one of the main aspects of a plan is to have a budget in mind. Great-looking packaging is not necessarily the most expensive option on the market, but, at the same time, cheap packaging is not always the best route to go down in order to save some money. Setting a budget allows you to have a rough guide when it comes to the style, feel and look you want for your packaging. Always remember that when you set a budget, it doesn’t mean that you must stick to it down to the penny; things change, and sometimes budgets can be slightly stretched or even reduced. Simply set a guideline, keeping in mind the packaging development process and what you would like the end result to be.

Contact an expert

The design and development processes are not easy. Contacting an expert will result in saving you precious money and time. But remember the KEY essential task: an expert can help you if you understand your product, and there is just one person who can represent the product; you. Set your idea, be open to suggestions and changes, and be loyal to your product’s characteristics and brand story. Your ideal goal is to want your packaging to represent your product positively. 

About the material

Let’s start by saying that there are many types of material options when it comes to paper board. For example, if you compare a perfume box, a delivery hamburger box, and a cereal box, you will notice that they are different; the first big difference between them is the type of material.

Paper board is the most common material used due to its flexibility and durability. 

Paper Board itself comes in different variations. Depending on the type, some features, including the quality of printing, and the overall structure, will be affected.

Types of Paper Board 

 

Let’s start with the basics to let you understand a little more about the material of paper board.

 

Paper board is a popular packaging material based on wood fiber. Depending on the type of wood fiber and the fabrication process, it can cover various physical forms and shapes. This is also an eco-friendly material that can be easily recycled and repurposed.

Plastic coated paper in single or double is a type of art paper board with a plastic layer or treatment on the surface. Single or double refers to the number of plastic coatings. This type of paper board is most commonly found to be associated with beauty and fragrance products. 


Foil Paper board is laminated on the coated side of a paper backing. The topcoat of the material is designed to accept ink, making it suitable for litho, offset, or silkscreen printing. Thicknesses vary and include 60#, 80#.

 

Art Paper board is a high-quality paper coated on both sides after manufacturing with adhesive and Kaolin material. Predominantly used in printing illustrated materials, the grammage varies from 100 to 230 g/m2. These paper grades are triple coated with 20–40 g/m2/side.


Paper will also affect the cost. If you don’t require special features, take the option to add a surface treatment to the less expensive paper and save money.

A plastic-coated paper board is a great option to protect product qualities if you require packaging for food items. Not only will it keep the food items well contained, but it will also prevent any leakages and grease stains.

The type of paper you decide to go for will also affect the overall cost. If you don’t require anything too fancy and can work with something more fundamental, consider having a surface treatment added to the less expensive paper to save you money overall. 

Get in touch for your personalized quote

Hope that this information has helped you understand more about paper board and all the options available to you when designing and producing quality packaging.

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