Every packaging supplier has different benefits, equipment and processes, which can make it tricky when selecting the right printer for your packaging project.
So we thought we’d share with you the most frequently asked packaging questions (packaging FAQs), together with our answers, to help you with your packaging project planning.
Do you have a minimum order quantity for packaging projects?
To make your packaging project as cost-effective as possible, our recommended minimum order quantity starts from 500, with the maximum up to 250,000. If you don’t need all 500 items at once or don’t have the space to store them, we can store part (or all!) of your order at our warehouse, which you can call off as and when you need them.
What is the maximum sheet size and thickness of stock you can run for your printed packaging?
Our print presses can accommodate a wide range of materials and thickness from 40gsm up to thicker cardboard materials. We can even print on more unusual materials. The most popular materials for packaging projects are kraft board, folding box board and fluted corrugated materials. We can also print on coloured stocks, too.
What is the lead time for creating printed packaging campaigns?
We would recommend building in at least 3 weeks for your packaging project (tip: you may want to read our article 'Guide to Creating Effective Custom Packaging') . This would include the initial consultation, discussing the best materials for your project, reviewing or creating your designs, and suggesting enhancements to optimise the quality, design, sustainability and budget of your packaging. If you require mock-ups or prototypes of your packaging, we recommend building in an extra week, depending on how complicated the project is and how many prototypes you may need.
Is Blackmore's printed packaging food safe accredited?
We can offer food-safe packaging together with the relevant food-safe certificates. We offer vegetable-based or biodegradable inks for your custom printed packaging, including food packaging sleeves, delivery boxes or retail food boxes. Most of our customers print on the packaging areas that don’t come into direct contact with the food, such as the outside of a box.
Can Blackmore offer packaging prototypes, both printed and plain?
Yes we can. Providing prototypes or mock-ups of what your packaging would look like before it goes into production is a good idea.
How sustainable is the packaging Blackmore can produce?
At Blackmore, everything we do is underpinned by our ethos to limit any impact on the environment and our greener print comes as standard on all projects. We were one of the first UK printers to be awarded with the ISO 14001 Environmental Standard and we have recently invested over £3 million in new state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly print presses. All our standard stock comes from FSC or PEFC-approved sources and our inks/ coatings are vegetable-based or biodegradable. We also offer carbon balanced materials in partnership with the World Land Trust.
Does Blackmore offer standard packaging design templates to work to?
Yes, we can provide stock packaging design templates that your design team can use to apply your packaging designs to. Our in-house packaging design team and cardboard engineers are on hand, should you need it, to offer advice so that your packaging does exactly what you need it to.
Can Blackmore offer Computer Aided Design (CAD) for packaging?
Yes, our design team can offer CAD as part of our packaging service.
How many colours can Blackmore print on your packaging?
We can print up to 5 colours, including UV white. This looks especially eye-catching when printed on kraft board or against a darker design. In addition, we also offer print embellishments, including spot UV varnish, embossing, foil stamping and laminations. Your printed packaging never looked so good!
Are the inks vegetable based on printed packaging?
Depending on the packaging project and the equipment we use to print it, we either use vegetable-based or biodegradable inks. If you have a preference, you are welcome to discuss this with our packaging team, who will be able to advise you further.
We hope you found our Packaging FAQs article useful. If you would like to read more about our printed packaging service, please go to our packaging page.
Do you have a packaging print project to discuss? We’d love to help.
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