Printed Boxes & Packaging

If your business uses or requires custom printed boxes, there is a suitable option that can improve the performance of transit, retail, ecommerce, or consumer packaging.

From simple branding and logos all the way up to photographic quality imagery for product packaging applications, your business can source the widest range of printed corrugated boxes – in terms of styles, sizes, and designs – from a single UK supplier. And this includes completely bespoke options tailored to your exact requirements.

Please see below for a range of printed packaging options that can make a tangible difference to your business / brand success.

Besides the wide range of high quality, printed retail packaging you can source from GWP, you can also enhance sales further through the use of cardboard POS.

Please see below for the full range of custom FSDU, CTU, dump bins and other retail displays that can be developed alongside your retail packaging.

There are a number of ways in which your corrugated packaging, boxes and even point of sale displays can be printed.

Cardboard offers a suitable surface for a range of print methods, which ensures that regardless of the intended use of your packaging, there is a print option perfect for any budget, application, or target market.

Please continue below for the 4 main types of printed packaging options available.

Screen printing is a fairly basic printing technique, whereby ink is forced through a screen to create the imagery on the material.

The process is typically quite labour intensive, so tends to be used for very low volumes only. It is also only suitable for single colour artwork (more than one colour adds additional processes – posing challenges for registration and accuracy).

As a result, screen printing tends to be used for Correx® packaging and items such as protective cases, where the volumes and branding requirements lend itself to this method.

Whilst flexographic printing can achieve good results with up to 4 colours, it is typically used for applying 1, 2 and 3 colour logos and simple graphics to branded boxes or secondary packaging such as shelf ready packs.

It creates striking, bold graphics which can be accurately matched to specific colours and pantone references.

It can also be done “inline” on many packaging manufacturing equipment, making it a cost-effective option for adding branding to transit packaging and printed mailer boxes (although printing plate costs will be a consideration).

Flexographic print can also make use of white ink – printing this colour onto Kraft (brown) material to give an interesting, eco effect.

Litho printed packaging – also known as lithographic or litho laminated – is a process where a full colour design (using CMYK inks – although spot colours can be added too) is added to sheet of paper. This paper is then laminated onto the corrugated material.

The advantages of doing this means that the print is of a very high quality (as the fluting of the corrugated material does not affect the ink being laid down onto the surface) and that photographic quality images can be easily achieved.

The processes involved and the requirement for multiple printing plates does however mean that litho printing tends to be used for high volume applications (such as retail or product packaging)

Digital printed packaging can achieve a similar result to litho printing, but in much lower volumes.

Printing straight onto the corrugated material, digital printing also requires no printing plates, making it cost effective for lower volumes where a high-quality print is required (for example when producing cardboard sleeves with specific offers / promotions on them).

However, the speed of the printing means that is a relatively slow process (when compared with litho) and would not be suitable / cost effective for higher volumes. The other main drawback is that not many digital printers are able to include specialist inks or spot colours (although this is changing with the latest equipment).

Digitally printed boxes are also perfect for limited product launches and high value items that require luxury or high-end packaging.

Please watch the below video for a brief overview of the methods, options and finishes available when sourcing printed boxes for your buisness.

Whilst the below list of questions aims to cover the most common FAQs regarding printed packaging, it may be the case that you have a specific query not covered. If that is you, please feel free to get in touch on 01793 754 444 or email packaging@gwp.co.uk for further assistance.

GWP Packaging have a long history of working with a diverse range of businesses – including some of the biggest retailers in the UK, large scale manufacturers and small independent companies alike.

This success – over 25 years and counting – has been achieved by providing a level of service and quality far in excess of our competitors.

A such, all of your printed packaging will be designed by an in-house team to your exact requirements, manufactured to the highest standards, and consistently supplied on short lead times to ensure you can meet any peaks in demand.

So, if you need branded or printed boxes of any kind, let GWP show you just how much of a positive impact it could have on your business.