Posted by Jane White on | Comments Off on Eco-Friendly Product Packaging Ideas
As consumers grow more and more eco-conscious, many of them are now on the lookout for eco-friendly products and product packaging. Luckily, going green and reducing your company’s carbon footprint can be quite easy, especially with these eco-friendly product packaging ideas.
Utilize recycled materials
Creating eco-friendly product packaging begins with choosing sustainable, recyclable, or biodegradable materials. Doing so won’t just help reduce the product’s carbon footprint—it may also boost sales for your product. With the growing importance of environmentalism, many consumers are now on the lookout for sustainable products made with recycled materials. Using this type of material is better for the environment and gives the consumer sustainable options.
Plastic packaging often gets a bad rap for not being eco-friendly, but many plastic packaging materials are recyclable or made from recycled materials. For instance, you can recycle PET packaging, which in turn can be made from recycled plastic bottles, compostable PLA (polylactic acid, a corn-based product created from natural, renewable resources), and partly from recycled PET plastic (rPET). Using recyclable materials such as PET plastic in your product’s packaging significantly cuts down on the amount of waste thrown into landfills each year.
Many plastic packaging products are also recyclable in and of themselves. You can easily recycle PET plastic as well as most other clear plastic packaging. These materials can be ground down and converted into materials that can then be used to manufacture and produce other plastic boxes. For more information on the eco-friendly packaging materials and practices used at Printex Transparent Packaging, check out our page on sustainable packaging as well as our glossary of terms page.
Embrace the minimalist mind-set
One of the easiest eco-friendly product packaging ideas is to simply reduce the size and amount of packaging you use. Reducing the size of the packaging will, in turn, reduce the cost of packaging overall and the amount of waste that ends up in a landfill. When you reduce the size of the packaging, also try to reduce the amount of empty space within the box. Excess space in packaging is often filled with small, soft materials designed to cushion the product. These materials, such as Bubble Wrap and Styrofoam packing peanuts, are often not recyclable or biodegradable, and they can harm the environment. Rather than packing a small product in a large box and padding it with filler materials, consider designing a custom-made package for the product. Custom-designed product packaging can protect the product and ensure you’re using the least amount of packaging necessary. A custom box designed for a perfect fit is also structurally much stronger. When you’re designing your product’s packaging, always remember: “less is more.”
Posted by Jane White on | Comments Off on The Evolution and History of Product Packaging
The wants and needs of consumers constantly change. As new and innovative products evolve, so do the methods used to package these products. Throughout the course of human history, there have been many ways to package products, and each was an innovation in its own time. Throughout the evolution and history of product packaging, one thing remains unchanged: the focus on the consumer.
Early product packaging
Before the mass production of products, product packaging consisted mainly of natural and hand-made items intended for long-term use. Clay and ceramic pots, for instance, were quite popular due to their durability. However, these materials were quite heavy, and improved, lighter packaging materials came to the market. Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, tinplate became increasingly popular in packaging small or perishable products, such as tobacco and food. Canned goods were used to supply soldiers with food during times of war and quickly expanded to reach a wider range of consumers.
Present day product packaging
The history of product packaging continues to evolve. As consumers become more concerned with product safety, the packaging for these products also has had to adapt. Products are now packaged with seals and locks to ensure the product has not been tampered with. To further improve food safety, many products now utilize clear box packaging. This packaging allows the consumer to properly view the product prior to purchase, so they can ensure it has not been tampered with and will function properly once it’s out of the packaging. Clear plastic packaging not only improves food safety, but modern plastic is also more durable than paper, so it also protects a product’s integrity. Plastic packaging, along with developments in other forms of packaging, allows for improved packaging performance, functionality, and durability.
Clear plastic boxes also help build trust in the brand and product, as customers can clearly see the product prior to purchase. In this respect, clear plastic packaging serves to both protect the product and provide a fantastic form of marketing. Rather than judging products based solely upon the appeal and design of the package, consumers can instead make purchases based on the product’s actual quality. With clear plastic boxes and packaging, consumers know exactly what they’ll get before they make a purchase, which can lead to an overall increase in customer satisfaction. Increased customer satisfaction, in turn, leads to higher sales and improved customer brand loyalty.
Posted by Jane White on | Comments Off on How Packaging Affects Consumer Behavior
There are many elements to consider when you prepare a product for market. One of the most important considerations a brand must make is how packaging affects consumer behavior. Product packaging can have a significant impact on a consumer’s purchasing tendencies, whether they’re aware of it or not.
Encourages subconscious associations
First impressions are important, particularly when it comes to product packaging. Whether consciously or not, a product’s packaging can have a significant impact on the consumer’s emotional associations with the product. Both color and quality are important when it comes to first impressions. Color, for instance, can draw a consumer to a particular product. Bright colors, such as yellow and red, are immediate attention grabbers. According to color psychology, certain colors can also evoke specific emotions, and they can help solidify your brand identity.
HIGH-QUALITY CLEAR PLASTIC PACKAGING
Visibility is equally important when it comes to first impressions. High-quality clear plastic packaging, for instance, can significantly increase a product’s appeal on the shelf, as it allows for higher product visibility. When clear boxes are decorated with delightful designs, these clear boxes are seen by the consumer as not only practical, but also attractive. Fixation counts, according to a recent Clemson University study, plastic packages are 675 percent more likely to grab a shopper’s eyes than paperboard containers. The sleek design of clear packages and boxes fosters consumer associations with elegance and prestige, which helps the product stand out among crowded retail shelves. High-quality clear plastic boxes and packages also allow the consumer to properly view the high-quality product within. The ability to properly see the product enables the consumer to put more faith in the brand and makes them trust that the product will perform exactly as intended.
Promotes brand loyalty
When you consider how packaging affects consumer behavior, it’s important to understand how it impacts brand loyalty. The packaging for your product should complement your company’s image, and the consumer should immediately recognize it. Frequent changes to your product’s packaging may confuse consumers or cause them to stray away from your brand. If you maintain consistent packaging, you can cultivate more loyal consumers. This doesn’t mean you should never change your product packaging. Instead, when you do change the packaging of a product, be sure it remains true to the brand’s style and image; you want both longtime and new customers to easily recognize a product as yours.
Builds anticipation
The anticipation of opening a newly purchased product is similar to the feeling people get when they open presents. Exceptional product packaging is a great way to build consumer anticipation and excitement for a product, and it can even help increase sales. While the mystery you get with a present is fun, consumers often prefer to know what they’ll get before they make a purchase. Clear plastic box packaging is a great way for consumers to view the product prior to purchasing and still create anticipation. When a consumer can properly view the product, they can better envision using the product in their everyday life. If a consumer can see themselves using a product, the excitement that comes with opening a package will be with them from the moment they purchase it.
How to get shelf attention with ship flat packaging! Printex Transparent Packaging makes it possible for Kids@Work to store and showcase Children’s Building Block Sets in a unique and practical way! We utilize our customized “Snap Cap” feature and interlocking PET sleeve. We have taken clear sleeve packaging to the next level of packaging design! The is the second year in a row our Ship Flat packaging design with a Printex Transparent Snap Cap has won an award. Last year we were awarded NJPEC Silver Package of the Year Award, and this year it is Gold!
2. Ship Flat Packaging:
How to get shelf attention with ship flat packaging? To ship and store more efficiently, Printex Transparent Packaging manufactures your PET sleeve as a flat, semi rigid, plastic sleeve. The sleeve sets up into a large cube shaped container. The result is a container that mimics the actual building block. Our convenient clear sleeve packaging ships flat, saves space and saves dollars in shipping.
3. Fun & Functional:
This package design is the shape of the actual toy block. This block shape reinforces the branding of the product. The custom shaped package is fun, provides efficient storage and is a decorative addition to a child’s room or playroom. This unique packaging design is the answer to how to get shelf attention with ship flat packaging!
4. Easy & Efficient:
We designed the Printex Snap Cap to assemble quickly and efficiently. It is easy to lock and assemble the Kids@Work injection molded top onto the bottom components. The top and bottom edges of the PET sleeve snap into place with our specially engineered die cut locking feature. This quick and positive locking feature allows for the re-closable top cap to attach to the sleeve body. The snap cap does not require any expensive sealing/affixing procedure such as screws, tape, glue and or welding etc. As a result, this design saves many dollars in assembly labor cost and helps the customer meet a growing market demand.
5. Cost Efficient Shipping:
The special ship flat design allows for a more efficient way to transport a larger volume of cube shaped containers to the assembly destination. Clear packaging is cost efficient! The advantages in plastic PET packaging are clear, this is how to get shelf attention with ship flat packaging!
6. Display Flexibility:
Not only does the flat clear sleeve package turn into a block. but the block then has the ability to stack one unit on top of another. The blocks fit together because we designed the top cap to nest inside of the bottom. This gives the retailers a lot of flexibility on how they can display the action block sets. You can display the blocks individually or even as multi-tower displays. This is how to get shelf attention with ship flat packaging!
7. Shelf Presence:
How to get shelf attention with ship flat packaging? Shelf presence is the most important advantage of the Printex Snap Cap. For example, the block shaped clear plastic package reflects what is inside. Also, the clear PET recyclable material also allows for the vibrant colored blocks to shine through. In addition, the Kids@Work brand logo stands out on the pre-printed the sleeve. So consequently, this a smart cost effective design, but also one with a large shelf appeal. This shelf appeal will generate many impulse buys and create impact on the shelf. In conclusion, the new block shaped package has already been well received by retailers and is another award winning clear package in the highly competitive toy industry.
Posted by Jane White on | Comments Off on Holiday Retail Packaging: Strategy, Shipping, and Shelf Appeal
For retail brands, Q4 is the most demanding stretch of the year: carrier volumes surge, shelf competition peaks, and packaging that falls short in either shipping or presentation costs real revenue.
Printex Transparent Packaging manufactures clear folding boxes, window boxes, and custom paperboard cartons from facilities in New York and Quebec, serving brands across health and beauty, food and beverage, wine and spirits, apparel and consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals.
Learn more about custom holiday packaging strategy, custom paperboard and transparent packaging for shelf appeal, and how to choose the right holiday packaging design and inserts to display your retail products.
The Two Jobs Your Holiday Packaging Must Do
Every holiday package performs two jobs. First, it protects the product through a distribution network under maximum stress. Carrier volumes increase significantly between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and stacking damage peaks during the same window. Second, it sells the product the moment it reaches the shelf or the customer’s hands.
Most brands optimize for one job at the expense of the other. The right custom holiday packaging handles both.
Optimizing Your Retail Shelf Appeal: Paperboard Packaging With Clear Plastic Windows
Paperboard packaging with a clear plastic window combines structural rigidity with direct product visibility. The SBS (solid bleached sulfate) paperboard panel carries brand graphics, seasonal design, and product information, delivering the aesthetic appeal that separates holiday packaging from standard retail cartons. The clear PET window lets the product close the sale.
Holiday window boxes built on this structure deliver measurable shelf results. According to a Clemson University study, transparent packaging is 675% more likely to capture a shopper’s attention than fully opaque cartons. For gift purchases, which drive the majority of Q4 retail volume, that visibility advantage translates directly into sales. The psychology behind those decisions runs deeper than shelf visibility alone. For a closer look at the emotional drivers behind holiday purchase decisions, see our blog post, How Holiday Packaging Influences Consumer Purchasing Decisions.
From a logistics standpoint, paperboard folding cartons ship flat and erect at point-of-pack, cutting freight costs and storage requirements ahead of the holiday rush.
Closures, Inserts, and Finishing: Retail Packaging Details That Protect and Present
The retail package does more than sell the product—it also carries a share of the protective load through Q4 handling and repeated shelf restocking, working alongside whatever outer shipper moves it through the distribution network.
Design features worth specifying for a holiday program include:
Secure closures. Auto bottom tuck top, reverse or straight tuck end, or seal end box styles keep contents contained through handling, without requiring extra tape or bagging.
Custom inserts and spacers. Custom internal spacers and integrated product placement hold the product in a fixed position, preventing damage while framing it for display (when paired with a window box).
Decorative finishing. Foil stamping uses a heated die pressed onto foil material to create an eye-catching effect on folding cartons and paperboard boxes. Pairing it with embossing or silk-screen printing puts a seasonal, gift-ready look directly on the paperboard or PET surface, no separate holiday wrap needed.
How to Choose the Right Shipping Materials for Christmas
The right choice depends on three variables: product fragility, distribution channel, and brand presentation requirements. Use this framework to match your product to the right structure:
Retail shelf placement. Use paperboard folding cartons or holiday window boxes. These structures store flat and assemble quickly at the point of pack, which keeps warehouse operations moving during Q4.
Holiday branding. Paperboard and PET windows can be printed with holiday-themed graphics and eye-catching colors.
Sustainability. Window boxes are a sustainable options that highlight your product’s best features. A window box is typically made of 80% to 95% paperboard by weight, with the remaining 5% to 20% comprising the transparent film window (usually made of PET or PVC) and small amounts of adhesive.
Direct-to-consumer shipping. Branded interior tissue or insert cards elevate the unboxing experience without adding a high cost per unit. For design formats that perform in direct-to-consumer channels, see Holiday Product Packaging Ideas.
Fragile or high-value products. Use a rigid, clear PET display box for retail presentation, paired with a corrugated outer shipper. Printex manufactures the inner display box; your fulfillment operation or corrugate supplier handles the outer shipper. The inner box handles retail presentation; the outer mailer absorbs transit stress.
Gift sets or multi-SKU bundles. Custom holiday packaging solutions for bundled products consolidate multiple items into a single package, maintaining a visually consistent gift presentation for promo and club packaging.
For all market categories, expect to order custom holiday packaging solutions with a minimum 10-week lead time ahead of your target ship date. Working with a supplier that offers custom holiday packaging solutions across both paperboard and clear formats simplifies vendor management during the most compressed production window of the year.
Start Planning Before Q4 With Printex Transparent Packaging
Lead times for paperboard cartons with custom print, foil stamping, or clear PET windows run eight to 12 weeks from final artwork approval to delivery.
For November shelf placement, finalize packaging specifications by late July. For December direct-to-consumer programs, August is the latest workable start point.
Printex manufactures custom holiday packaging in North America, with in-house design, prototyping, and production capabilities for paperboard cartons, holiday window boxes, and clear folding boxes. Request a quote to start your holiday packaging program.
Posted by Jane White on | Comments Off on Printex Transparent Packaging Wins another award!
Another Award for Printex Transparent Packaging!
Printex Transparent Packaging is proud to announce being awarded the NJPEC Silver Package of the Year Award for the Crayola Building Blocks packaging! This collaborative development process between Printex Transparent Packaging and the client came up with a cost effective and efficient design for shipping, storage and assembly. What child wouldn’t be excited to see this fun, bright, colorful huge crayon on Christmas morning? It serves as an eye catching retail package as well as a storage container for their children’s building block sets.
The Printex Transparent PET sleeve is manufactured to set up from a flat position into a large round crayon shaped tube container. This crayon shaped package design not only reinforces the iconic trusted Crayola Crayon brand but affords a storage container that is a decorative addition to a child’s room or playroom. This is produced in various colors, with high impact colorful graphics.
Tubes Ship Flat!
Advantages of the Printex Transparent Snap Cap
The Printex Transparent Packaging Snap Cap design assembles quickly and efficiently. The clear sleeves ship flat with Snap Caps that turn the flat sleeve into a round tube! This is clear packaging utilized for manageability in transit and maximum retail impact with a unique design that allows the clear tube to expose the product to the customer and attract additional sales. The special die cut locking features on the PET sleeve has been designed and manufactured to quickly and easily lock and assemble with the injection molded caps. This quick and positive locking feature allows for the top crayon tip and bottom end cap to attach to the cylinder body sleeve without requiring expensive sealing/affixing procedure such as screws, tape, glue and or welding etc. This has saved many dollars in assembly labor cost and helped meet a growing market demand. In addition, the special ship flat design allows for a more efficient way to transport a large volume of round containers to assembly destination that would otherwise necessitate many additional container loads and trucking if required to be shipped set up.
The Clear Advantage for Shelf Presence…
The most important advantage of the Printex Transparent Packaging Snap Cap Crayola Tube packaging, aside from all of the aforementioned efficiencies, is clearly the shelf presence it provides. The clear plastic package made into the Iconic Crayola Crayon shape allows for the multitude of vibrant colored blocks to shine through. In addition, Printex Transparent Packaging has printed the tube with the trusted Crayola brand which is known for quality as well as breath of color. So not only is this a smart cost effective design but one with a large shelf appeal that has generated many impulse buys and a real impact on shelf. Retailers who have carried this product in 2016 are now repeating it for 2017 because of the tremendous sell through they have experienced. This is common story for brand owners that have made the move to Printex Transparent Packaging’s visual packaging. Another clear package design success story!…
Posted by Jane White on | Comments Off on Congratulations Andre Liu and Dan Belliveau!
Two key team members of Printex Transparent Packaging will mark their 30-year anniversary in the next few days! Andre Liu and Dan Belliveau
Andre started with the company in May, 30 years ago as a student working through University. He has worked through so many positions within the company, he could take the plastic folding box packaging concept from the client, design it, cost it, quote it, make the CAD samples, run the press’s and folder gluers to produce the order, ship it, and even invoice it! Andre now spends most of his time at the Montreal Plant with General management duties and customer service. In his personal time Andre enjoys cycle cross racing and sport shooting.
Danny Belliveau started in June, 30 years ago as a young assistant production manager. He was later promoted to plant manager. In recent years Dan has been primarily in sales and customer service where he has really hit his stride enjoying finding the right clear box packaging solution for his many clients across North America. Dan is a national level competitive curler in his spare time which works well being a winter sport, so it doesn’t compete with one of his other joys of barbecuing in the back yard with a cold beer on a hot summer evening.
Both Andre and Dan have been involved with the company since it was German owned, known as Sicht Pack at the time, with patent protected processes for soft crease folding cartons, to being purchased by Transparent Packaging of Hamilton, then purchasing Look Packaging of Toronto, and fighting through the onslaught of China and off shoring, to the merger with Printex Packaging of Long Island, now making them part of the largest clear folding box producer in North America.
Andre and Dan are two of our longest-term employees, and we have many more that have also been with us a long time, which speaks well of the company and the atmosphere that all of us play a part in creating for our working lives. It’s having great guys on your team like them and others that makes for a winning team.
There is probably no one else in North America with more knowledge of plastic folding carton manufacturing than these two gentlemen have.
Feel free to send them a congratulation on 30 years!
Posted by Jane White on | Comments Off on Printex Wins NJPEC Bronze Award for Simply Slick Package
Printex Packaging was awarded the bronze award New Jersey Package Executives Club (NJPEC) 2013 Package of the Year ceremony for the design of Simply Slick’s latest package. This marks the second time in three years that the company has been recognized by the organization for innovative and eye catching packages. It’s made with Printexs’ snap cap technology, which allows for custom design to capture product and unlimited shapes.
The Printex Transparent Packaging Snap Cap design assembles quickly and efficiently. The clear sleeves ship flat with Snap Caps that turn the flat sleeve into a round tube! This is clear packaging utilized for manageability in transit and maximum retail impact with a unique design that allows the clear tube to expose the product to the customer and attract additional sales. The special die cut locking features on the PET sleeve has been designed and manufactured to quickly and easily lock and assemble with the injection molded caps. This quick and positive locking feature allows for the top crayon tip and bottom end cap to attach to the cylinder body sleeve without requiring expensive sealing/affixing procedure such as screws, tape, glue and or welding etc. This has saved many dollars in assembly labor cost and helped meet a growing market demand. In addition, the special ship flat design allows for a more efficient way to transport a large volume of round containers to assembly destination that would otherwise necessitate many additional container loads and trucking if required to be shipped set up.
Danny Belliveau started in June, 30 years ago as a young assistant production manager. He was later promoted to plant manager. In recent years Dan has been primarily in sales and customer service where he has really hit his stride enjoying finding the right clear box packaging solution for his many clients across North America. Dan is a national level competitive curler in his spare time which works well being a winter sport, so it doesn’t compete with one of his other joys of barbecuing in the back yard with a cold beer on a hot summer evening.
Both Andre and Dan have been involved with the company since it was German owned, known as Sicht Pack at the time, with patent protected processes for soft crease folding cartons, to being purchased by Transparent Packaging of Hamilton, then purchasing Look Packaging of Toronto, and fighting through the onslaught of China and off shoring, to the merger with Printex Packaging of Long Island, now making them part of the largest clear folding box producer in North America.
Andre and Dan are two of our longest-term employees, and we have many more that have also been with us a long time, which speaks well of the company and the atmosphere that all of us play a part in creating for our working lives. It’s having great guys on your team like them and others that makes for a winning team.
There is probably no one else in North America with more knowledge of plastic folding carton manufacturing than these two gentlemen have.
Feel free to send them a congratulation on 30 years! 
Printex Packaging was awarded the bronze award New Jersey Package Executives Club (NJPEC) 2013 Package of the Year ceremony for the design of Simply Slick’s latest package. This marks the second time in three years that the company has been recognized by the organization for innovative and eye catching packages. It’s made with Printexs’ snap cap technology, which allows for custom design to capture product and unlimited shapes.