What Are The Common Printing Methods Used In The Packaging Industry?

The competition in the retail business market is rapidly increasing day by day. Hence, brands constantly search for new ways and strategies to let their products shine on the shelves and beat the competitors. Besides lining up powerful brand marketing strategies, you can increase your product sales by investing in the printing of product packaging.

Printing is the process of producing attractive visuals and impressive texts on custom boxes using specific design Templates.

Almost every industry needs printing services to enhance its market presence. The most prominent benefit of printing is that you can communicate in a more captivating manner, as visuals speak aloud and with more power. Various advanced printing techniques are now available in the market that can help you create desired Custom Printed Packaging Boxes.

Why Do Custom Packaging Boxes Need Printing?

Every business needs help to make its place through the heaps of competitor brands in the global market. Custom printed packaging plays a pivotal role in this regard. You can enjoy the numerous perks of using printed packaging for your valuables. The high-end Printed Boxes help in the following ways.

• Elevate products’ shelf display

• Attract target audience

• Enhance consumers’ experience

• Convey clear information about the product

• Establish a unique brand identity

• Increase brand recognition

• Strengthen brand marketing

• Boost product sales

How Many Types Of Printing Are There?

Printing has its applications spread throughout the global business market. Various printing techniques are used to create unique and catchy custom box designs. More than a dozen printing methods are known to the printing experts, but some are used more commonly than others.

What Type Of Printing Is Used To Print Packaging Materials?

Choosing the correct printing technique for the stock type you are using is really confusing. It becomes difficult when you know little about printing processes and their pros and cons.

For the selection of printing technique, it must be checked whether the method suits your chosen stock type. Moreover, you must search for its strengths and weaknesses.

Unlike flexible packaging materials, you can get many options for printing durable and flat materials like Kraft, Cardboard, Corrugated, and Rigid.

What Are The Four Basic Printing Techniques?

Four basic printing methods that have a wide application and are preferred throughout the packaging market are listed below.

• Offset lithography

• Flexography

• Screen printing

• Digital printing

It is important to note that before requesting a quote from a custom box manufacturer, you must look for the printing types the company offers. However, Global Custom Packaging provides the best printing services to its clients using the aforementioned design techniques.

Let’s discuss the application principles and advantages and disadvantages of these four basic printing techniques.

Offset Lithography

How Does Offset Printing Work?

This printing method consists of two main steps: pre-crafted metal plates are used to transfer the print on the material surface. First, the ink is applied to the metal plate containing the image. Then, the plate is pressed against the material surface to transfer the image. Modern offset printing machines use rollers instead of printing plates. Let’s order the offset printed Kraft Hemp Boxes or Cigar Boxes from us to elevate your market presence.

What Are The Advantages Of Offset Printing?

• The most widely used printing technique

• Produce high-quality image

• Use both CMYK and PMS color codes

• Support the latest coating options

• Suitable for bulk production of packaging boxes

• Less time consuming

• Highly cost-effective for mass production

What Are The Disadvantages Of Offset Printing?

• Only suitable for flat surfaces

• Custom-made metal printing plates require investment

• Not cost-effective for short-run custom boxes

• High volumes are needed to reduce cost

Flexography

More like a modern version of letterpress printing, flexography is named after the flexible rubber plates used in this method. This printing technique is widely used in printing flexible Food Packaging (stand-up pouches), corrugated material, and newspaper. If you run a fast food business, our can Kraft corrugated Pizza Boxes be the best choice to advertise your food brand.

How Does The Flexographic Printing Method Work?

Unlike the offset printing process, this technique involves the direct transfer of design from a rubber plate to the printing surface. First of all, the design is engraved on a rubber sheet with the help of a laser beam. This sheet is then wrapped around a rolling cylinder to facilitate the process of design transferring. An anilox roller is used to transfer the ink on the rubber plate, which then transfers the image on the substrate at high speed.

What Are The Advantages Of Flexographic Printing?

• Support the application on a variety of surfaces

• Low investment (tooling) cost

• Highly economical printing type

• Both water-based and oil-based inks can be used.

• Suitable for high-volume projects

• Fast turnaround time

What Are The Disadvantages Of Flexographic Printing?

• Low print quality than offset

• No smooth color gradient

• Can’t produce photo-quality images

• Trouble in registration with four color processes

Screen Printing

As clearly visible from its name, this method involves the printing of design through a mesh screen. This method is suitable for pre-made or stock packaging. You can grab the captivating Custom Tobacco Boxes wholesale from Global Custom Packaging for an effective brand promotion.

How Does Screen Printing Work?

The ink is transferred to the printing surface through a designed mesh screen. Certain parts of mesh fabric are coated with a non-permeable material, and then ink is applied to the remaining areas. Machines run in a way that blades move across the screen to fill the ink into open mesh sections. A squeegee behind the blades transfers ink through the mesh on the material surface.

What Are The Advantages Of Screen Printing?

• It can be used on a wide range of materials.

• The substrate surface doesn’t need to be flat.

• Suitable for small-volume production

• Less costly for small scale jobs

• Produce long lasting results

What Are The Disadvantages Of Screen Printing?

• Slow production time

• Each color requires a separate application.

• New screens and mesh designs are needed for each project

• Not ideal for large projects

• More chances for human errors

• No clean finished image production

Digital Printing

How Does Digital Printing Work?

Digital printing is the most modern, rapidly improving, and direct printing process, which uses a laser or inkjet printer. It simply involves printing images directly from a digital device on the printing surfaces. You can get your Cardboard Cigarette Boxes designed flawlessly with digital printing. Moreover, you can also get your hands on our irresistibly appealing Rigid Vape Boxes to target potential consumers and improve your sales.

What Are The Advantages Of Digital Printing?

• Operate on a wide range of surfaces

• Produce high-quality photographic results

• Minimum setup cost

• Highly suitable for low-volume projects

• Cost-efficient for custom short-run boxes

What Are The Disadvantages Of Digital Printing?

• Expensive for large printing quantity

• Only use CMYK color codes

• No smooth color production

• Allow only a few coating options

Conclusion

Let’s maximize the power of your Custom Packaging Design using top-notch printing techniques to evoke strong consumer emotions. It will freshen your brand identity, capture customers’ interest, and boost product sales.