Frequently Asked Questions
Determining Box Size
All boxes are listed with the inside dimensions in inches and are shown in the following order: Length x Width x Depth (see diagram).
For example, a box listed as 12 x 9 x 3 is 12 inches long (left to right), 9 inches wide (front to back), and 3 inches deep.
Quantity Discount Information
Order boxes in case quantities only
Accumulate box sizes and prints for total quantity price break per order
All pricing F.O.B. Minneapolis
Call for custom print, size, or additional quantity pricing
Payment Terms and Options We accept Visa and Mastercard. Net 30 terms extended to approved applications.
Personalize Your Stock Packaging Post-printing options make personalization possible even in small quantities. With a minimum of 100 units, your post-printing options are screen-printing and foil stamping.
We have an extensive line of accessories to enhance your packaging: tissue, ribbon, and shred.
Samples Available Upon Request We offer samples of our product to insure that you are confident the packaging will fit your needs.
Towers and Basket Alternatives Our packaging line is designed to build gift towers and to be used as gift basket alternatives. Please contact one of our consultants for assistance.
Boxes Suitable for Shipping UPS Corrugated packaging is durable and practical for carrying heavier or fragile items. Packaging is shipped, stored flat and assembles easily. Most of our packaging allows for direct shipping. Please contact a consultant for more information.
Glossary of Terms
Industry
Carton (Folding Carton): A folding box made from boxboard, used for consumer quantities of product. A carton is not recognized as a shipping container.
Chipboard: A paperboard generally made from recycled paper stock. Uses include backing sheets for padded writing paper, partitions within boxes, and the center ply or plies of solid fiberboard.
Corrugated Board or Corrugated Fiberboard: The structure formed by gluing one or more sheets of fluted corrugating medium to one or more flat facings of linerboard. Use when strength and structure are needed.
Die Cut: The act of cutting raw material to a desired shape by using a die.
Flute or Corrugation: The wave shapes pressed into corrugated medium. A, B, C, E, and F are common flute types, along with a variety of much larger and smaller flutes. Mini-flute sizes include E, F, N, and G. Generally larger flute profiles deliver greater vertical compression strength and cushioning. Smaller flute profiles provide enhanced structural and graphics capabilities for primary (retail) packaging.
Kraft: Word of German origin meaning “strength”; designates pulp, paper, or paperboard produced from wood fibers by the sulfate process. Natural kraft has a characteristic light brown appearance.
Substrates: A variety of structural materials that can be used to create multiple packaging structures and styles.
Glossary of Terms
Graphics
There are numerous printing processes in the packaging industry.
Direct Printing: Also known as post printing, direct printing is performed after the board is combined and cut into sheets. It is typically flexography and is the least expensive way to print, making it ideal for short runs or where cost is the primary consideration. Typically, screen parameters can range from 55 to 150 lines per inch.
Label or Litho Laminating: The process of printing onto a sheet of paper or label stock that is later glued to the combined board. The result is high-quality images with bright colors and sharp pictures utilizing line screens up to 200 lines per inch. The printing process is offset lithography and is cost efficient for long runs.
Preprinted Linerboard: The process of printing the linerboard before it is combined with the corrugated medium. The result is a more refined image than printing directly onto the combined board. It is the middle ground between direct printing and litho laminating in terms of both price and quality.
Single-face Laminating: Combines a printed top sheet directly to the open flute of single face. It is another option for obtaining litho- and gravure-quality graphics. White-coated or solid bleached top sheets typically ranging from .008” - .012” are used to enhance the inks.
Graphic Terms
Bleed: To run, dilute, or migrate colors into unwanted areas connected to printed areas. To print an area beyond the cut edge or score so that the design is cut off or folded under.
Flexography or Flexo: A type of printing using flexible plates and fast drying, water-based inks.
Foil stamping: Heat transfer of very thin foil sheeting that is embossed into the surface of packaging for a decorative effect.
Four-color Process/Process Printing: Full-color images are created by four halftone plates, using the four subtractive primary colors: cyan, yellow, magenta, and black.
Lithography or Litho: A printing process using a plate that has been chemically treated so that the image to be printed is receptive to ink, while blank areas repel ink. Used primarily for fine reproduction, including labels for fiberboard boxes.
Silk Screen or Screen Printing: Stencil-type printing method that involves forcing ink through a mesh of silk or other porous material that has been prepared so as to block the imaging material in some areas. |