Getting your product safely from your business into the hands of the consumer requires a lot of steps. The most imperative of which is packaging.
The right packaging is made up of three basic components:
- The box or envelope
- The cushioning or filler
- The sealer
Choose The Right Box, Carton or Envelope
The package you choose will depend on several primary factors:
- The size of your product
- The amount of products packed in one box
- The weight of the product(s)
- The shipping method you are using
If your product is heavy, you’ll need to go with a heavy-duty material such as corrugated cardboard box. Consider this: if the box will be stacked on a pallet, will the box or carton hold up?
Additionally, corrugated mailers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, many even made for specific items like books and CDs/DVDs or tubes for posters and art.
Envelopes also come in reinforced styles including padded mailing envelopes and tear-resistant nylon envelopes.
Find The Right Packing Material To Protect The Product
To properly protect your product from damage in shipping, it’s important to choose the right cushioning for the job. If you have fragile items, bubble wrap, foam packaging, and loose fill (also called packing peanuts) all provide excellent protection and cushioning without adding extra weight to the package.
For large items like fragile electronics, you may need additional protection from foam corners and edge protectors packed around the product inside the box. These provide shock absorption and will not mar your product, and provide additional protection in the event that the outside box is torn or damaged.
Other packing options include Kraft paper and newsprint which can be used to uniformly wrap individual items or serve as filler.
Secure Your Package
You can choose the right box and packing material, but without securely fastening it, the contents may not make it to their destination in one piece. No matter what kind of package you need to fasten, there’s a packaging tape that will match. A few options include:
- Pressure-sensitive packaging tape can be ordered in various colors and preprinted with your unique message along with convenient tape dispensers.
- Flatback tape bonds to the package with pressure and can stand up to high temperatures.
- Water-activated carton sealing tape provides superior sealing and security control by bonding instantly to both virgin and recycled fibers, creating an immediate destructive bond that acts as a tamper-evident seal.
- Filament tape can be used to seal boxes, stabilize pallets, or secure medium load appliance components during shipment.