Bespoke and printed boxes

Test Valley Packaging has decades of experience in solving complex packing issues.

For example:

• die-cut corrugated inserts to secure products
• moulded foam inserts
• moulded pulp inserts
• heavy duty corrugated board for heavy items
• die-cut boxes for quick assembly and fast packing
• eco-friendly alternatives to plastic
• reducing breakages in transit

Methods of print used for corrugated boxes

• Flexographic print
• Screen Print
• Litho-laminating

You can find out more further down this page.

Solid board boxes are usually litho printed as they are thin enough to be printed in the same way as brochures etc.

Foam and paper based inserts

Printing Methods used for printing corrugated boxes

There are three principal methods of applying printed images to corrugated boxes; flexographic printing, screen printing and litho-laminating.

All three methods are commonly used, but serve different purposes and budgets.

Screen Printing

Screen printing is a process of forcing ink through a tight screen which is mounted on a frame. The screen carries a stencil which defines the image area and is made of porous material which allows for full ink coverage on corrugated board. The board is generally screen printed prior to its conversion into a box or display. This method is ideal for those who desire a higher resolution image than flexo-printing provides. Full colour graphics are available using screen printing. This method is often used for retail packaging or POP displays and is appropriate for small or medium sized production runs.

Flexographic Printing

This is the most common method of printing on corrugated board and is often executed on the same machine and at the same time in-line as it converts a corrugated pad into a box. Flexography uses flexible rubber or polymer plates to transfer an image onto corrugated much like a mechanized rubber stamp. Fast-drying, water-based inks are generally used, which allow for fast running speeds. The print quality is dependent on many variables, and is influenced by the absorbency of the material being printed. By nature, corrugated material is highly absorbent and thus flexo printing is not recommended for high definition graphics. For straight text or 1-2 colour graphical images, this method is ideal. Flexographic printing is very economical and is utilized in large or small production runs.

Litho-Laminating

The method of litho-laminating involves the printing of a sheet of paper by an offset printer. The printed paper is later glued to the corrugated board using a water-based adhesive. The litho-laminated board is then converted into the box. This process results in very high definition, sharp images with the ability to produce bright colours. Litho-laminated boxes are appropriate for those who are looking for a high quality finish to their corrugated packaging and is often used for retail packaging or Point-of-Sale displays. This method is most suited to larger production runs.

Solid Board Boxes

Solid board can be litho printed in the same way as brochures and leaflets, so these can be printed with any design full colour.

A brief overview of the design process

STEP 1

We create a cutter guide which is a line version of your carton as a template to put your design on.

STEP 2

We add the branding and content, which is then sent across to the client for approval and once they are happy the design is signed off for production.

STEP 3

Once the artwork has been signed off the design is turned into a physical stereo allowing the bespoke carton to go into production ready for delivery.

All orders are subject to minimum order quantities