Potential customers are at times perplexed when they learn they can print their new e-commerce box using three very different print processes. Selecting the best option can be challenging especially if it is their first time designing and producing a DTC box they plan to ship to their customers.
We always caution customers who believe creating a new e-commerce design is a DIY project. We know it is tempting with AI, and all the podcasts, YouTube videos and vast amount of information that is available. We also have a problem with web sites that encourage visitors to “fill in the blanks” to determine design and cost. However, when decades of experience and successful designs are available to you, typically for free, why would you not want to take advantage of that assistance?
After millions of boxes and thousands of projects, we have determined there are four important things to consider, when deciding whether flexographic, digital, or litho label are the best choice. Here are the factors we consider:
Graphic Design 
We have great appreciation for graphic designers but today many are digitally focused with the majority of their experience on web sites and pages. They may not understand how your boxes will be printed and how the various inks and colors will turn out when they are applied to a corrugated board substrate. We can give you a pretty accurate idea of how your boxes will look, and also the cost of each print process if selected. The fact is that most customers end up toning down their design after they learn the cost of printing the graphic design their talented but packaging inexperienced graphic designer creates. The best “bargain” in e-commerce boxes remains 1 to 3 colors, printing inside and/or outside, and utilizing flexographic printing to get it done.
Desired Texture or Feel
As the world of packaging has become more sensory, boxes and cartons with soft touch, velvety, as well as rippled and high gloss, slick finishes are often requested. This appeal started out in the cosmetics industry but have become more popular on DTC boxes as well, as brand owners try to recreate the retail unboxing experience at home. Spending more on a box is justified when a fragrance company, for example, is selling a few ounces of their product for hundreds of dollars.
These top shelf finishes are only available when you utilize the litho label print process. In short, your design is printed on high grade litho paper and can be laminated with a unique top of sheet layer. When completed that sheet is then laminated to the corrugated board, and you end up with a look and feel you could not have otherwise. In terms of cost, litho label printing is substantially more expensive compared to flexo but is usually similar in cost to digital printing.
Examples of digital and litho label prints
Order Quantity
How many boxes you are prepared to purchase can be a big deciding factor. Utilizing flexographic printing, even in small quantities, is typically relatively inexpensive, compared to litho or digital printing. Our flexo MOQ is 1,000, keeping in mind it will require print plates for each color, inside and/or outside.
Digital printing can be very expensive on a per piece basis, however the process enables just a handful of boxes to be printed, if that is all that is needed. We have printed as few as five boxes, but “small” order quantities usually start out around 500.
The third option (litho label printing) rarely makes economic sense for less than a few thousand boxes. Since specialty paper and laminates are required, depending on box size, the paper minimum usually determines the actual box minimum. Litho label MOQ is usually in the 3,000 to 5,000 range depending on finished box size.
Budget
More than any other cost factor, your budget helps decide on how to best print your box. If you compare a two- or three-color flexographic print to a top end litho label with soft touch finish, depending on size and order quantity, that cost difference could be as much as double.
For a no cost, no obligation application review, call us at 630-551-1700 or contact us via this link. Please visit our gallery where you can see examples of all three print processes. You will see we can deliver the best look possible at the lowest possible cost.
Related posts:
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/what-is-semi-custom-e-commerce-packaging/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/unboxing-design-elements-to-generate-social-shares/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/cheers-to-19-years-of-packaging-industry-expertise/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/refresh-or-rebrand-your-e-commerce-packaging/