Custom Boxes

Think about the time when you first opened a box of gourmet chocolates or a gaming console. You couldn’t hide your excitement the moment the package arrived at your doorstep. From the looks of the custom packaging, you already knew that it would be a great experience.

Since then, every time a delivery arrives your heart still skips a beat as your finger traces the outline of the custom box. You notice the smooth, matte finish that looks so modern, so elegant. As you tear the sticker that keeps the lid in place, you get an instant high. Slowly, you open the lid and, finally, you get to see what’s inside.

Good packaging builds anticipation. It engages customers even before they see your product. And often, the more expensive a product is, the more eye-catching the custom box should be. Take Apple products, for example. The clean, minimalist iPhone box is part of the experience. For Tiffany & Co. customers, the iconic robin’s egg blue packaging embodies luxury and style.

But how do you create gorgeous custom box designs without breaking the bank? More importantly, where do you start if you haven’t created a packaging design before?

In this article, we talk about why you need a good packaging box design. We’ll also break down the steps on how to create one even if you’re not a professional designer.

It’s a tough competition out there. Whether your business is in retail or e-commerce, hundreds of products will be competing for customers’ attention. According to Nielsen, it takes 13 seconds for customers to decide on a product. But recent studies show that the decision-making process of consumers is now down to eight seconds.

A generic packaging would most likely be missed as customers scan the aisles or scroll online. Even if your product can solve their problems, customers would most likely go for brands that they already know and trust. One of the best ways to convince customers to choose your products is by custom box printing.

How do you design and print custom boxes that grab attention? Before contacting your printer, it’s essential to first lay down the foundations of your design. Here are some questions that can guide you in creating a custom box like an expert designer:

We’ve covered the basic elements. Now, let’s talk about some technical requirements before you contact a printing company like Next Day Flyers. Custom box printing is not only about how great your design looks. A great design only looks good on the computer screen if you don’t follow the basic printing requirements.

Image Resolution: If you want to add a logo or an image, make sure that the file is at least 300 dpi. A lower image resolution will appear blurry or pixelated on the printed product even if it looks normal on your computer screen.

Color Mode: We highly recommend creating your designs in CMYK mode. Although RGB is also used for graphic design, you might notice a slight shift in colors once your design is printed. With CMYK, colors remain accurate when printed.

File Type: Next Day Flyers can work with a variety of file formats. However, we prefer PDF files because they preserve the quality of the artwork and keep the file size low. Learn more about file formats.

Safety Zone: Putting design elements within the safety zone ensures that your artwork is not cut off when printed. Any elements placed outside the safety zone may creep into the design of other box panels.

The good news is all these things are taken care of with Next Day Flyers’ online printing services. If you’d like to use a professional design editor, click Order Now & Receive a Dieline Template. The dieline template shows the safety margins for the box interior and exterior to guide you in the placement of the design elements.

You can also design your custom box online with Next Day Flyers’ online design tool. The application will show you a 3D preview of your box with the lid open or closed.