You’ve spent thousands of dollars developing your product. Wouldn’t it be a shame to ruin its chances by choosing the wrong packaging?

We explore the basics of product packaging.

Things to Consider for Product Packaging

When you’re deciding how to package products, you’ll need to consider several things. Everything from size to budget and how the product will be shipped matters.

Let’s look at 5 different factors.

1. Budget

Packaging for products can get expensive, so it’s important to determine a budget. Knowing how much you can spend will dictate the type of materials you use, as well as the design.

2. Cost of Packaging

You need to determine how much you plan to charge when packaging products. You will need to consider your customers and calculate how much you think they will spend.

3. Packaging Materials

There are many different kinds of materials for packaging. Here are some common types of materials.

Paperboard – Coated white chipboard for folding cartons, trays and sleeves. Lightweight and suitable for food, dairy, pharmaceuticals, hardware items, and retail products.

Corrugated – Paperboard with fluted medium-stock paper laminated to it. Suitable for produce, fragile items, heavy items, subscription boxes, shipping boxes, and e-commerce packages.

Carded Packaging – You will find many options for produce, fragile items or for items that will be hanging on a display.

• Blister packs – Pre-formed plastic packaging, which is used for consumer goods, perishables and pharmaceuticals.
• Clamshells – Packaging that is made from two identical “shells” connected by a hinge.
• Skin packs – The product is placed on a corrugated piece of cardboard. A see-through plastic sheet is then placed on top.

Shrink Films – Flexible, lightweight materials that work well when using printed designs.

Natural Fibers – Natural fibers give your product a cool “earthy” vibe, which may fit well with your brand and company values.

Seamless Tins – Packaging such as candle tins are perfect for shipping a wide range of products. Along with candles, you can ship lip balm, herbs, salves, and waxes.

4. Packaging Design and Branding

Your company has a brand or message you want to send. Packaging products play a role in branding your items, too.

You must determine your target audience. In other words, who is most likely to buy your product? Decide what will appeal most to that audience. The design of a product geared toward tween girls will be quite different than a product for seniors.

The colors, shapes, graphics, logos, and images of the packaging should all work to attract your audience.

And don’t forget the barcode.
A well-designed package isn’t complete without a scannable barcode. Barcodes are essential for selling through retailers and marketplaces like Amazon, and they make your product look professional and retail-ready. You can buy barcodes online in UPC or EAN formats, and get both the number and ready-to-print images to include directly in your packaging design.

5. Transportation and Shipping

Lastly, you need to consider how your products will be transported. Whether you put them on a truck or a plane, or if you deliver them yourself, the design must be functional and allow for easy shipment.

You also want to make sure the packing is durable so your products don’t get destroyed while they’re being shipped.

Packaging Makes the Product

A picture is worth a thousand words. So is product packaging. Use this handy guide to help you choose the right packaging so your products will be a complete success.

If you need more information about branding, marketing, and logo design, be sure to check out our resources and services.