Printing customized boxes is the best investment you can make as a business. So let us take a look at the basics of different printing methods to make an intelligent decision. 

Customized boxes always give your products extra care during storage and shipping processes. Made up of resilient cardboard variants, they diminish the damaging impact on the packaged items. They offer the best way to revitalize the look of your products with an extensive range of artistic styles and creative layouts. Several add-ons in the form of die-cut windows, gold foiling, and silver foiling can give your products a new definition. Different brands are designing them with high-impact color schemes and brand identifiers to command attention on retail shelves. Their smoother texture acts as a base for other printing methods to communicate with the customers. You can have a go at digital, silkscreen, and offset printing to transform their outlook in the desired manner. Other charm and elegance can buy with the addition of specific finishing touches on their exterior such as gloss and matte lamination.

The printing process for customized boxes is an extensive subject. No familiarity with different printing technologies can confuse you over the selection of the correct printing method. Each of the technology used in the packaging industry comes with its benefits and flaws. For making an informed decision, you must understand the details about every printing process.

Lithography or offset.

Lithographic or offset printing is the most commonly utilized method for custom printed boxes. It is not ideal for the retail printing job; rather it provides the best result when used for bulk printing jobs. It involves the operation of printing plates and rollers to print the desired design onto the packages. Opting for this method will help you get smooth color gradients in the graphics. It is, for this reason, the technique is widely popular for detailed and high-resolution graphics. Another plus point is that special coatings can be applied in soft-touch matte and super high gloss to make the packages visually elegant. The downside is that it is one of the most expensive printing methods, and the printing surface must be flat for better results.

Digital printing.

The digital printing method is perhaps the most efficient of all. It requires no plates or laminates and prints the design directly onto the corrugated board without any defects. Also, you would not need to mix separate colors as it utilizes full-spectrum CMYK to print your packaging products. When there is a need for large color blocks, this technology does not provide high-end results. There may be imperfections and banding-like effects due to which some white lines appear in the finished printed boxes. The best part is that it has no set-up costs as no plates are involved in the process. Talking about its drawbacks, it cannot use metallic inks, and PMS colors are challenging to match.

Silkscreen.

Silkscreen printing is a unique method in which the design is cut out of paper first. After that, the packaging products are printed by rolling, rubbing, or spraying paint or inks through the cut-out areas. It favors high-quality printing and is best for printing on any packaging surface. Even if your box has an unusual or odd shape, it can still print without any imperfection. its makes outstanding option is its lower set-up cost and its ability to be used for smaller volumes. The only negative aspect of this method is that the custom printed boxes are not clean-looking.

Rotogravure.

Rotogravure is an intelligent printing technology that involves the application of a cylinder on which the desired image is engraved. It is famous for reproducing fine art and easy printing of photo images. The printing cylinders used in the process tend to last for longer times to print higher volumes with no compromise on image quality. However, it does not offer you a lot of coating options which could be disappointing. In addition, more increased investment is required in tooling for the printing of custom boxes, due to this reason, most people do not opt for this method.

Flexographic printing process.

This printing technology does not require printing plates to operate. It instead utilizes a lightly sensitive polymer that costs you very little. Having lower tooling costs, this technology can print your packaging boxes at a quick pace. It can also feature both water and oil-based inks for printing. This is why internet searches asking for flexographic printed boxes near me have soared up recently. Unfortunately, the technology has trouble reproducing photo-quality images comprehensively, and its print quality is also lesser.

There are no strict rules for printing customized boxes as you can print them as you like. This article will help you assess the pros and cons of different printing methods to make a better decision.