Here are some packing terms to be aware of:

STE: Straight Tuck End- The tucks of a tuck-end carton in which the end flaps are extensions of the same panels.

Straight Tuck End

RTE: Reverse Tuck End – The tuck of a tuck-end carton in which the end flaps are extensions of the opposite panels. This design provides less scrap.

Reverse Tuck End

ABB: Automatic Bottom Box- A bottom on a folding carton that has been scored and glued so that it folds flat. This type of carton will automatically close the bottom when the carton is opened for filling.

Automatic Bottom Box

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A 1-2-3 Bottom Box in packaging terms refers to the bottom of a folding carton. These are often used as candy boxes. The carton is die-cut is such a way that, once assembled, the bottom easily folds on to itself. This makes the process of hand work much easier and efficient.

Unfolded, the 1-2-3 die-cut bottom looks like this:

Once folded, it looks something like this:

ABOUT PROJECTCENTER:

ProjectCenter is a single-source service company providing marketing and document solutions to small, medium and large-sized businesses in the U.S. area. ProjectCenter is based in Phoenix, Arizona and its services include graphic design, web design, printing, copying, scanning and mailing. For more information, please call (602) 252-6655 or visit  www.makepapereasy.com

Here we have some more terms referencing packaging. Just like any paper stock that printing would use, like C1S or Book or Text, packaging has some of it’s own stock- mainly Box Board Stock. This stock is pretty common in the packaging industry as is C1S. A great example of its usage would be cereal boxes.

This stock is monetarily efficient because it does not need to be printed internally (inside the box). The internal side is often called CCNB, or Clay Coated News Back, which is just a kaolin clay coated side of the Box Board. This coating gives packages strength against wetness, meaning a box won’t fall apart if it gets wet.

ABOUT PROJECTCENTER:

ProjectCenter is a single-source service company providing marketing and document solutions to small, medium and large-sized businesses in the U.S. area. ProjectCenter is based in Phoenix, Arizona and its services include graphic design, web design, printing, copying, scanning and mailing. For more information, please call (602) 252-6655 or visit  www.makepapereasy.com.

A recent marketing tactic is to perforate print materials. As an example, you might receive a postcard or brochure in the mail that will have a coupon or business card placed within the artwork. The edge of those items are perforated so that you can keep it. The idea is to get information to a client or prospect that won’t fall apart before it reaches its destination, while the receiver can easily take away and keep that information.

These kind of materials are usually done on a cardstock for durability, and the perforations are most always done by a die-cutter after the printing is completed. I have had people ask if there is pre-perforated stock that could be printed over the perforations, but I have yet to find any.

ABOUT PROJECTCENTER:

ProjectCenter is a single-source service company providing marketing and document solutions to small, medium and large-sized businesses in the U.S. area. ProjectCenter is based in Phoenix, Arizona and its services include graphic design, web design, printing, copying, scanning and mailing. For more information, please call (602) 252-6655 or visit  www.makepapereasy.com.

When making and printing packaging, such as display boxes, there are some certain terms that one needs to know. These terms are for the communication between the seller, a die-cutting firm and designer, and not so important to the print. A printer will simply print whatever is needed on to sheets of cardstock, that then gets turned over to a die-cutter that cuts, scores, glues and folds to spec. If the designer and the die-cutter do not communicate, and the specs are not exact (i.e. a measurement or the artwork is millimeters off target), the project will become waste. Once the package is assembled, it will become quite clear that something is not right (i.e. the design is not positioned correctly or the box is not geometrically sound).

Now for the first term- Pylocks. Unfortunately, a photo can not be supplied here. 

As an example, if you take a box of pain relievers off the shelf of a grocery store, look at the lid of the box.  Opening the lid, you will see that the lid has a lip. Between the lip and the “top” of the box, there are slits on either side. These slits are the Pylocks that allow the lid to naturally lock with the underlying flaps.

ABOUT PROJECTCENTER:

ProjectCenter is a single-source service company providing marketing and document solutions to small, medium and large-sized businesses in the U.S. area. ProjectCenter is based in Phoenix, Arizona and its services include graphic design, web design, printing, copying, scanning and mailing. For more information, please call (602) 252-6655 or visit  www.makepapereasy.com or follow us at http://twitter.com/ProjectCenter.

A Pillow Pack is a form of packaging that can be printed on and is often used in marketing scenarios and/or gift giving.

Pillow Pack Packaging

A Pillow Pack is very attractive in its style, and is very easy load and unload. Thus, it is often used by outfits that want to represent themselves as high quality establishments.

There are important items to note regarding the Pillow Pack: 1) Make sure the printer is setting up the job so the paper grain goes the length of the box once it is cut; 2) Make sure the printer is using or recommending the proper paper stock; 3) Make sure that, if the printer is not also the die cutter, that the both the printer and broker are in close communication with the die cutter, because a die cutter knows exactly what needs to be done in order for the job to be perfect.

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