Whether delivering the products to customers or displaying them on the retail shelves, custom printing and packaging can help you on both fronts. It is specifically manufactured from corrugated cardboard that provides it enough strength to not wrinkle down when subjected to fiercer loads. For further reinforcement, cardboard inserts can be used that act as partitions and provide enough support for stacking. It can instantly show off your brand to the world when printed with branding elements such as mascots, logos, and taglines. For a product highlight, a window cut design is also available that provides a sneak peek of the packaged items. You can also optimize the size so that you do not have to pay extra costs when using it for shipping purposes. The finishing options like gloss UV and matte-coating are also available to give a decent personal touch and improve the aesthetics as well.
We buy various products to fulfill some of our needs. Each of these items, whether it is food to eat or clothes to wear, come wrapped in some kind of packaging. The packages are just everywhere around us, but have you ever wondered about how they came to the scene? Originally, they were built for storing and protecting different commodities during transit. But, thanks to the technological breakthroughs, these packages are now vital in several other aspects too. In this guide, we will be guiding you about the factors that contributed greatly to the evolution of the boxes.
Primeval packaging techniques
One of the first forms of packages trace back to the mid 3000 BC. The humans living in that time period were nomadic in nature and needed something to store and move food from one place to the other. Mostly, they used animal skin, leaves of plants, and wood to construct storage bags and packages in this aspect. This time period also marked the settling of people into villages where they learned how to transform wood into solid crates. It also marked the beginning of forming strong bags and baskets from the sack of leaves and animal skin. As time passed on, they learned new ways of increasing the material quality so that they could better protect their food.
Growth of trade
From 3500 BC onwards, the formation of larger cities as trade hubs became common all around the globe. With this, safe transportation also became a need of the hour because no one likes to buy spoiled and damaged food and other commodities. This led to the invention of more advanced packages that could offer better protection. The invention of blown glass is one of the first evolutions that got introduced in this regard. Various sorts of glues and adhesives also got invented for keeping the commodities sealed until they do not reach the buyer. The largest invention was the wooden barrels that altered the way how commodities were shipped. They served excellently in storing transporting masses of goods. The invention of paper, later on, was the biggest contribution in forming the protective packaging.
Industrial revolution
The industrial revolution that marks the period from 1760 to 1840 witnessed remarkable changes in the ways how goods were packaged. Previously, the material of boxes was expensive, and their use was limited to only a few products that were premium. With the industrial revolution, different machines were invented that replaced the hands of humans and provided more efficiency. Molded glass, custom boxes, and metal can; were all produced during this revolution. Several bins and bags manufactured from innovative materials like corrugated cardboard were also invented. It revolutionized the transportation process since the likelihood of commodities getting damaged on the way decreased significantly.
The Great Depression of 2008
This time period is marked by the rise in supermarket culture, and it affected the distribution patterns of the whole world. Before this, the packages operated mainly to preserve the inside contents from unwanted effects of physical and environmental stressors. But as this event happened, it assumed the role of a silent salesman in the market. Custom printing and packaging became more prevalent that provided excellent opportunities to procure the confidence of customers. The printing that was limited to the labeling only extended to the packages as well, and businesses could easily print down their branding elements. This also marked the end of alternatives that were not environmentally friendly as people began to become more aware of the environment.
Development of digital technologies
The abrupt increase in digital technologies resulted in more customized boxes. With a global rise in competition, it is hard to compete effectively on numerous fronts. In this fiercely competitive environment, these boxes have become a great way to differentiate brands on the shelves. Various advanced printing technologies have now been developed that work to improve the aesthetics, which then attract maximum heed. Also, the continuous research on the new materials led to the development of more sustainable solutions that are loved by the people.
From the start, protection of commodities was a basic need, and packages in one form or the other somehow catered to that need. In the last couple of centuries, advances in packaging have completely transformed the way how products are packaged. The delightful digital experiences are positioning the packages as a unique selling point for businesses now.
