The competitive cosmetic industry is highly beneficial, but if you keep noticing everything at every moment. You can maximize your profit by managing expenses carefully in the packaging process. You also require a premium presentation, but with cost-efficiency. This guide will help you know about three pragmatic strategies that can enable you to make attractive custom lipstick boxes while keeping your budget firmly intact.
Finding the Balance Between Quality and Budget
The packaging is more about an extension of the product in the case of beauty brands. It doesn’t mean to spend a lot to get visual attraction and the durability of the box. Effective custom lipstick boxes are made with smarter steps, not the expensive ones.
1. Optimize Your Material Choice
The most important factor that decides your packaging cost is the raw material of your boxes. You should choose wisely to have the best immediate savings.
Opt for Cardstock or Eco-Friendly Kraft
The use of standard cardstock and kraft paper are the most economical options. They are cheaper than rigid box materials. If your lipstick is not a part of a heavy luxury set, cardstock or kraft can help you make good boxes at low prices.
Choose a Standard Material Thickness
Material thickness is measured in “points” (pt). A box with 24pt usually gives a more luxurious feel, but requires more material and complex machinery to score and fold properly, eventually leading to higher costs. A standard thickness of 18pt can provide good protection to your product in a very low budget.
2. Simplify Your Printing
Every step of the printing process, from color selection to finishing, is different and adds to the cost. You should keep your design streamlined for affordable boxes.
Use CMYK Color Only
There are two main color systems of printers ; CMYK (four-color process) and PMS (Pantone Matching System). PMS is used for particular brand colors that require custom ink mixing and printing plates, resulting in increase in the prices. On the other hand, CMYK is a standard and cheaper option used mostly for high-quality artwork. By limiting your design outside the box, you can save money as printing from the inner side can increase the cost.
Minimize Special Finishes and Add-ons
Extra finishes are beautiful, but are obtained from expensive processes like embossing (raised print), debossing (depressed print), or holographic foils. Instead of these costly features , you can have matte or gloss lamination on your custom boxes that can provide attraction and protection in very minimal packaging rates.
3. Standardize Your Box Shape and Size
The unique structures of lipstick boxes get more expensive, as they require more custom tools and time in getting assembled.
Choose Standard Rectangular Shapes
There is a modified template required for every shape of the box to be manufactured. In case of any common style, the existing or easily modified template can be used. You can use rectangular shapes that are always cheaper as compared to unique structural designs.
Avoid Custom Inserts Where Possible
The inserts are used to protect the product during shipping. The inserts can be made from pre-cut foam or complex paperboard. If you use tightly sized boxes that can fit in the plastic, will provide sufficient security without the need of any expensive custom insert.
FAQs
Q: Does a window cutout save money on custom boxes?
No, despite the removal of a small amount of material in a window cutout, it gets expensive due to the labor charges of the die-cutting process. The addition of a plastic patch on that window also maximizes the cost.
Q: How many boxes do I need to order to get a “wholesale” price?
The exact amount of boxes varies between suppliers. Your cost significantly gets reduced, when you order more than 1000 boxes. The initial cost gets reduced by having a large number of boxes manufactured altogether.
Conclusion
You can lower your packaging expenses by making smart and strategic decisions at every step of manufacturing. The focused and smooth process can make your professional custom lipstick boxes , perfectly aligned with your brand’s financial savings.
