The process for manufacturing the Custom Printed Boxes generally has eight steps:

• Creating the Box Design Template: The box design template or die line is a diagram that shows all the cut lines, scoring lines and perforation lines those will form into the box. It is a flattened form of the box or package. Base on the Box Style and Box Dimension have been chosen, the template will be created by the special packaging software and that is used as a guild-line for the designer to demonstrate the visual layout, un-fold of a box. The template can be saved as Ai Illustrator, Photoshop, In Design or PDF file format.
• Graphic Artwork Designing: At this point of the process, the Graphic designers will take the Box Design Template with consideration of the type of paperboard to use, the shape the box will take, and what art will illustrate the box the starting to make the graphic designing.
• Mock up sample: Prior to manufacturing, Manufacturer of custom printed boxes will often create a full color, 3D mock-up of the carton for clients to evaluate the design and make any final correction if needed.
• Pre-press and Lay out: This step is to prepare for the printing process. The Custom Boxes are printed on flat sheets and later assembled into boxes. To obtain maximum manufacturing efficiency, the pre-press operators must lay out the sheets in a way those results in the least amount of wasted paperboard per sheet when they are produced. The Pre-press operator will also double check fonts, illustrations, graphics on the box design, also perform other tasks, such as creating color separations and preparing printing plates, each printing plate will perform each ink color, which are normally C-M-Y-K (Cyan – Magenta – Yellow – Black).
• Printing: Now is the time that the boxes are actually printed. Custom Printed Boxes are common printed by Lithographic Offset Printing Presses. The graphic images will be printed direct onto the Cardboard Paper substrate. Coating may apply over the printing surface to protect the illustration and increasing the durability of printed boxes.
• Additional enhancement process: Some additional process can be added at this point to enhance the custom printed boxes such as hot foil stamping, embossing, and windowing. Foil stamping applies bright, shiny foil to the carton, allowing it to better catch consumers’ eyes. Embossing creates a raised image on the surface of the box, windowing involves placing a strip of transparent plastic over a cut-out on the box, allowing consumers to see the products is inside without open the boxes.
• Die cutting: The die will be used to cut the sheets of printed material into their shape, size of the boxes design. After this is done, excess material will be cut away from the sheets.
• Finishing: Now the custom printed boxes are at the final process. The boxes are ready to be put together. The box will be folded, glued, and shipped flat to the client for product to be fulfilled.

***To find more about Custom Printed Boxes; please visit www.boxprintingcompany.com