13 Types of Custom Packaging And Their Applications (A Complete Guide)

Oreo…What comes to your mind first when I say it?

Oreo chocolate cookie

Probably a crunchy, bitter chocolate cookie with white cream filling. Right??

It will amaze you that this over a 100-year-old cookie brand has maintained consistency in its taste while remaining dynamic over all these years.

100-year-old cookie

How??

Since 1912 Oreo

Since its origin in 1912, Oreo has constantly changed its packaging according to trends, but they have only made changes to their product twice in all these years.

This commendable marketing strategy is one of the factors that has contributed to their global success.

Clearly, what’s outside sometimes matters too!

Thus, packaging in recent times is not only used for protecting and carrying the product but also for promoting and communicating about it. This is the reason businesses today are inclined more toward Custom Packaging than generic.

However, the custom packaging trend has made it more difficult to choose the best packaging for products, as there are so many options available today for a single product type.

So, in this blog, you’ll learn about different types of packaging as well as which packaging best suits which product type.

Here is the list of the most trending types of packaging:

trending types packaging

Corrugated Boxes- An Ideal match for E-commerce

Corrugated Boxes

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Look around your house; you will definitely find a box with this kind of packaging. Corrugated packaging, also known as cardboard packaging, is used to transport 95% of North American consumer goods around the globe.

A perfect covering to ship orders anywhere, this type of packaging can accommodate nearly every aspect and genre of consumer goods.

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However, if you choose this packaging method, make sure to communicate the use case and weight of your product to your supplier.

You must also take into consideration the mode through which you’ll transport your product to ensure its safety and adjust the thickness of the box accordingly.

These boxes are also environmentally friendly, as no harmful chemicals are used in producing them.

If you want to deliver a great unboxing experience to your buyers, you can also customize this packaging as per your product type.

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Instead of going for plain brown cartons, you can make them aesthetically pleasing with some colors and creative taglines. You can also opt for something minimal, like a single-color box with your logo on it.

Want to take your packaging a step further and provide an unparalleled experience that will make your buyer feel great and special?

 

Paper Board Boxes: For Making Packaging Attractive

Made of thick paper, they are lightweight but still tough. You can mold them as per your product structure and easily print brand-enhancing graphics on them.

Paper Board Boxes

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The foldable carton used in this packaging type provides the manufacturer with a large printable area.

This makes it easier for them to communicate their brand message to their buyers and add great graphics to make the packaging attractive. And as they are highly customizable, they have greater appeal to consumers than any other product packaging type.

Paperboard boxes are great for the environment as well, as they are inherently recyclable and renewable.

Rigid boxes: Favorite Choice of Luxury Brands

Rigid boxes are four times thicker than a normal carton box. As the name suggests, they are sturdy and more durable.

Rigid boxes

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Businesses that sell expensive items typically use this type of packaging because it often involves some hand labor and also protects the product better.

You cannot print directly on this type of box. Instead, you have to wrap a piece of paper around them. However, you can design or customize the paper as you like.

You can customize this types of package in a variety of ways, depending on your product. However, the five common types of rigid boxes are:

1. Raphe Boxes

Raphe Boxes

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They are the best option for corporate gifts, luxury packaging, and premium product packing.

2. Flap open magnetic boxes

Flap open magnetic boxes

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Commonly used in liquor packaging, electronic packaging, playing cards packaging, tea packaging, etc.

3. Flat fold boxes

Flat fold boxes

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Mostly suitable for luxury brands, as they are usually handmade.

4. Drawer style boxes

Drawer style boxes

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If someone wants to go for a distinct look from other common style boxes, this is the best choice.

5. Top & bottom boxes

Top & bottom boxes

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Preferred by confectionery sellers, the gifting industry, the cosmetics industry, etc.

Poly bags for a Wide Range of Products

Also known as a “pouch” “or plastic bag”, they are made of polyethylene, one of the forms of plastic available today. They are commonly used to transport and hold foods, produce, powders, ice, chemicals, and more.

Wide Range of Products

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They are lightweight and flexible. If your business has a wide range of products, you can opt for this packaging, as the chemical makeup of these bags makes them perfect for custom uses.

Bottle and cap for long-lasting products

This packaging type is a perfect solution for all liquid products. Businesses can customize them and can also produce them by choosing any material like glass, plastic, metal, paper, etc.

They are easy to carry, and store, and can increase the shelf life of your products since they are airtight and reduce exposure to airborne contaminants and harmful UV rays.

The industries utilizing this packaging include household, hospitality, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, etc. Many companies are experimenting to make this packaging type more appealing and engaging.

For instance, Coca-Cola, a leading beverage company, went a step ahead of the basic bottle and cap packaging. They introduced the “Share a Coke” campaign.

Through this campaign, they allowed their buyers to customize the generic Coke bottle with the help of a Facebook app. They also started selling bottles with some random names written on them.

This resulted in a 7% sales increase. In addition to earning 18 million media impressions, traffic on Coke’s Facebook page increased by 870%, and page likes increased by 39%.

digital-marketing-campaigns-coca-cola

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Want to stand out from your competitors like Coca-Cola and target your customers on a more individual level?

Then allow your buyers to add a personalized touch to your product packaging and deliver a more engaging experience with the help of our intuitive tool today.

 

Bubble Mailers For Fragile Products

Bubble mailers are envelopes with bubble wrap arranged inside them. This types of packages are most suitable for delicate products, as air-filled bubbles provide better protection than basic envelopes.

Fragile Products

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This packaging type is comparatively lower in cost and is the ideal solution for any small business that ships products daily. You can also design this type of package in different sizes and colors and customize it as per your business requirements.

Dunnage To Ensure Safe Delivery

Dunnage is not actually a packaging type but a safety padding material inside the packaging to ensure the safety of the products during shipping.

Dunnage To Ensure Safe Delivery

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They can be in the form of plastic films, jute coverings, wood, air pockets, papers, thermocol, etc. Shippers can also opt for custom dunnage when the product is extra fragile or has specific dimensions. They fill the space between the packaging and the product, making it shock-resistant.

Poly Mailers for Versatile Packaging Options

This type of packaging is made by designing and cutting the sheets of film into pouches. They are versatile in nature, as they can be used for packaging anything from food items to small equipment to building supplies.

Versatile Packaging Options

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The most commonly used polybag materials are polyethylene and polypropylene. There are various options available for polyethylene packaging.

The HPDE poly bags are used for irregularly shaped or pointed objects; the LDPE poly bags are for carrying grocery and shopping products, whereas polypropylene bags are commonly used in hospitals and the food industry to protect the contents from contamination.

Foil-Sealed Bags For a Longer Product Shelf Life

Foil-sealed bags are made up of several polymer layers that build a barrier against oxygen, so the product inside doesn’t react chemically with them.

Foil-Sealed Bags

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They are mostly used in the packaging of edible and perishable items such as coffee, cheese, cured meats, etc. to maintain their freshness and make them last longer. They are also cheaper compared to other packaging alternatives.

Businesses can customize them and add features such as tear notches, hang holes, zip locks, etc. as per their requirements.

Full Overlap Boxes for Heavy-Duty Purposes

Because of their sturdy flaps that overlap each other, this packaging type is ideal for storing or shipping heavy and bulky items.

Heavy-Duty Purposes

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If you are shipping something weighty, delicate, or large, this packaging is the perfect choice to keep your product intact and deliver the same to your customers.

You can also decide on its size, dimensions, and strength as per your product type.

Box Inserts For a Beautiful Unboxing Experience

If you want to ensure the safety of your product while also making your packaging aesthetically pleasing, then this type of packaging is perfect for you.

Beautiful Unboxing Experience

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You can also use them if you are selling multiple products together. The beauty of these boxes is that they can be shaped and sized in different ways to fit your product inside them.

Refillable Packaging For A Sustainable Tomorrow

Customers are now being attracted to novel yet sustainable types of product packaging in response to growing concerns about sustainability.

As a result, beauty brands are now changing themselves as per the requirements of eco-conscious consumers. They are now providing refillable packaging, which reduces packaging waste.

The refillable packaging makes the outer packaging or pumps reusable time and time again. So, the consumer only needs to buy the product once, and only the refill when they repurchase.

Refillable Packaging

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Recently, Prada introduced one such perfume packaging it used for its new fragrance, called Prada Paradoxe. An ad featuring British actress Emma Watson explained their concept.

They also mentioned how they are saving the environment from 46 percent of plastic with the help of this packaging.

DIY Packaging: Give the Power of Package Customization to Your Customers

Personalization has changed the way packaging was perceived earlier. In addition to protecting and storing products, they’ve now become a great source for engaging customers individually.

Many big brands are using this technique and allowing their customers to personalize their products and packaging before buying them.

DIY Packaging

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For example, Marmite, a savory spread, launched the Marmite personalization campaign around Christmas and allowed their customers to customize the packaging.

So, whenever customers were placing orders, a plain Marmite logo was presented to them, on which they could add any text they wanted.

Customers got so excited about this that Marmite received 210 personalized orders per hour for three weeks straight.

Thus, this turned out to be a great sales strategy for them.

However, any business can deliver such an engaging experience today and upgrade their generic packaging to make it more engaging and vibrant with the help of a package designer tool.

This tool provides your customers with the option of customizing different types of package for your products. They can add text, upload images, use clipart, and add different designs to the packaging.

This can help you connect emotionally with each of your customers and can also increase customer loyalty as you are making them part of your creation.

offering social media

As you can see, this tool offers a variety of features that will enhance your offerings, so you can create more excitement about your offering on social media.

For example, you can run a campaign with #customizeityourway or something like that and make your customers share your product packaging that they have customized.

This will not only make your current customers happy, but it may also attract new customers. And the popularity your brand can gain from this is unmeasurable.

Thus, this tool can not only engage your customers more but also increase your brand’s value and awareness.

To know more about our box packaging design software or get a comprehensive guide about how you can integrate it into your existing business, click on the link below.

 

What’s Your Choice?

So, these were some prominent types of product packaging that are trending currently. Selecting the best option for your product from this long list of packaging options can be a hectic process.

However, if you thoroughly examine the attributes of your product and the factors that can damage it, it might get a little easier to come to a decision. You must also remember that packaging is about more than just protecting your product; it is also about communicating with and emotionally connecting with your target audience.

Thus, packaging plays a crucial role in the success of your sales strategy. You can grow your sales exponentially and set your business apart by allowing your users the freedom to customize.

If you are still not sure about offering customization and its benefits, contact our team of experts today. They will provide you with a detailed overview of customization and how to integrate custom package design software into your existing e-commerce website. So, you can go beyond what your competitors are offering.

Our team of experts will try their best to deliver solutions to your every question and will also provide a detailed demonstration to help you understand our designer tool better.

All product and company names are trademarks™, registered® or copyright© trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

Neha Jain

Neha Jain

Neha Jain is a content writer and has recently completed her master's in Business Administration. A newly-turned-writer, she spends most of her time exploring and learning about the technicalities of writing. Her goal is to help readers understand highly complex processes or concepts in a straightforward way. In her free time, she likes to groove to Taylor Swift's music and read poetry.