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CS Packaging Blog listing page
Edge Crush Test for Corrugated Cartons
Very few products have impacted and revolutionized the packaging industry the way that corrugated material has. This simple, yet highly durable material is utilized in nearly every industry and market around the globe. With the ever-growing popularity of corrugated shipping cartons, continuous improvements must be made to ensure the safety and stability of products in transit around the ...
Inclusivity in Packaging Design: Taking Action in 2023
Packaging is more than a method to hold a product. For some, it means the ability to complete daily tasks without assistance. While package designers think of the shipper and the potential weight and stress of a shipping experience, it is also important to consider the needs of the individual receiving the package. The outward appearance of the package can do more than draw the eye; it c...
Shipping Optimization: Balancing Orders, Packages, and Truckloads for Success
Shipping costs are going up and the reliability of some shipping services is different from what it used to be. To ship smart and avoid unnecessary expenses, it pays to focus on shipping optimization, particularly when it comes to shipping supplies and load balancing. Sometimes the change can be small, but the benefit is the best kind – notable and repeatable. Shipping Optimization Tip...
Thinking Ahead: 4 Packaging Trends in 2023
First, let’s recap 2022: Sustainability became a notable priority for consumers, as they expected to see businesses prove their concern about their environmental impact. The year was also impacted by COVID and its ongoing presence. As a result, online shopping maintained its portion of the market, and packaging needs remain a top concern for shippers. When it comes to packaging trends,...
The 5 C’s of Holiday Custom Packaging Supplies
In rating diamonds for quality, experts use the 5 C’s: cut, clarity, color, carat, and certificate. The diamond industry recognizes that, rather than perfection, it is the unique qualities of each diamond that make it stand out. With a standardized system of evaluation, it becomes easier to give customers peace of mind about the diamonds they purchase. Whether it’s the holiday season or...
Choosing An Industrial Packaging Provider: 5 Things to Look for
When it comes to choosing an industrial packaging provider, you don’t want to accidentally overlook any red flags and get stuck working with a business that can’t carry through on your requirements. Instead, you want a packaging provider who understands your company’s needs and budget and can handle a long-term partnership. But how do you know what to look for when choosing an industrial...
Optimizing e-Commerce Package Design
Regardless of an item's impact resistance, shipping it from your warehouse to the customer shouldn't be a test for its durability. The importance of e-commerce package design cannot be overstated – it can be the difference between a happy customer and a bad reputation. It's also the difference between a product getting damaged in transit and maintaining its integrity. Even more, it's the...
Why Custom Packaging for e-Commerce Matters More
Customers don’t often give a second thought about the packaging their order arrives in. Usually unassuming and sometimes cumbersome, a package is just part of the online shopping experience – and headed straight to the recycling bin without another thought. However, the packaging products arrive in can play a crucial role in customer satisfaction and brand image. Custom packaging for eC...
Q4 e-Commerce Packaging Solutions | Using a Single Source Provider
A lynchpin for any e-commerce company’s success is a strong & reliable supply chain. That should come as no surprise – without one, it becomes nearly impossible to run a business and deliver for clients no matter the size of your company. Though dependability among those in your business’s supply chain is a requirement at any time, it’s vital in e-commerce during the last stretch...
Air Pillows and Air Cushion Packaging Systems for Shipping
Air Pillows and Air Cushion Packaging Systems for Shipping As online buying becomes more and more popular, the solutions for protecting the contents in transit must also evolve. After all, if online orders aren't able to be shipped so that products turn up at their final destination safely and securely, the e-Commerce market as a whole would collapse. Protective packaging isn't a huge is...
Packaging Supplier Considerations and Shipping for e-commerce Stores
Shipping is not what it once was - and that's a good thing. There is no denying that the rise of online business, or e-commerce, has changed the face of shipping. Gone are the days of mail-order catalogs or TV call-in orders when companies could give a vague “4-6 weeks for delivery” and there wasn’t anything customers could do about it - including tracking their packages. Today, things h...
How to Use a Custom Corrugated Subscription Box to Stand Out
If you run a subscription service, you know your boxes are a lot more than a means to protect your merchandise from the bumps and jolts of shipping. They don’t just carry stuff. They carry your brand, inside and outside, and custom-printed corrugated boxes can do it with panache. Custom Printed Corrugated Boxes Are Your Next Brand Ambassador The competition is getting tougher in the su...
How Much Weight Can a Corrugated Box Hold? + Other Packaging FAQs
Despite its deceivingly simple make-up and function, corrugated boxes can generate a lot of questions. Some of those questions may include the difference between cardboard and a corrugated box (which we will get into later). We aim to answer some of the questions about the key packaging and shipping products that we get asked constantly, in the hopes of making our friend, the simple car...
The Ultimate Guide to the Weight Limits of Corrugated Boxes
When it comes to shipping your products, ensuring that they are in a box that will not only hold their weight but also keep them safe during transit as well is imperative for any business. While you could run to your local supermarket or post office and grab a bundle of their stock boxes, you risk damaging your product by overestimating the weight limitations of the box. In order to avo...
A Guide To Understanding Corrugated Flutes (FREE Print-Out Included)
As a warehouse manager or operations professional, you understand the critical importance of using strong packaging materials when shipping products to customers. Choosing the right box is often the first step in protecting your product. If the product arrives in good condition, everyone is happy and nobody thinks about the packaging. However, if the product arrives damaged, you are now ...
How Advanced Packaging Solutions Improve Small Businesses’ Branding
It’s no secret that major brands invest thousands (if not tens or hundreds of thousands) of dollars on their branding and packaging. And while small businesses may be deterred by the amount some corporations invest, custom packaging solutions are widely available to companies regardless of size and should be utilized. If your smaller business is working on the design of your next produc...
FAQs about Corrugated Packaging Material
When it comes to shipping a product you have developed or one that you source, a responsible business will want to make sure that their packaging material will not only hold the weight but keep the product safe during transit. The solution? Appropriate corrugated (sometimes referred to as cardboard) packaging. Because of its design, corrugated packaging is one of the most durable, eco-fr...
Correcting the Misconceptions of Sustainable Packaging
To stay competitive and relevant in the constantly evolving global markets, brands need to invest serious capital into their product branding and packaging to ensure their customers are getting the best level of protection with the most eco-friendly materials. But with sustainability trending in the mainstream, the eco-friendly packaging industry has become a haven for misleading informa...
Where to Buy Eco-Friendly Packaging + 6 FAQs on Sustainable Packaging
With thousands of innovative solutions on the market, the type, style, and sustainability of your product’s packaging can have major implications on your branding and image. And with nearly every multi-national brand having a green pledge, growing operations entering the sustainable packaging realm may be asking “what is eco-friendly packaging” or “where can I source sustainable packagin...
5 Small Business Shipping Tips: How to Optimize Product Shipping
There’s nothing quite like running your own small business, though the process can be tedious. Our goal is to reduce the stress in your shipping operations. Small Business Shipping Tips 1. Proactive Communication: Notifications, notifications, notifications! Provide automatic e-mail or text messages that let your customers know a product has shipped, or if there has been any sort of dela...
10 Benefits of Using Air Pillow Packaging for Shipping
From traditional packaging peanuts to molded pulp trays, to air pillows, the number of void-fill options can get overwhelming. When trying to find a more sustainable packaging option, it’s tempting to pick the first paper or foam fill option. Why spend more time on a decision than necessary? But did you know that incorporating air pillows into your packaging does more than provide prote...
Sustainability and Its Impact On Brand Image
Over the past five years, research has shown a switch in consumer priorities; the focus has turned to eco-friendly and sustainability. In fact, 72% of Gen Z say they feel buying products that support recycling is important, in addition to 58% of Gen Z that say they prefer their purchases to come in sustainable packaging. Millennials, meanwhile, prioritize this even more, with 78% of ...
How Automated Packaging Lines Increase Sustainability
It’s no secret: the global sales landscape is changing. And with an uptick in eCommerce sales, paired with global labor and material shortages, manufacturers and distributors have been forced to “reshuffle” their workforces in order to maximize output while minimizing waste. To help achieve this goal, many industries have begun adopting automation technology throughout their manufactur...
What Types of Protective Packaging Does My Product Need?
Packages often live hard lives. They are jostled about by machines and conveyor belts. People toss them on trucks or stack them to unreasonable heights without worrying about crushing what is inside. If it is your precious product inside that package, you might have a big problem on your hands. So, whose fault is it when a product arrives broken or damaged? Some responsibility lies in ...
What Is Sustainable Packaging?
Walk down any aisle of your local supermarket or favorite department store, you’ll see a number of packages in all different shapes and sizes. While the products themselves may differ drastically, most of the product's packaging share a common theme: protection and sustainability. From leading tech manufacturers that produce the highest quality computers, televisions, and cell phones, t...
Retention & Suspension Packaging Should Be Your Go-To Protective Packaging
If you’re unfamiliar with retention and suspension packaging and the increasingly important role it plays in e-commerce packaging, allow us to explain. Let’s say you ordered an expensive electronic product online, like a laptop. You’re excited for it to arrive at your home, and you may have even thought about the perceived risk that you took by ordering it online rather than making a p...
How Branding and Custom Packaging Influences Customer Experience
Branding and custom packaging is a necessary and worthwhile investments. When the month of January rolls around the appearance of red-themed displays and heart-shaped packaging lets consumers know February (and Valentine’s Day) is just around the corner. Sales around Valentine’s Day average $22 billion, due in part to heart-shaped product branding and packaging. Like the heart-shaped c...
15+ Must Have Industrial Packaging Materials
Your guide to must-have industrial packaging materials. Simply put, industrial packaging keeps products safe on their way from the producer to the next point on the path to a consumer—say, from a ballpoint pen manufacturer to a retail store. Retail packaging makes the product attractive to the consumer using compelling design and strong messaging. In other words, the primary reason for i...
9 Steps to Shipping Perishable and Temperature Control Items
Shipping has been around for centuries and, for the most part, the basics have remained the same through the years: container, packaging, tape, stamp, etc. Though the basics have remained the same, complexities can be added to this relatively simple process depending on the nature of the product that you're shipping, and the challenges that can arise between Point A and Point B. Th...
Custom Packaging Solutions for Subscription Services
Throughout the global pandemic, many businesses small and large needed new creative ways to sell their products to potential customers. A popular option that accounts for a large percentage of eCommerce sales is subscription boxes. We saw subscription boxes for everything from beauty products to electronic gadgets and more, and the trend isn’t slowing down. But custom subscription b...
What are Corrugated Flutes and How Can They Improve My Packaging?
As a warehouse manager, VP of operations, buyer, purchaser, or procurement official, you understand the critical importance of using strong packaging materials when shipping product to customers. If the product arrives in good condition, everyone is happy and nobody thinks about the packaging. Choosing the right box is often the first step in protecting your product. But, if the product ...
Breaking Down Custom Packaging Supplies
From cosmetics to electronics, how your goods are packaged says a lot about your brand. No one likes opening something brand new to find out it was either broken, wrinkled, or otherwise damaged. To prevent this, custom packaging supplies have been integrated into nearly every industry. But why? Breaking Down Custom Packaging Supplies To understand the impacts of custom packaging suppli...
Benefits of Working with an Advanced B2B Packaging Solutions Provider
Can't get your products to market fast enough because of bottlenecks in the packaging process? It could be time to upgrade to a business-to-business (B2B) packaging solutions provider that offers a variety of automation technology. Regardless of whether your volume is in the thousands or over 1 million packages, working with a partner that offers automated solutions improves distribution...
Molded Pulp Trays: 7 Uses for Your Business
Molded pulp trays are quickly becoming one of the most preferred packaging options for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, there's a wide range of products that can be packaged in them, all it takes is working with the right packaging supplier that can custom make the right pulp trays for your needs. And two, molded pulp trays are perhaps the most sustainable packaging option to...
Why Using Custom Shipping Packaging Supplies Can be a Game-Changer
“It’s what's on the inside that really counts.” Although we often say this about people, some manufacturers and distributors think the same way about product packaging. They look over every product detail, and then ship it out in whatever box that is available, without any thought to protection or presentation. Ignoring custom shipping packaging, however, can have a negative impact on yo...
Retention & Suspension Protective Packaging vs. Air Cushion Packaging for E-Commerce
Retention & Suspension Protective Packaging vs. Air Cushion Packaging for E-Commerce Suspension packaging and air cushion packaging are both modern alternatives to packing peanuts and other messy materials in the shipping process, and have become quite popular in the e-commerce world. And if you need protective packaging for your shipping needs, you may be wondering which of these tw...
E-Commerce Packaging: The Importance of Choosing a Reliable Provider
For e-commerce, packaging plays a huge role in assisting you with telling your brand's unique story to customers. It ensures you create a good first impression that gives your customers a personal touch. The best industrial packaging providers can transform your packaging from standard delivery boxes to a customized customer experience. Best of all? Once you have the right company in p...
Small Business Packaging Solutions: Compete with the Big Players
As a small business owner, you're likely to focus more on other core functions of your business, forgetting that packaging (including custom packaging) is equally important. Your products must be well-packaged to reach your customers intact, undamaged, and memorable. Engaging the right B2B industrial packaging provider for your business and shipping needs is a sure way of getting your p...
Shrink Film vs. Stretch Film for Industrial Packaging
Stretch and shrink film are two solutions common in industrial packaging. Though they sound similar (both are types of plastic film), they each serve a different purpose. Using either for the wrong application can result in serious problems. For example, if you used stretch film in a heat tunnel to package products, it would result in a fire. Read on to learn about the differences betw...
Custom Cosmetics Packaging Design: Tips for Manufacturers
The beauty and cosmetics industry uses various materials in its packaging. Each material has a significant influence on how your customers view your products, as well as how safe your product is during transit. As such, you want to ensure you have settled on the right beauty and cosmetics packaging solutions to best fit the needs of your product. In this article, we provide details on t...
Third-Party Logistics: Why 3PL Companies & Fulfillment Centers Need Industrial Packaging
Your business only has so many hours to be productive each day and week. It’s challenging to fit essential packaging and fulfillment tasks into your schedule and still find time to grow your business. By outsourcing certain tasks, such as packaging orders, to a third-party logistics company, businesses can save time and money better spent on other tasks. Here’s why third-party logistic...
Industrial Packaging Solutions to Consider for E-Commerce
Now’s the time to improve your industrial and ecommerce packaging. The packaging you use for your business products represent your brand, so make sure you're sending a positive message. And although many in the industry prefer traditional, time-tested packaging, it takes a bit more than a simple cardboard box to stand out in this saturated market. Use these tips to ensure your industria...
Protective Packaging to Keep Your Eyes on in 2021 and Beyond
When consumers purchase a product in a store or order one online for delivery to their front door, they don't want to open the package to see a damaged or defective item. This reflects poorly on the brand and reduces the likelihood of the consumer conducting repeat business with them in the future. It's worth noting that a product can become damaged in a variety of ways. The best way to...
The Pros and Cons of Springing for Custom Printed Packaging
When it comes to selecting the packaging you will use to ship your products, you certainly have a lot of options. One of those options is electing to have custom printed packaging made with your company’s branding. There are many reasons as to why someone might choose to do this, as well as many reasons why they might prefer not to. Here are our professional opinions on some of the pros ...
6 Types of Boxes (+ The Best Products to Ship in Them)
So many types of boxes, so many categories of products — do you know which ones are best suited for each other? That's what we'll cover in this post, as the right type of corrugated packaging is critical to ensuring that a product arrives at its final destination without incident. On that note, here's a look at six types of boxes, as well as the products that are best suited for shipm...
How to Ship Perishable Items
As a business, you do not have the luxury of making big mistakes when it comes to shipping perishable items. Fortunately, there are plenty of other companies that have traveled this path before you, so you can definitely find quality resources to help you avoid shipping mishaps. With the right preparation, you can determine how to ship your perishable goods to your customers so that th...
Corrugated Box Sizes and Thicknesses Guide
Corrugated boxes (commonly known as cardboard boxes) are the preferred type of packaging for many products — and for good reason. First off, corrugated is sustainable and easy to handle. It's made from recycled paper and also able to be curbside recycled. Corrugated has the best recyclability of any packaging material. Corrugated packaging tends to be durable thanks to the multiple layer...
How to Safely Ship Electronics
Next to glassware and other fragile items, electronics might be the most challenging (and misunderstood) products to ship when it comes to delivery. This is largely because of the makeup of electronics items. Specifically, these products are comprised of hundreds — perhaps even thousands — of tiny, fragile parts. If they're not cared for properly, they can become easily damaged from imp...
How To Reduce Load Damage With Industrial Packaging Supplies
Every year, companies lose billions of dollars in merchandise during shipment. Most of the time, this is due to freight not being properly bonded to their pallets. However, sometimes a faulty load due to incorrect stacking is not the problem. Making sure that the packaging process is done correctly may avoid injuries for truck drivers and unloading personnel. How To Reduce Load Damage Wi...
How to Ship Glassware Safely
If you ship glassware, china or other fragile items, you know how nerve-wracking it can be to send them into the rough-and-tumble transit world. Once they’re out of your control, anything can happen. But there are steps you can take to protect them and your sanity. You might call it the “wrap, box, pad, seal, mark” approach. It seems pretty simple, but it’s actually a little more complic...
How Does an Air Cushion Packaging System Work?
Avoid the void. That’s the byword for anyone who ships products that might be damaged in transit. And the solution, at least for companies like Amazon, is air cushion (or air pillow) packaging. Why Choose Air Cushion Packaging? Air cushion packaging is exactly what it sounds like. Think whoopee cushion without the sound effects (or the air leak). It’s an air-filled pillow made of biodegr...
CUSTOM SHIPPING PACKAGING SUPPLIES YOU AREN'T USING (BUT SHOULD BE!)
“It’s what is inside that really counts.” Although we often say this about people, some manufacturers and distributors think the same way about product packaging. They pore over every product detail, and then ship it out in whatever box that is available, without any thought to protection or presentation. Ignoring custom shipping packaging, however, can have a negative impact on your bra...
AIR CUSHION AND AIR PILLOW PACKAGING: IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?
As online buying becomes more and more popular, the solutions for protecting the contents in transit must also evolve. After all, if online orders aren't able to be shipped so that products turn up at their final destination safely and securely, the e-Commerce market as a whole would collapse. Protective packaging isn't a huge issue with soft goods, but it is important when you're deal...
3 Reasons Why Box Partitions Make Happy Customers
Have you ever opened a box, only to see all of the contents mixed around inside with no apparent order or care taken? Are you doing that to your customers? Chances are, if you’re shipping your items without box partitions, or box dividers, your products are arriving to your customers as one big jumbled mess. Avoid that unprofessional mess, and enjoy the many benefits of partitions. 3 Ben...
Pros and Cons of Custom Corrugated Packaging
When it comes to packaging, is the stock route or the custom route right for you? Stock packaging is exactly what it sounds like — packaging that comes ready-made and in standard formats. Custom packaging, on the other hand, can be tailor-made to fit a specific product, promote brand awareness or relay a message right on the box. So what’s best for you? Here’s a closer look at the pros a...
Packaging and Shipping Supplies to Budget For in 2022
The key to the overall success of any business is the quality of their products. Ideally, products don't just meet a need -- but they're quality designed and made, long-lasting and easy to use. And while much attention is placed on product development and quality control during the design, engineering and manufacturing processes, there's an important end-of-line task that also cannot be ...
Custom Shipping Carton FAQs
As a product manufacturer or shipping agent, you know how important it is to have high-quality shipping cartons. You intuitively know that you want your product to arrive in great condition, and realize that shoddy packaging leads to a lot of returns. But, you still might have some questions about custom shipping cartons, so we’re here to answer them. What Will it Take to Protect Your Pr...
Shipping and Packaging Solutions Made Simple For Dart Logistics
Image courtesy of Dart Logistics “No one likes to talk about packaging,” Bob Janik, President of CS Packaging will say to anyone who asks him about his industry. Why? Well, it’s just not exciting for most people and tends to be a hassle to deal with. But, when you partner with the right packaging distribution company, the hassle is eliminated -- according to Rich Vitek, General Manager o...
How Much Should I Budget for Custom Printed Boxes?
The first thing to understand about custom e-commerce and subscription boxes is that they don’t come with standard pricing. Custom boxes require custom pricing. That sounds expensive, and it can be. On the other hand, the right custom box (and custom box provider) can actually save you money. How Custom Boxes Can Save You Money: A bad box can be a costly mistake. What if it allows your p...
Custom Floor & Counter Top Displays: Standing Out (+ Budgeting for It)
Image courtesy of ODM Group. In business, the "elevator pitch" is crucial. That's the story, anecdote, or explanation of a product that can be delivered in the time it takes an elevator to reach its destination. In the B2C sphere, your packaging and presentation become that elevator pitch -- and the harder they are to see, enjoy, or understand, the harder you'll have to work to sell your...
Strapping Machines: An Underrated Ally for Your Packaging
As your packaging production ramps up, so must your processes. Yes, while it may have been feasible to manually complete some tasks when you were growing the company and working with small amounts, automation is often necessary to streamline efficiency as operations grow. Though it may seem like an afterthought, one piece of equipment that can achieve time savings and maximize productivi...
Guide to Third-Party Warehousing & Fulfillment (AKA 3PLs)
No matter how strong your product is or how skillfully your marketing is implemented, your customers’ opinions of your brand rest in one place: logistics. Getting their order in one piece, well-presented, and on time is crucial to the continued success of your business, but what’s the best way to make that happen? Third Party Warehousing 101 While you have several options, most growth-or...
Stock vs. Custom Packaging Boxes: What's the Difference?
Sometimes the question of how to package a product comes out as an afterthought. The product is produced and ready to go out to customers, and somebody finally says, “So how are we going to ship this?” The Importance of Selecting Stock or Custom Packaging Boxes The job of selecting the right packaging should be considered as part of the entire production process. You want to find the per...
What is molded pulp packaging? + why your products need it
Molded pulp packaging is a newer type of packaging typically made from recycled materials. It is used for protective packaging mostly for food and beverages. However, it is also a great option to package delicate items of any kind that need extra considerations throughout the shipping process. Custom Molded Pulp Packaging 101 This type of packaging is eco-friendly and can be recycled aga...
Branded Packaging Materials Create a Better Customer Experience
Business owners around the world continuously try to make the next big selling product. However, what about 95% of owners forget to focus on is the presentation. Packaging allows business owners to tell customers why their product is different and why their brand is better than their competitors. As a business owner, you should think of how you want your client to see your product. The...
What Does Drop Ship Mean? The Impact of ‘Dropshipping’ on eCommerce
Throughout the years, the different styles of marketing and selling have evolved. From door to door sales to visiting retail stores and spending hours at the mall. The growth of selling products has shifted once again and is now making a change in eCommerce. Online businesses have boomed over the past several years. However, the stress of holding an inventory, packaging, and shipping...
How to Reduce Load Damage With Industrial Packaging Supplies
Every year, companies lose billions of dollars in merchandise during shipment. Most of the time, this is due to freight not being properly bonded to their pallets. However, sometimes a faulty load due to incorrect stacking is not the problem, but rather an issue with the actual packaging of the product. Making sure that the packaging process is done correctly will decrease the risk of un...
Custom Boxes & Packaging Are Your Secret Weapon in Marketing
We live in an era that provides unique ads, apps and other types of marketing for each consumer. Business owners use GPS and often times detailed customer demographics, to target clients in a specific way. This kind of marketing strategy allows companies to have personalized data. Making their clients feel that their product is made especially for them. Custom Boxes + Marketing When yo...
Sustainable Packaging solutions: Save Sea Turtles
Nothing beats the sound of the pop of a can before you start drinking your favorite beverage. Plus, we can all agree that there's nothing more satisfying than enjoying the cold beverage inside the can on a hot day. But have you ever thought about what damage those plastic rings holding your 6-pack together are doing to the environment? The truth is -- it's less than pleasant. The good ...
Packaging Guidelines Everyone Should Follow
Safe, reliable delivery starts with careful preparation. When sending a package, follow these guidelines to get your shipment off to a good start. Packaging Guidelines to Follow Today: The Box: Choose a box with enough room for cushioning material to be placed around the contents. If you’re reusing a box make sure to cover up or black out any old labels or markings! Cushioning: Place...
10 Steps to Ensuring Compliance with Shipping Regulations
When choosing product packaging materials, there is more to consider than just what looks good. The reality is, there are all sorts of inspections, regulations, and compliance requirements to consider before you ship your product. Failure to follow these with your packaging can mean money and time wasted, and a bad reputation for your business. We've compiled some of the most important...