Packaging Supplies For Shipping

It is important that you take time to use the proper packaging supplies and shipping accessories to ensure that your item arrives on time without damages. With three simple steps your package will be ready to ship.

Step 1: Use a Brand New Corrugated Box

While it is possible to reuse a corrugated box, when it comes to shipping it is better to go with a brand new box. Every time that a box is used for shipping it loses some of its structural integrity. If you use a new box, you can be sure that the strength of your box has not been weakened by past use. As with all packaging supplies, make sure that your box is the most lightweight and smallest dimension possible for the item you are sending. This will protect you from additional costs of shipping for a larger container.

Step 2: Protect Your Item

Ideally, when you package your item using packaging supplies like paper wrap, corrugated dividers and foam packing peanuts you will be able to protect your items from moving around. Any movement of your items during shipping can cause damage by products bumping together. You should wrap each item separately and keep at least two inches of padding between breakable items.

Step 3: Close Box and Label Correctly

Using shipping accessories like a tape gun and 2 inch wide pressure sensitive tape or nylon reinforced filament tape will assist you in securing your items. Be sure to use 3 strips of tape at the bottom and top of the box along the three edge seams. This will ensure that the openings do not open unexpected during transit.

Other shipping accessories that will help with effective shipping are shipping labels. Be sure that when you fill in the shipping address that you include the entire address, including the name of the recipient, the whole street address with postal code and the suite or apartment number if there is one. The more complete your shipping label is, the more likely your package will get where it needs to go.

When you have all the shipping accessories and packaging supplies that you need on hand, shipping and packaging becomes a walk in the park. You know that your items will get where they need to be, and that your reputation for high quality goods will remain intact.

[4/21/2014]

Shipping and Packing Materials – Does it Matter Which Ones You Use?

When it comes to shipping and packing materials, remember that there is a reason why boxes come in different shapes and sizes. It is crucial for effective shipping that you choose materials that are ideal for your project. The right shipping and packing materials can make the difference between your package arriving and your package arriving in one piece. Here are some of the different kinds of packing materials and supplies that you might need for effective shipping and packing.

Boxes:

There are a variety of boxes that you might need depending on what you are planning on shipping. For example, if you are mailing clothing to one of your clients, you may wish to purchase a wardrobe box with a bar. This box is perfectly suited to shipping delicate clothing that must be handled with care. The bar will allow you to neatly contain the clothing without wrinkling or folding.

If you are shipping many documents that must remain organized, you can have sturdy file boxes that ship well and stack easily. These paper wrapping materials allow you to label and consolidate your precious paperwork without the threat of smashed or shifted documents.

There are many other shapes and sizes of boxes that may assist you with a successful shipment catering specifically to your products.

Mailing Tubes:

If you are mailing promotional materials like posters, fliers or even parts of billboards, you may require a mailing tube. Our mailing tubes come in hundreds of shapes and sizes and can be used for mailing just one sheet, or hundreds depending on your shipping and packing needs. These tubes are ideal as paper wrapping materials because they protect your valuable assets without fear or water damage, bending or folding.

Other products:

Packing tape
Packing peanuts
Bubble wrap
Tape gun
Corrugated pads
Chipboard dividers

While you may not require every one of these products for every package you ship, you may find it worthwhile to keep some on hand.

There are many other shipping and packing materials that you may wish to use in order to quickly, safely and effectively ship your delicate, valuable merchandise and paperwork. You can contact a number of professional shipping and packing materials providers to see what options are available and viable for you. You’ll be surprised at the number of cost effective, simple solutions that are available.

[4/17/2014]

Fiberboard Dividers Help Protect Your Goodies

Anyone who has to ship and package inventory or merchandise knows that it is important to package your boxes correctly. Using the right kinds of packing materials will prevent damage to your goods, saving you money and reputation points with your clients. While it is obvious that packing peanuts, bubble wrap and other stuffers can help to protect your merchandise, other packing solutions like fiberboard dividers and chipboard dividers can prevent additional damage that stuffing cannot.

Here are a few interesting tidbits about fiberboard dividers and chipboard dividers that you might not know.

Fiberboard dividers are sturdy storage solutions that are made from corrugated fiberboard. They are heavy duty and versatile; perfect for storing loose parts of machines, nails and screws, and other small but heavy pieces. According to government testing, these dividers are slated to last between 30 and 50 years. They are more fire resistant than chipboard dividers, but are still completely recyclable. They can be assembled without tape or staples, allowing for a quick and simple installation or removal.

Chipboard dividers are a fantastic, inexpensive option for shipping fragile items. The nice thing about chipboard dividers is that they are much cleaner than some other divider options. They create less dust and are lightweight so they are less expensive to ship. They are made of non-bending paperboard that is composed of mixed waste papers. Chipboard dividers can come in a variety of ecologically friendly arrangements to meet most of your fragile shipping needs. Many businesses are starting to understand the need to be ecologically responsible- using greener shipping alternatives can be an affordable way to make that happen.

While there is an option of using plastic dividers for certain projects, it is almost always more economical to stick with paper based dividers. Plastic dividers can provide additional damage prevention- especially for returnable items- but the costs of implementation can be unreasonably high for their use. They are also not as green as the paper options.

For the biggest bang for your buck, chipboard dividers and fiberboard dividers give you the protection you need for your valuable materials. The reassurance of using a 100% recyclable and low cost material will help you sleep a little better, knowing that your product will get where it needs to be in one piece. Choosing the best alternative for your business can be simple, as long as you know exactly what it is you need it to do and protect.

[4/14/2014]

Corrugated Cartons: A brief History

Today we take for granted the fact that one can simply run to a grocery store, or a hardware store to pick up a couple of boxes for moving. We can order dozens of custom made corrugated cartons for low prices and our shipping boxes rarely cost more than a couple of dollars. This sense of ease for shipping has not always been a reality.

Before the 1850’s, it was necessary to package anything that was to be shipped anywhere into hand crafted wooden crates. These crates cost a lot to build and were not necessarily custom to the items that you were shipping. Being in crates that did not protect them from shipping hazards damaged many items.

The corrugated cartons that we are now familiar with got their start in New York City when Albert Jones patented them. Although originally used in England to protect hats inside of hatboxes, they were first used for shipping bottles and lanterns in 1871. In 1890, corrugated cardboard got a boost from Robert Gair, who discovered that by adding two sheets of flat board on either side of the fluted center paper, the strength of the box increased.

This discovery allowed for corrugated cartons to become the benchmark for shipping containers and lead to an enormous boom in shipping across the globe. We might even go as far as to say that the invention of corrugated cartons revolutionized the world of enterprise for North America, the United Kingdom and the globe.

Today, we are able to make boxes using machines that are capable of cranking out cardboard at a rate of over 500 lineal feet per minute. We can add logo designs, create large volume boxes and transport large and small items without so much as a second thought.

The technology required to create a corrugated cardboard box doesn’t seem like something that would be complicated, folding paper and gluing it between two flat sheets of board. The invention took thousands of years to master, but when it was finally a reality it became a massive catalyst for the world of commerce.

Today, through the use of corrugated cartons, many businesses are able to safely ship a wide number of products in a safe, secure and cost effective manner. Cardboard is also recyclable, making it a great option for companies that are currently “green” or in the process of going “green”.

[4/10/2014]

Folding Boxes and Cartons

When it comes to packing and shipping your business’ merchandise, files, and other deliverables, there is no such thing as paying too much attention to the box it is shipped in. All boxes and cartons have their own special purpose and can help to prevent damage to your precious inventory. When you pack shipments properly, with care and dignity, your clients will see the quality and attention to detail that you provide. Here are a few of our most popular kinds of folding boxes.

Stock Bin Boxes

These boxes come in various sizes and may include cardboard partitions. They are ideal for shipping or storing small parts, buttons, supplies, etc. Bin boxes can be stored in a display box to showcase the merchandise or can be used individually as part of an in store display.

Brown Corrugated Stock Boxes

Folding boxes that come in many sizes, these are standard, low cost shipping boxes. They are sturdy and can be shipped or stored with ease.

File Storage Boxes

These heavy duty folding boxes are resistant to damage and are easy to stack, transport and open or close. They are compact at 15X12X10 “. These boxes typically are used to store archived papers or files.

Poster Boxes

Poster boxes prevent folding and damage to posters. They are easy to gather and transport and allow for simple packing of your valuable marketing materials.

Breather Boxes

Folding boxes that are designed specifically for transporting foods, breather boxes are also known as pizza boxes. They allow for some of the heat of the food to be released while maintaining optimum temperature. They are moisture resistant and do not contain any materials that are harmful to humans if accidentally ingested.

Taking the time to choose the perfect box for your needs is an important detail that should not be skipped. Your clients will appreciate the fact that you have gone above and beyond to protect their items and you will save yourself money, reducing the instances of damages during shipping.

You can choose either stock boxes that are standard brown or white, or you can add some personality and have custom boxes designed that will allow you to infuse your businesses’ brand into everything that leaves your office. It may seem like a minor detail, but finding the perfect boxes and cartons for your business can be the difference between failure and success.

[4/8/2014]

Cardboard Dividers and Their Use in Packaging

You might not think that using corrugated partitions or cardboard dividers in your packaging would make a difference, but you might be surprised. There are many uses for cardboard dividers.

Corrugated partitions can create separate compartments within a larger box that are ideal for maintaining the position of a product and for cradling fragile items that may break if dropped. You can have your cardboard dividers cut to fit any large box and you can have as many or as few compartments as you need!

Some common uses for cardboard dividers include packaging wine bottles, small parts of machines, jewelry, and other merchandise that should not touch the other objects in the box. You can have your corrugated partitions designed in such a way that they will not only protect your products, but sometimes they can also be colored to match the specifications of your branding.

Partitions are a better choice than bubble wrap or packing peanuts in some cases. When you are packing items that must never touch or bump each other (like wine glasses or medical supplies) the partitions provided a barrier between the objects. With packing peanuts, your objects might hit together during transit causing costly damages that may require reshipping.

Many industries use cardboard dividers in creative ways to protect goods. Here are some surprising ways that industry uses cardboard dividers.

Automotive- to protect fragile parts from getting lodged into larger parts
Cosmetic- to separate bottles and jars
Agriculture- to protect fruit and vegetables from unnecessary bruising
Food and beverage- to prevent bottles from breaking
Electrical- to separate mechanical pieces that could break from friction

Choosing the right partitions to suit your product can mean the difference between a good product and a great product. Be sure that your items fit snugly without slipping or crushing. In addition, some bubble wrap or some paper wrapping could further protect your items that are especially delicate. Do not be afraid to experiment with a few different types of cardboard dividers to choose the one that works the best for you.

Before choosing corrugated partitions to protect your merchandise make sure you identify what type of partition you are going to need. Does it need to be thicker to protect fragile materials and keep them from shifting and breaking or can it be lighter and thinner, simply to keep the contents from sliding around and becoming a jumbled mess? Once you know exactly what you need your partitions to do, you can quickly narrow down your search to find the ideal corrugated partitions you need to help make your shipping processes easier, safer and more cost effective.

[4/3/2014]

3 Benefits to Using Custom Display Boxes

Using corrugated displays allows you to share your product in an easy to manage, attractive manner. You can have your display designed to your specifications allowing for your display boxes to be placed wherever they need to be and in an attractive manner. The dimensions, colors, and utility are up to you, allowing for versatility and flexibility. Here are three benefits to using custom corrugated display boxes for your business.

You can increase awareness of your unique brand without using gimmicks.
Your clients will recognize your brand right away by seeing the familiar packaging. If your corrugated displays proudly tote your logo and brand colors, you are inspiring brand loyalty. Your company name is already synonymous with quality, now you can ensure that your high quality products will be recognized anywhere that you place them.
The installation of custom display boxes is quick and painless.
When you are planning to place a new display box, whether you need 1 or 100 you can easily choose the specifications and dimensions. You can fit your display box between two others, or set up on a table by itself. You can choose to design a box that sits on the floor and stands three feet tall if you want. Corrugated display boxes allow for so much flexibility that the possibilities are nearly endless.
Custom display boxes are an inexpensive solution to furthering your advertising dollars. As with any custom designed products, the more corrugated boxes that you order, the greater your savings are. As mentioned previously, your brand will be displayed proudly for potential clients to see. The more that your brand is shared on your display boxes, the more chance there is that you will run into a new potential customer. With lower cost options available, you will be able to spread your display boxes further allowing for a greater reach.

Some businesses wonder aloud if creating custom boxes are worth the extra expense and effort. The answer is; yes, if the reach of your brand is important to you. Word of mouth and brand recognition are two of the most important ways that people experience a new brand. When your potential clients see your brand in the places that they go, they will begin to feel excitement when your products come up in conversation. Your display boxes will be the beginning of that excitement.

[3/31/2014]

Custom Labels Help Make Your Move Easier

When you are preparing for a move, packing can be a nerve-wracking process. What happens if you get to your new home and don’t know where to start unpacking, or if you aren’t sure which boxes go in which room? What will you do if you aren’t able to find what you need? Fortunately, by following a few simple tips to use custom labels, you can make the process easier on you and your family.

Label Your Items by Room

It is important to distinguish boxes that are meant for different rooms, as this can make it easier to unpack. To do this, invest in colored price tag stickers or packaging labels, and make sure you choose a size that will be easily noticeable. Then, designate a specific sticker to a certain room. For example, use green stickers for all the boxes containing kitchen items, and use orange stickers for all items designated for your bedroom. If you are using stickers with the actual name of the room, be sure to spell out the entire word rather than just using the label of “B”, as this could be difficult to distinguish from the bathroom or the bedroom.

Label Using Different Colors

Once your boxes have been packed, use colored labels or stickers to differentiate them from the rest of your packages. Place these stickers on the sides and on top. Then, when you get to your new home, place the matching labels on the door frame to the corresponding room. This way, when you unload the moving truck, your movers can easily take the box to the room where it belongs.

Make a List for Your Custom Labels

To ensure that you don’t lose anything, make a list to inventory your boxes. Number each one and then place the corresponding number next to the box description on your list. For example, your list might state: 1 – Bedroom; 2 – Bathroom. Taking this inventory will be especially helpful if you are using a moving company, as you will know if something has gone missing right away. You will also know exactly what you’ve lost, and this can be important for filing an insurance claim.

Designate Breakables Using Custom Labels

When using labels to pack for your move, it is important to designate which boxes are fragile. Write the word “FRAGILE” in large letters on the box so that your movers will know that delicate items are inside. It is important to ensure that labeling is clear when it comes to these boxes.

[3/27/2014]

Corrugated Box: The Pros and Cons

Corrugated boxes are ideal packaging solutions for a variety of situations. These boxes consist of paperboard layers that have rows of air that are designed to protect against vibrations, jerks, and shocks. While there are numerous benefits associated with using this type of box for the packaging needs of a business, there are also some shortcomings. By better understanding these pros and cons, you can make an informed decision about whether or not these boxes are right for your business.

Advantages offered by a Corrugated Box

There are numerous advantages associated with corrugated boxes, and better understanding them can help you to determine if they are a good solution for your packing needs:

Stock boxes are light weight, and this makes them extremely convenient to package, load, and unload.
Corrugated boxes are entirely recyclable, and this makes the environmentally friendly.
These boxes can be found in any size, shape, color, or design. They can be created based on the specific customer requirements, which is especially helpful because business needs are often very diverse.
A corrugated box will have tear resistant qualities, and this is helpful in keeping the packaging intact and will protect your products from being exposed to the elements.
The materials needed to create corrugated boxes are inexpensive, and that leads to boxes that are highly affordable when they are compared to alternatives that are on the market.
Corrugated boxes have higher capabilities for graphics and printing, and this makes them effective when it comes to marketing, branding, and promotional purposes. Many companies use these boxes to print their company name and logo.
The availability of these boxes is widespread, so they can be found in almost any region of the world to support international business.

Disadvantages of Corrugated Boxes

Despite the vast variety of benefits associated with corrugated boxes, some setbacks have been identified:

These boxes may become deformed if they are exposed to extreme pressure or when stacked.
Corrugated cardboard is not the best option for weatherproofing. Water and other types of liquid can saturate these products, and it may also seep into a box and damage the contents.
Corrugated boxes are not always a good option for the packing of heavy items. This is because their endurance to mechanical stresses is relatively low.

If you need more information about our corrugated boxes and how they can help your business, contact us at Instabox today.

[3/24/2014]

Pop Displays and Their Many Benefits

Pop or corrugated displays are commonly found in shopping malls and retail locations, but many business owners also choose to use them at trade shows. These displays are used to attract customers and then draw them in to check out your products. There are a variety of benefits associated with these display solutions, and by better understanding their advantages, you can decide if they are right for your business.

Flexible Design of Pop Displays

One of the best benefits of pop displays is their flexible design. The graphics found within these displays can easily be used to promote a product at a trade show and can then be changed to promote a different type of product at your next event. These booths can be interchanged to take on a new look for each show that you plan to attend.

Pop Displays are Convenient for Travel

Your corrugated display can benefit your business by being easy to travel with. They are lightweight and are compact when packed into their shipping case. This can save you a significant amount of money on travel and shipping costs.

Pop Displays Take Up Less Space

The fact that pop displays occupy a minimal amount of space can make them especially helpful when you need to send your displays somewhere else. They are foldable and can be set up at their new destination easily. This allows you to best optimize your space when transporting them to your next trade show.

Visually Appealing Pop Displays

Pop displays often contain bright colors, brand messages, and attractive graphic designs. This helps them to attract potential customers when they are displayed in malls and shopping centers. These displays grab the attention of visitors by using the latest digital printing methods and technology in graphic design.

Pop Displays Allow for Better Organization

These displays can help to organize your product items, whether you are at a trade show or they are in your store. You can use them to present your items creatively, and the better your products look in these displays, the more customers that you will attract.

Sustainable Pop Displays

Corrugated pop displays are created from paperboard, which is a recyclable material. Many companies also offer display boxes made from this material at a discounted rate.

If you are looking for a creative way to market your products, consider pop displays and their many benefits. At Instabox, we can help you to determine if these marketing solutions are right for your business.

[3/20/2014]