Make your mailing project convenient and easy with Instabox. When you need to send mail and packages to multiple destinations, the fast way to send them on their way is by printing their address on address labels. Just click print, and the address of each recipient is on each individual label. Since each label is backed with adhesive, just peel and stick onto the envelope or package and voila, it’s ready for shipment.

Keep it professional and clean. Choose fonts that are simple and easy to read. Keep the font type and size consistent. Choose white bright blank labels for a sharp clear print. With inkjet or laser printer labels, the ink will not run or smear. They are smudge free.

Note that it’s not limited to the addressee. Print the sender’s address for a quick way to create a return address label. Also special mailing instructions can be placed on each parcel. With blank labels, print messages such as Media Mail, International Mail, Fragile and more. Hazardous or dangerous goods labels must stand out for the postmaster to see. For a message that requires more attention, choose bright colors, bold fonts or unique labels such as a triangle or circle shape.

Go one step further by printing a scannable barcode onto each blank label. Keep track of outgoing mail by incorporating barcodes to your maling project. Know your current inventory. Know the contents of each box, or envelope. Know the recipient’s address and date of mailing. With a large mailing list, distribution list, subscriber list etc., incorporate a bar code with your mailing project to save time.

Get creative to advertise. Customize your print with graphics. Highlight what your company specializes in with graphics. Include borders or specialize fonts. Use special templates or create your own template to increase product awareness.

A mailing label is easy to print and easy to apply. Laser printer labels will not jam in the paper tray. The print is clear and sharp. The print is smudge free. Also use it for special mailing instructions or barcodes. For your next mailing project, keep it simple, easy, and save time.

Contact Instabox for more information on packaging labels, box labels, product labels, blank labels or any kind of labels you might need.

10/12/2012

Greek philosopher Aristotle categorized organisms into groups such as genus or species. Effective commercial industries also apply the same method of classification, but apply it towards their stock and inventory. Thousands and thousands of goods and products, usually in its own box, must be classified and identified. This is where custom labels come in.

Start the organization by first having preprinted labels with its unique bar code affixed to each label. Within this package label, each bar code holds the entire information of each content. This is not a guessing game, but a systematic placement of each category and identity. Each custom label holds a wealth of information. It’s information such as the product identity, the manufacturer or distributor. It tells us where the product comes from and where it is going. This information can all be derived from each custom printed label.

Classify each content by using custom printed labels. It is an efficient, time saving and money saving method to move production effectively. When there is order, not chaos, the inventory counts are accurate. The profit margin line is accurate. It quickly allows us to know what stock we have, what we are lacking or missing, or what is in oversupply.

Once the custom labels are affixed, it’s time to compartmentalize. Which items will be going directly to the retailers? Which pallet label will be delivered to the warehouse? Which inventory needs to be stored?

Increase the identity classification by adding images or color to each box label. It’s a quick way to visually associate contents. For instance, when looking at a traffic light, we know red means stop and green means go. Simplify the stock and inventory by using these same principles. Associate the contents with color and images, and productivity will increase. Sorting will be easier and faster.

Take note from Ralph Emerson Waldo who said, “But what is classification but the perceiving that these objects are not chaotic, and are not foreign, but have a law which is also the law of the human mind?” Create order and compartmentalize. Use custom labels as part of the inventory and stock classification. Know your contents. Know where each item is coming and going. It is an efficient, time saving and money saving method to move production effectively.

9/24/2012

There was once a time, where packages were mailed and delivered in a brown package, all wrapped with twine or strings. But the problem, however, was it was wrapped in string. The string’s purpose was to seal the package, but instead it damaged the package. Also, the string or twine also had the tendency to get caught or entangled in the mail processing equipment, causing damage to the equipment, or again, causing damage to the package itself.

Don’t take something so simple for granted. Use the right material for the right job and move on. To send a package, of course you will need packaging materials such as boxes, bubble wraps, box inserts, etc. But, let’s take a closer look at the different variety of tapes to seal that package right.

To send off a package, use strapping tape, packaging tape, shipping tape, brown packaging tape, reinforced packaging tape, or paper tape for closures. These types of packing tapes supply instant adhesion and provide immediate holding power. They’re also strong enough to withstand temperature fluctuations during transit. It is not recommended to use cellophane tape, masking tape, or duct tape to send off a package. These kinds of tapes curl or not stick once the temperature drastically change during transit.

To close corrugated boxes such as a full overlap box or a full telescope box use a filament tape or strapping tape. They’re also great for closing corrugated fiberboard boxes, reinforcing packages, pallet unitizing or bundling items. Note the extra strength filament tape can offer. Some have as much as 300 pounds of tensile strength per inch of width. This works well with industrial or heavy duty shipping and storing.

For creative crafts, use paper gummed tape. It’s ideal for stretching wet watercolor paper onto drawing boards. Unlike other tapes, water is required to make the paper gummed tape stick.

Don’t forget to use tape dispensers to make your job easier. They hold your tape in place. Hand held tape dispensers are perfect for multiple packaging as it allows you to accurately place your transfer tape directly onto the surface.

Different kind of tapes work well for different kinds of jobs. Knowing which tape to use makes your task efficient and effective. Keep your supply closet well stocked with the different variety of tapes from Instabox.

9/24/2012

There is a simple art to protecting your shipment and storage. With proper inserts, your units are stable, sustained and undamaged. The items atop are used and occupied. The items above are just as stable as the items below. With a little preparation, even the exterior sharp corners of each box are protected.

First off, protect those corners. Just as much as we tend to hit ourselves on the corner of a piece of furniture, corners themselves need protection. The geometric discontinuities of a sharp corner causes an increase in the intensity of a stress field. In other words, corners tend to have a higher traffic; a higher stress concentration. To protect the edge of each box, integrate corner protectors.

An edge protector or corner protector can be used inside or outside containers. It can be used with a stretch wrap to protect products in storage and during shipping. Corner protectors stabilize stretch-wrapped loads or strapped loads. Just by placing corner protectors on the edge of your multiple boxes, you have given additional support to double-stacking pallets. They also prevent the load from shifting, while simultaneously protecting the corner.

Foam corner protectors can be more specific to each product. For instance, a picture frame requires a smaller triangular protection, perfectly fitted on each corner edge. A foam corner protector provides a durable shock barrier between inner and master cartons. Or choose a sheet foam protector as a full surface shield.

Second, keep the fragile items protected. A simple trick to keep them in one piece is to insert a corrugated partition into a larger box. These cross intersection, tic-tac-toe corrugated partitions keep these fragile items cradled, safe and undamaged. Implement these cardboard box partition for items such as wine or glass jars. The cardboard box partitions become perfect individual cells, an awesome solution to restrict movement and shield delicate products.

Third, do not allow the multiple boxes that are stacked on top of each other lean like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Make sure each weight of the interior items are evenly distributed. A unitized, even weight distribution will centralize and stabilize the entire stack as one unit. The weight is consistent, and therefore the pressures are also steady.

Continue this steady weight distribution by inserting chipboard partitions or fiber partitions in between the boxes. The weight of each level of boxes are evenly distributed onto the chipboard partitions, creating a firm foundation. The chipboard dividers alleviate the possible uneven weight, keeping the boxes underneath protected with a less chance of damage.

8/22/2012

Simplify your packaging supplies by designating an area in your home or business as the working station. Designate a primal location that’s a catch-all for all your packaging supplies to maintain efficiency and functionality.

Start with a simple desk, table top or counter about 29 to 32 inches high to land all the outgoing mail. Ergonomically utilize this strong flat surface to temporarily hold all your packages while simultaneously keeping it at waist level. This will save your back from having to stoop too low or too high.

Set up the shipping supplies within reach; all centrally located near or around the table top so that they are easily accessible. Use peg boards, drawer organizers, baskets, trays, etc. to contain all your shipping supplies. When shipping accessories have their own unique designated location, the shipping materials are bound to stay put with less chance of getting misplaced.

A functional work station include packing tape. Use either clear or tan packaging tape, heavy duty packaging tape, PVC tape, paper tape, poly-pro tape, cellulose tape, filament tape, masking tape, strapping tape or Kraft paper gummed tape.

Save time and tape by using tape dispensers. Manual held tape dispensers or tape gun are portable and easy to use. Don’t forget other variation such as the cellulose tape desk dispenser, packaged tape dispenser or a filament tape dispenser as part of your shipping supplies. They are all a very handy way to seal, attach, bundle or fasten your package.

Keep shipping bags handy, also within grasp. Some items for shipment are small and bulky and require more than just an envelope. For instance, fabric or shirts work well with the strength of poly mailers because they are lightweight, thin, reinforced and durable. A bubble shipping bag can protect small and fragile items such as electronics or CD’s. Keep an inventory of shipping bags according to your needs. Instabox offer a wide variety from plain, padded, manilla, plastic, or foam.

Advance the shipping bags to custom printed bags, especially for large outgoing shipment. Portray professionalism by incorporating your unique color, business logo and graphics. As an extra tip, cut unnecessary wasted hours and also include a return address as part of your custom printed bags.

For an easy ship out, centralize the work station. Keep the shipping accessories well-stocked and available within grasp. When it’s time to restock, Instabox carries these packaging materials and more.

8/17/2012

What a Big Mac food box, mobile phone, Milk carton and toothpaste have in common? If you thought that they are items that you already have in your house, that could be a good answer. But less obvious is that they are items that at one point came from a store, packaged in its custom packing box.

We have come a long way, from selling Milk in a bottle to using a folding carton specifically built to preserve its freshness and taste. In the early 18th century folding cartons were hand made. Later on, in the 19th century, we withnessed the birth of folding cartons manufacturers as we know them today.

Would you purchase a brand new mobile phone with scratches and dents, dirty and dusty, sitting loose on a store shelf? Of course not. Would you instead purchase a brand new mobile phone that is still in its packing box, sealed, protected, and in mint conditions? Most likely the answer is “yes”.

As buyers, we would rather buy our goods in their original packing boxes. A sealed product box tells us that the item is brand new. A strong fiber box tells us it was delivered safely. A folding carton is printed with images and text so we don’t have to guess what the content of the box is. It’s pretty basic and straight forward, correct?

If your company is selling goods, using packing boxes is an inevitable tool for retail and profit. They are custom built specifically for your products. A folding carton represents your company just as what clothes we wear portray our personality. A packing box is the last step to present your product and it is the first step to capture potential customers’ attention.

Let us analyze the folding cartons inner flaps. The packing box inner flaps are a wonderful invention. They are ideally designed for sealing the packaging box shut. A folding carton seals itself without requiring additional packaging tape or glue. It provides extra security, keeping the inside item protected during transportation.

A folding carton made of paperboard is economical and flexible. Use this versatility to make a strong, heavy paperboard folding carton to protect delicate items. You can also use a thinner smaller corrugate to package items that requires a little less care, such as toothpaste or cereals.

Brand your packing boxes. Typical Asian take-out food is delivered in a distinctive folding carton box we all seem to recognize and love. The folding carton holds the food in. The flaps on the top seal it. The logo outside lets everyone know the name of your company. A custom made folding carton is strong, practical and can be branded.

In conclusion, consumers tend to buy a product that is presented in an attcratice folding carton. It’s clear that a custom made folding packaging system is vital to generate a higher profit.

Contact Instabox, boxes and packaging manufacturer. We will build the ideal product packaging to match your requirements and budget.

7/2/2012

Box dividers are efficiently used for multiple products. Small individually boxed items going to the same destination are expensive. Every product comes in a different size. A box divider comes in an assortment of sizes and shapes. Instabox, based in Edmonton Alberta, can custom build your box divider exactly to fit your product requirements.

Just as a house skeleton interior frame consist of beams, walls, and a foundations, box dividers placed inside a box strengthen the box unit as a whole. Incorporating box dividers assures your items are undamaged keeping your products intact by preventing each item from touching each other. Box dividers cushion your items from exterior pressure. Instabox can help you create quickly, efficiently and precisely the correct size custom box divider.

Ensure a safe and damage free delivery by inserting fitted box dividers also knows as custom box partitions. Preventing unnecessary movement amongst your boxed items assures a safe damage-free delivery here in Canada, Western Canada or anywhere else.

Other fragile items, such as a heavy glass beverage bottle, can also be shipped by using a corrugated box divider. A corrugated box divider usually built with a B flute material is a different kind of box divider. Incorporating a corrugated divider means you are using a heavier and stronger material. This works just right for the extra strength needed from possible outside pressures atop the box and underneath below. The corrugated box divider creates a strong frame, alleviating any outside pressure.

There are times using a very strong corrugated box divider insert is not required. At times, a lighter thinner box insert variation is all that is required to get your product from point A to point B. Consider fiber partitions as an alternative light-weight box insert. A fiber partition is another box divider variation and just as effective to keeping your items safe from damage. Fiber partition eliminates damage during product transportation and handling. Cost-effective fiber partition offers greater compatibility to automatic packaging equipment. Because of its lighter weight, the shipping cost is less. Fiber partition reduces cost and reduces damage.

Products come in a multitude of sizes and shapes. InstaBox can help you decide which one is the most cost-effective box divider you need. Get the best quality custom box divider with InstaBox. With two factories in Edmonton and Alberta, InstaBox is available to deliver fast, efficient, outstanding products and service.

6/1/2012

Do you need to showcase your current perfume? Do you need to package fragile electronics such as a cell phone? These specialty items need the final touch. It needs to be presented. It needs to be protected from damage. It needs to be highlighted. It needs to portray classiness and elegance. It needs to shout out to the world that it is unique, but how? Use high quality InstaBox die cut boxes along with a customized box insert.

When your exceptional item comes with its own unique deluxe box and box insert, it really does portray special. For instance, let’s look at the latest trendiest perfume. It is packaged in a fitted superior die cut box. It’s cradled in a box insert, securing, preventing movement and damage. The dimensions of the die cut box are precisely perfect to the size of the perfume. Not only does the perfume comes in its own box, but it is also with its perfectly fitted box insert. The bottle contour of the perfume fits exactly within its uniquely shaped box insert. Any other item will not fit into this box insert. Only this unique perfume can fit into the box insert. Now that is distinct and special.

This holds true for electronics. Electronics packaged and hung on store shelves portray everyday items. Place electronics in a high quality die cut boxes along with a perfectly fitted box insert, and voila, the price margin increases substantially. Box inserts presents top of the line electronics. When consumers see that retailers go above and beyond to protect the electronics by using InstaBox die cut boxes and box inserts, superb quality and classiness are reemphasized.

These are a just a few product ideas, but the possibilities are endless. Use InstaBox for your die cut box and box insert needs. We will measure your product and create a precisely crafted box insert for you. Box inserts are easily obtainable here in Canada and Western Canada. If you need it fast, InstaBox will deliver.

The next time you need to protect and showcase your product with box inserts, think of InstaBox. We have helped businesses for over 30 years with outstanding, accurate and fast service. With two factories in Edmonton and Alberta Canada, Instabox is ready to help you incorporate your packaging and showcasing needs.

6/1/2012

Fibre Box / Fiber Box

A customized Fibre Box, or Fiber Box, is an essential part of any product. It allows your product to be showcased, branded, protected and ready to be displayed or shipped. Don’t leave your product naked and incomplete. With fibre boxes – fiber boxes or corrugated fiberboard boxes, creating the perfect personalized box for your product is easy and affordable.

Here are some things to consider when creating your corrugated fibre box from Instabox:

Corrugated Fiber Boxes

Items such as DVDs, video games, toys, books, magazines, etc. are small and can get lost in the crowd. Call attention to customers by propping your small items at our eye-level. For instance, you can showcase your products with an attention-grabbing corrugated fiberboard cardboard stand up display.

Flexibility of Fibre Boxes / Fiber Boxes

Diverse products require flexibility. Corrugated Fibre Boxes / Fiber Boxes are the ideal solution. At times a cardboard fibre bin box is needed to save shelf space. Software Packaging must be packaged professionally, being both attractive and sturdy for shipping. A trade show requires shipping boxes that can withstand rough handling. Promotional items require specialty packaging such as a set up box, telescoping box, or gift box.

Dimensions of Corrugated Fiberboard Boxes

When placing an order for corrugated fibreboard boxes, it is necessary to understand the proper way of establishing the measurement that you need.

A corrugated cardboard fiberboard box is always expressed in: length, then width, then height (also called depth). These measurements refer to the inside dimensions of the box. The length is the larger dimension of the box’s opening. The width is the smaller dimension. The height is perpendicular to the opening.

No matter your business or product, you need every advantage over your competition that you can possibly get. Customers are scarce for most products today which means you need to advertise yours as much as possible. Using corrugated carton can mean getting your product and your company name in front of more potential customers as your products are shipped. It also helps to imprint the name of your company and type of product you sell in the mind of your current customers. There are many reasons to consider using corrugated carton for your company and some reminders to consider when choosing these boxes. Anyone can pick out plain cardboard boxes and have their name stamped on the sides, but this may not do much to impress potential customers that see those boxes. To use corrugated carton to your advantage, you need to consider the type of printing they should have and how it should appear. To choose the best corrugated carton for your product and your company, consider a few simple tips and pointers. This will ensure you’re using them properly for your advantage.

Advertising your product.

Name recognition is key to sales, and you need to ensure that customers and potential customers recognize your product and your company quickly and easily. Your corrugated carton should do this with your logo or slogan and with pictures of your product if appropriate. Sometimes even certain colors can make customers thinks of certain products, and these colors should be the same as your logo colors or colors of wrappers you use for your product. Never choose corrugated carton that just have plain lettering on plain boxes as this doesn’t help to catch anyone’s eyes and doesn’t imprint your name or slogan in their minds.Remember that your end customers are not the only ones to see your corrugated carton during shipping. There are any other number of persons that will see those boxes, and this is doubly true if you use them as display boxes and not just for shipping. Being able to use your corrugated carton for shipping and for display may also encourage retailers to use your product more often since it means less work for them to stock their shelves.

Choosing a supplier.

You don’t want to choose your corrugated carton from just any supplier as you may not be able to save the most amount of money this way. Buying them from the same retailer from which you purchase your office supplies or other shipping supplies may mean overpaying. You may also be limited in what you can have printed. Instead, choose a company that specializes in corrugated carton for shipping and display. This will mean more choices when it comes to size and shape, and will also mean saving money since they typically offer a discount on corrugated carton more so than office supply stores or shipping supply retailers.