Frequently Asked Questions
From setup to tooling, the information below should assist in your decision making.
Production
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There are many factors involved in production times. Typically we like to say:
New Orders: 3-5 Weeks
Repeat Orders (little or no graphical changes): 2-4 Weeks.Rush jobs can be performed but may be at an increased cost.
Since everything we do is custom, each project has to be started from the ground up. This can take time between prototyping, sampling, and many other steps in creating packaging. Luckily, we take care of all the steps for you so it’s as easy as can be for you!
Generally most of our orders reside around 3-4 weeks depending on complexity. We allow the extra time in case there is a delay in your production due to art changes, production equipment repairs, or supplier variables.
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Typically we like to begin the process 6-8 weeks ahead of when you want your boxes in your hands. Despite our lead time not being that long, “production time” does not include all of the planning required.
Correspondence – Discussing with one of our production managers what type of packaging is best for you. This part can sometimes take longer than anything else! Reduce the time it takes to come up with a working solution by researching what custom box options work best for you (colors printed, dimensions, quantity, etc…) so we come up with a solution as quick as possible.
Testing – This is where the ideas come to life. This includes custom designing the packaging to meet your needs, and testing the prototype against a sample product to verify proper engineering of the box. Deposit is typically required at this point. We accept credit/debit, PayPal, and Check. We do not begin sending a sample or making any tooling until the deposit is received (50% Total Production Cost + Tooling Costs).
Pre-Production Time – This is all the prep work! This is the stage where dielines have been created (if not provided by you/client) and sent out to you/client to produce artwork. They have also been sent out to the die-maker who will make the tooling. Printing Press time has also been typically scheduled in this section.
Production Time – This is the actual lead time estimate that we provide. This is the time it takes once we hit “go” after proof is approved and your boxes start printing, to the time they are on a palette and ready for delivery.
Shipping – Due to our centralized location, we can ship your boxes to you in 2-3 business days after production is complete and payment is made.
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This is tricky.
To put it as simply as possible, it is incredibly hard to walk out the door spending less than $700 on a production run. Therefore, you should plan accordingly and keep in mind that the more elaborate your box style and printing methods, the higher the costs.
Tooling
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Tooling refers to the customized parts required to either cut, score, apply coatings, apply inks, etc… Tooling is considered a broad term to refer to the tools specifically engineered to produce your box. This is a part of the manufacturing process for custom packaging, and is rarely avoided.
![Die_zoomed3[1]](https://uppercutbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Die_zoomed31.png "Die_zoomed3[1]")
One main part of the tooling needs is the cutting die. The structure of the box and layout is used by the die maker to create a steel rule “die”. Die boards are cut by laser, insuring a high degree of accuracy. Steel rule knives are then bent and cut to the required shape and fit into the slots burned by the laser. Where the design calls for a crease, the steel rule has a rounded edge that creates a score around which the carton will fold. (see image)
Tooling fees are generally not added to the unit cost, and are instead labeled as a separate line item.
Some manufacturers build the cost of the tooling into the unit cost, which means every time you order you are paying for the tooling over and over. This is a scheme to allow companies to make more money off something they already have and keep the rights to its use. Providing tooling/die charges as a separate line-item promotes transparency and gives the tooling rights to the client rather than the packaging company. (Example: Us!)
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Packaging Style Cutting Dies Print Plates Foil Stamping Folding Carton $250-$1250 $0-100 $150-$800 Corrugated Shipper $200-$1600 $250-$1400 *Litho Label -
Tooling prices vary due to many reasons.
The larger or more elaborate the box, the more tooling time and materials are needed to produce the die.
The more colors you use and the larger the print surface, the more costly print plates can be.
It’s hard to give a general price for everything, that is why it is so broad. Someone may need a tiny 1.5″ cube box, wheras another person may need a large rectangular box, requiring more materials and time to generate the tooling required.
Printing
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Typically reserved for higher quantity orders or definite re-orders, this style of printing is a little different than your typical printer. Offset Printing uses etched metal plates (typically called a plate/blanket) that apply ink onto a sheet of paper.
The setup for offset printing is generally significantly more time consuming and expensive than digital printing, as there is labor and hard costs involved with this style of printing. The blanket has a hard cost (per color), and there is more setup time needed as well.
Once the setup and blankets are paid for, the cost to print each sheet is actually less than that of digital printing. This is why this style of printing is typically reserved for higher quantity orders, or definite re-orders with no change in artwork (colors can change, but a change in physical graphics means a new plate/blanket needs cut).
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Typically reserved for smaller quantity orders or full color printing. This style of printing is closer to your home printer than any other style of printing.
The ink is applied directly to the paper rather than a plate/blanket, which means you save in setup costs. This is especially desirable for shorter press runs, as well as fast-turnaround times. Due to the nature of digital printing using 4-color process inks, the colors can vary ever so slightly from the original artwork. Not a big deal if you’re running small runs or own a small business as almost no one would notice how slight it is, but if you’re a large corporation or business that wants to retain consistency across all media, then Offset Printing would be a more viable option utilizing PMS colors (discussed further down).
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CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (K). These are the primary colors for print. CMYK colors are great for printing full color or anything with a lot of imagery. There are thousands of different possible CMYK color combinations that makes printing images with CMYK colors a breeze. Each color produced is based on percentages of each color. Printing “digitally” typically refers to small size/quantity CMYK printing.Pros: Full Color, Millions of Color Options, Cost Effective
Cons: Inconsistent Large Area Color, Bright Colors Can Appear Dull/Dirty, Color Variance -
The Pantone® Matching System (PMS) is a worldwide standardized swatch book of pre-mixed and 100% accurate colors. By standardizing the colors, different manufacturers in different locations can all refer to the Pantone® system to make sure colors match. PMS colors are precise, sharp and consistent. They are often used in corporate identities, logo designs and stationary designs because they are always consistent. Despite there being less color options than CMYK, there is still usually a Pantone® color to match a CMYK color extremely close.
Pros: Consistent Color, Metallic Inks Available (cost-effective solution for substituting foil stamping), Sharp and Bright Colors, Excellent for 1-3 Color Jobs
Cons: Price vs CMYK on small runs, Less Color Options than CMYK -
The difference in color between screens and print can be misleading. This is because screens produce color based on light and the RGB system. Print relies on pigment and the CMYK system. While the print system allows for a huge color spectrum, it is often not as vibrant and exact as its on-screen counterpart due to RGB having a slightly larger spectrum.Most design software is capable of automating a CMYK variation as close as possible based on RGB values or #HEX Codes.
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Not typically. Since white is the default color of paper, it is simply recognized as the absence of any ink. However, when using colored paper, white ink may be used if any text or graphic requires it.
Artwork/File Prep
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“Press Quality” PDF (Portable Document Format) is the most common and preferred file format for submitting digital documents. This format does not compress and is also editable for printer-specific purposes.
If a PDF format is not available to you, Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files are also acceptable. If providing an .ai file, please embed images and outline fonts, or include images and font files with your artwork. -
300dpi is recommended.
Never use low-resolution images which includes (but not limited to) computer screenshots, smartphone pictures (most), low-res web images, etc…
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In Adobe Illustrator and similar programs, there are usually a few options to select from when picking a color mode for the document. CMYK should always be used for any design involving print.
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If you have artwork with color going all the way to the edge of the box, you’ll definitely need to make use of these! Bleeds are an extension of your artwork beyond the “dieline” that ensures your artwork will extend to the end, typically an extension of 1/8″ (.125″) although some printers may want a 1/4″ (.25″). This ensures that a thin white margin does not occur, due to the variance of printing and cutting machinery.
Example: Your box is going to have a solid purple stripe across the whole box. To make sure that purple stripe wraps around to both edges of the box (if viewed flat), you will need to extend the color beyond the “dieline” provided by Uppercut Box Company by 1/8″ (.125″). -
Blank
A folding carton unassembled that has been die-cut and creased but has yet to be folded and glued.Caliper
A measurement term used to describe the thickness of paperboard and expressed in units of thousandths of an inch. The caliper is written decimally but spoken as a measurement of “point.” For example .018 would be referred to as “18 point”.Carton
An abbreviated terminology for folding carton, folding boxes, folding paper boxes and folding paperboard boxes.Clay-coated Board
A type of high-quality boxboard finished with very fine clay resulting in an excellent printing surface for high quality graphics.Creasing
The bend of a folding carton that is created by using a steal rule that is accepted into a counter or similar female pattern on the metal surface of a platen.Die
A wood or metal form that is used for cutting or stamping out carton blanks.Dust Flaps
The unglued side flaps that extend and turn down into the carton upon closure to keep dust and other foreign particles out.Film
A flexible plastic material that is used to cover a window in a folding carton.Flap
The closing tuck of a folding carton or mailer.Folding Carton
A box made from paperboard materials that is cut, creased, and glued into a variety of styles and sizes.Glue
An adhesive applied to the glue flap during the finishing process of a folding carton.Gluing
The act of applying the glue during the finishing process of a folding carton.Glue Flap
The flap on the end of a folding carton that is applied with glue and adhered to the opposite end to form the carton.Grain
The direction of fibers in paperboard. Grain is important in design of a folding carton to give the carton strength.Ink
A fluid or similar substance consisting of pigments, dyes, and other materials that is pressed into the paperboard to achieve a desired image.Kraft
Paperboard made from recycled content that is unbleached and is light brown in color.Makeready
All preparation and machine set-up times needed before printing, cutting & creasing, windowing, and the gluing of a folding carton. Typically, makeready responsibilities include alignment and are necessary for producing high quality folding cartons.Micro-flute
A term describing corrugated material with small flute heights. The flute is the wavy portion of corrugated material between the two sheets. Micro-flute material can be used in making folding carton with slight modification to the machinery. Using micro-flute material provides a more durable folding carton.Paperboard
A sheet made from wood or recycle paper stock fibers made using a cylinder or fourdrinier machine that is thicker and more rigid than copy paper.Prepress
The combination of activities for preparing for the printing of a folding carton.Proof
A trial run made during the printing process to determine the need for any corrections.Recycled Material (fiber)
Reclaimed material from newspapers, boxboard cuttings, paper, and other recyclables which goes through re-pulping to become recycled paperboard.Score
A crease in a carton blank which can be folded without cracking or breaking the carton.Set-up Box
A paperboard box that is delivered with a three-dimensional shape and typically covered with printed paper. (i.e. jewelry boxes)Sift Proof
A carton that is designed and manufactured in such a way to keep contents from slipping out.Solid Bleached Sulfate
Often referred to as SBS. A stiff grade of boxboard that is made from virgin sulfate pulp.Stock
A term referring to the paperboard before being used in the production of a folding carton.Stock Box
A carton that is produced in larger quantities in advance than broken down into smaller quantities for sale to retailers.Stripping
The removal process of the excess board created by windows, hangers, or the nesting of cartons during the die-cutting process. This process can be performed by hand or by the machine.Styles
Folding cartons come in a variety of styles. Some of the most commons forms are; Reverse Tuck End, Straight Tuck End, Tuck Tab automatic Bottom, and many more.Tear Strip
A perforated band that is die-cut into a carton blank to aid in the opening of a package after it has been filled and sealed.Thumbhole
A semi-circular cut made in a folding carton to help aid in opening the package or allowing contents to be poured out.Wet Strength Board
A treated paperboard, typically kraft, that is moisture resistant and use in beverage carriers and applications involving food.Window
A die-cut opening that is typically covered by transparent film in a folding carton blank that allows the contents of the packaging to be seen.