How does tracking Packages Work 

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Most customers want to be able to see hat their orders are fulfilled. Here, we’ll talk about package and shipping tracking, and how it works based on the different elements and important information provided. Package tracking is a huge deal, with almost all customers expecting some sort of package monitoring. But luckily, this is available from almost all shipping options. Couriers do scan these, and then they update you on where they’re supposed to go. 

What happens with package Tracking? 

All mail services offer the ability to rack packages for free, so it allows for you and the people who bought from you to track where everything is, from the moment it’s dropped off all the way to the last delivery point where it gets to you. 

This is great for peace of mind when you’re shipping, but you’re probably not sure about how it works. 

Below, we’ll discuss the different stages of package tracking so that you can understand how this works. 

First, there is the tracking information that’s inputted. This is usually done via major carriers which will track the packages via a mobile number or email.  Usually, it involves just sending a text and from there, the number is then automatically updated. 

You can also check via the website of the mail service to see where it is. 

With the age of apps, there is now more chances to track than ever before and you can download the app on your smartphone to track it. 

Finally, there is Easyship, which is good for checking all packages. 

Now every time it’s scanned, it will be processed and then sorted. 

They scan the barcodes at every delivery point, also known as sorting hubs. This also gives you other points of the travel direction and allows for full customer visibility when engaging in package tracking. 

Then every time it’s sorted at different places, it means that it’s moving, from one destination to the next, until it’s fully delivered. Usually, these are all done via delivery trucks. 

And then finally there is the last-mile delivery, which means that it’s gone from the local post office and then is on the way to the final delivery point. 

Finally, it reaches the point of delivery. 

Once it’s there, it’ll show up on the website as well, and of course through every tracking means. 

How to Track This 

There are a few ways to track them, and luckily, the mail service makes this very easy. 

With USPS shipping, it really just needs the tracking number. You ten go to the website, and then via either the app, a text message, or the site itself can tell you the state of the package, and of course the website itself. 

For FedEx shipping, it’s pretty similar too. 

There are a few defend tracking numbers for packages, and usually, with FedEx, they can format the tracking that’s dependent on the following:

  • Package size 
  • Location of it
  • How the package is shipped 

Usually, there is a 10-digit number for FedEx tracking, and you can visit the package tracking to find out the state of this as well. 

And finally there is UPS, which involves 25 different numbers. You will need to go to the tracking page on their site or use the app to check the status. 

With all of these, you can also check them through one specific dashboard such as Easyship, and from there see the state of your packages. 

Package tracking is simple but effective, and in this, we showed as well what types of options there are for it. 

Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene Overwrap film: the Applications

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For those looking for a flexible package, you may wonder if there is a cellophane alternative. Or maybe you’re looking for a film that offers better barriers and strength in order to resist both water vapor and oxygen. Well, BOPP, or biaxially oriented polypropylene overwrap is an option, but you may wonder how BOPP compares to other flexible packaging. Well, you’re in luck, because we’ll go over the uses, applications, and other important information that this flexible packaging has to offer. 

What is It? 

BOPP is a flexible packaging that’s stretched in a machine and does transverse different directions, which means there is a molecular orientation on both sides of this. It’s made via a tubular production series of steps where tube-shaped bubble is then heated up, inflated, and then brought to a softening point, stretching the film up to 400%. This is also done with tenter-frame film manufacturing, which involves extending the polymers to a cast roll that’s cooled, otherwise known as base sheets and then the machine is drawn to different directions. They use multiple rolls to make this film. 

This does offer adjustable ratios, and typically, the tenter frame option I much more common than the tubular option. BOPP film offers better strength, transparency, and even stiffness, along with a much higher resistance t grease and oil. It also does repel the vapors and oxygen and offers impact resistance along with flex crack resistance that’s better than normal polypropylene shrink wrap. 

The applications 

Usually, this is used for food packaging along with tobacco packaging, offering better properties at a much lower cost. They use this as an alternative to shrink films since the offer better and more enhanced options that are better compared to other flexible packaging alternatives. It also should be noted though that while this is good for many things, it actually is not easy to heat seal. You can fix this though by coating the film after you do process the heat-sealable material or also co-extrude with a co-polymer before you process, resulting in what’s called a multi-layer film for this type of packaging. 

Who Should use It? 

Businesses that benefit from this are those that engage in food manufacturing along with distribution. Supermarkets, tobacco companies, and consumer manufacturing also my benefit from this type of packaging. You also may use this if you’re trying to phase out of cellophane wrap and want something that’s not only a bit more flexible, but also is a little bit more versatile, and is an alternative to plastic. 

Is it right for Me? 

  • If you’re not sure, then check out these answers below. 
  • If you want something that’s better with water vapor and oxygen than normal plastic wrap or shrink film is, then there you go, BOPP is a great option. 
  • If you want a plastic alternative, then yes, BOPP is another good option for you. 
  • If you need something that is stronger the polypropylene shrink film, then yes, it is a good fit for your needs. 
  • If you’re looking for a recyclable option, then yes, BOPP is good. That’s because they offer a good alternative for most flexible packaging. 
  • If you would like to phase out cellphone, then yes, BOPP is a great option. It also offers a higher strength than other shrink film alternatives. 
  • But BOPP is not good if you’re looking to get biodegradable plastic packaging, since it is not a good option for that. 
  • Another thin about this is that it’s not a less expensive alternative, since it is pretty expensive, just remember when buying this cellphone alternative. 

How much Does Custom Packaging Cost? 

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Custom packaging is oftentimes something that brands can definitely do to help with their reputation, and it can do your brand a lot of good with this. Custom packaging is something that can help you reach your target market, and it can really reach the people that you want to meet. But what about the costs? It can be considered mysterious, especially if you’re not familiar with the field as well. The costs are actually in your hands though, and custom packaging can fit your budget regardless of what type of product it could be. 

First, you need to determine the product you’re selling. 

Some include: 

  • Luxury products 
  • Food 
  • Electronics 
  • Cosmetics 
  • Anything! 

Figuring out the industry will allow you to figure out the true costs of what you have. 

But what about the costs? Let’s talk about that here, and what you may have to factor in. 

The Materials costs 

First, you need to look at the materials and finish, and you should figure out the printing and design costs. 

There’s a lot of materials to choose, and most of the expenses will cover the packaging, along with the inner parts and the shipping that’s necessary for this. 

Depending on how you want to launch the product, you may want to look at the most effective kinds of packaging since they are most effective. You want the most optimized custom packaging, not necessarily the highest quality packaging. 

You should choose the one that optimizes the costs and gives you the minimum of what you need to do. 

There are many materials that are more cost-effective. Paperboard and cardboard are usually cheaper to ship. You also should figure out what type of box you need. A smaller box will give you a cheaper cost, but a larger one may be good for bigger orders as well. In general, you’ll be paying a lot less for a larger order, and if you get a more cost-effective smaller order, you’ll be able to get a lot more. Corrugated usually comes with a loss varnish and it gives a smaller unit cost. Lamination is the best for protection, but its ca be pricey.

Wax coatings are also cheaper, but you may not need it for food packaging, or for medical items.  You should consider this if you’re going to be shipping food with organic materials in it. There is also a folding carton, which is another cheaper option. If you want to pay lower costs, these are light, allowing for orders that are bigger with fewer costs Kraft paperboard is a little bit pricier, and it can affect the overall packaging. If you want a more textured feel, then you should consider Kraft paperboard. Finally, these are the more premium options, which are rigid board. They are a rigid box that’s the best option for what you need. 

This should only be considered when you’re going to be shipping luxury products and want to have a bit of a heavier texture to the packaging. 

So as you can see, you’ve got options. You should definitely look at all of them, but you should also factor in designing and artwork. 

You also may want to focus as well on testing and structural design as well. 

Being able to properly judge all of this can really help you improve the logistics and structure, and you’ll e able to, with this, definitely get the best packaging possible. 

So what are the exact costs? It really all depends on what you’re getting, how much protection you need, and what you do require. 

The Best Packaging Machinery Alternatives 

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Sometimes the universe just has it for you, where you’re about to launch a product, but you don’t have the funds to fund the packaging machinery needed to get the job done. Or maybe it’s old, and you can’t afford to replace it. You’re trying to figure out how to afford the product launch and new packaging. You might feel the urge to drop this completely but fear no. Here are some solutions for packaging machinery for those who don’t have the funds to invest in it at the moment. 

Option 1: Leasing 

For some people, they may just not have the funds to afford this. 

If you can’t, you can always lease it. This is basically renting where you pay smaller payments over a few years, and at the end, you can either trade it, or finance the remainder through different payments until you’re the owner of this. 

For some people, this is a bit of a scary step, because they don’t know if they can handle payments, but look to see if there is an affordable alternative to payments that you can have too. 

Buy Used or Refurbish

Then there is the option of buying it refurbished. This is good for companies that don’t want to invest heavily in a new machine but want something that does the job. 

Refurbish is a term where there is a bit of renovation required for it, and perhaps a tune-up or some new parts, and it runs like new, but at a fraction of what the new machinery might cost. 

Refurbish will give you the same options that a new one days, but you’re paying a fraction of it. 

Tune up your own 

Sometimes, you may want to keep the same packaging machinery, but you don’t really have the funds to invest in a new one.

Maybe take that money and tune-up or refurbish your own. 

A technician will have to come out, but the process is simple. It replaces the old with the new. 

This is a good one if you really are pressed for cash and you need something right away, but you don’t have the funds to buy something brand-new, so you go with the next best option, which is tuning up your old machinery. 

This is also good if the machinery does work well, you just don’t want to work with an older piece of machinery and want to renovate it. 

Outsource It 

Finally, if you’re really pressed, you could always outsource it. 

This is known as contract packaging, where it outsources all parts of a product line, including primary and secondary packaging, any logistics that are third-party, the PoP displays, and of course any reworking that’s needed. 

You’re essentially paying a company to deal with this so that you don’t have to. 

This is an option because it doesn’t require you to invest in the machinery, or to buy brand-new if you don’t have the funds to do this. 

Depending on how many packages that you’re sending out, this may be one of the less costly options. 

Contract packaging is a great option if you’re looking to just get a launch out, and you don’t want to deal with hunting down some machinery. 

It’s a fixed rate, and it might be cheaper as well than trying to just buy used. Plus, you don’t have to worry as much about it, it’s just all up there and then you go from there. 

With packaging machinery, there’s a lot of different options, and a whole lot that can come with this as well. 

How coatings Create a More sustainable packaging 

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Packaging does go through a lot of changes, especially with sustainability. 

With more packaging options that are arising from this, since people want to reduce the carbon footprint and are more recyclable for others. 

While there may be eco-friendly packaging materials, the coatings put over this can make a difference. 

Epoxies and polyurethanes are better for functionality and appearance, and the coatings are much better and give you a better way to reduce the packaging so that it can be recycled. 

Sustainable packaging is definitely influenced by coatings, and of course, the types of coatings impact how recyclable the item is. 

What Do coatings D? 

Coatings are applied to different flexible substrates, but the type of materials do vary.

It could be film, paper, or even aluminum foil. 

The substrate does depend on the type of packaging that you have and what it’ll be used for. 

Coatings make it look aesthetic and they’re functional too. 

They make the packaging look nice and get the brand message out, and also do offer better durability.

The most common coatings include: 

  • Varnishes, to make the surfaces transparent and glossy
  • Cold seals when you can’t use heat sealing
  • PVC which offers better protection and gloss

Coatings do offer an application with the printing press using machines that’ll laminate them. 

Others may use wax coating for food packaging and offer better recyclability. 

These different types of customizations are dependent on the product needs, so you want the right coating for your packaging, and that’s sustainable too. 

Why Sustainable coatings 

Recycling packaging is a hard one to make. 

There are many different packaging layers, and the inks and coatings do make recycling hard. 

You want to make sure that the product is able to be recycled, and that it doesn’t contain bans such as single-use plastic on this. 

Using more recycled content does improve flexible packaging, and it gets rid of the use of plastics, allowing for alternatives that do circulate the plastic and improve recycling. 

With the plastic focus, the coatings definitely don’t fit in. 

Businesses do want to give more sustainable products, and a lot of the industry is being green washed. 

While businesses do play a big part in the product sustainability, and you want to make sure that the product doesn’t counteract the product recyclability. 

If the coating is not communicated, they’ll assume it’s totally recyclable and it’s considered a sustainable product.

But that isn’t true. 

While coatings do help because they offer better functionality, it still does ask for how eco-friendly the packaging is. 

So what are the most sustainable types of coatings on this? 

Well, the alternatives are: 

  • Primers 
  • Varnishes 
  • Heat seals 
  • Barrier coatings 

Water-based coatings are stronger, can withstand a lot of wear and tear, and is a protective element, just like other coatings that aren’t sustainable would be. 

With the other technology coming up, it offers more innovation, and sustainable coatings do offer more sustainable packages. 

The options 

So what other options are? 

Polyvinyl alcohol or POH, and vinyl alcohol or EVOH are good alternatives that are used in food and drink packaging and are different alternatives. 

You can use aqueous coatings to offer a solid film after it dies. This is non-porous, good for food uses, but the downside is they don’t offer good resistance to water. 

Biopolymers are another option, and they’re made from plants, and they offer a plastic barrier that allows you to apply this without many modifications, but the biggest downside is that it doesn’t withstand heat, but it works as a coating for you too. 

How to measure box Dimensions 

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Measuring boxes may seem simple, but in the realm of custom packaging, it’s crucial for the safety and quality of your product. 

The dimensions of a box are critical for all packages since they oftentimes do have an impact on the materials and costs, along with shipping and costs for storage at warehouses. 

But if you do know the dimensions of a box, you’re able to give a little bit of room, reducing the overall costs, and by accurately measuring this, you’ll definitely be able to provide full and accurate boxes. 

But how do you do it? Let’s go over this now, including just what types of measurements are needed when choosing packaging boxes. 

The Three Measurements 

First, we have three measurements to take, since this does play a part in how to accurately measure a box. 

So what are the dimensions? 

They are length, depth, and width. 

Length of course is the longest side of the box. 

Width is the shorter part of this when you look at the top, oftentimes directly to the right and to the left. 

The depth is the height, which is the side that’s perpendicular to the length along with the width, and really is where most of the contents get filled. 

Usually, depth is the largest when you have a box that’s taller and more upwards, such as maybe a box that has a bigger product. 

But for items such as clothing racks, the depth is usually the smallest, while the length is very long, and the width is quite smaller too. 

Square boxes are a little bit different. 

They have equal sides, but for packaging, that’s not necessarily true, and it’s partially why you must measure every dimension for your product. 

For a lot of longer boxes, the width and the depth are a lot smaller than the length. 

The kind of box that you use is dependent on the size and the shape of it too. 

But you must repot all of these measurements when producing custom boxes, regardless of the boxes that you have and all of them of course will be in length, width, and the depth too. 

Internal Dimensions 

The big thing to understand though is that the box dimensions that you see are not based on outside measurements. 

But instead, internal ones. The external ones are good for packaging, but for the product, you want the internal dimensions to fit that better. 

Remember, this is where you’ll cushion most of the product, so if the internal dimension is too small, it’ll crush it. Too big, and it’ll get jostled about during transit. 

Calculating volume 

Then when you’ve done that, you need to calculate the volume of this. 

This doe smoke distribution a lot better, and it’ll tell others how exactly the box will fit within the packaging. 

This is integral for structural engineering and optimization of the packaging too. 

So make sure you do not skip over this step. 

Now that you know the dimensions of the box, both external and internal, you need to understand the volume of the box. 

This is simple multiplication, which involves length, width, and depth, all of those multiplied together. 

If you need it, get a calculator to properly do the measurements of this. 

And there you have it, all that you need to know in order to measure a box, and of course how you can apply the dimensions to all sorts of packaging. 

This does work for everything, and that’s why when you’re looking to get boxes, you definitely measure the costs of these as well. 

How to Reduce Packaging costs 

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When you’re packaging different products, you want to make sure that you factor in packaging costs too. Packaging costs of course are another thing you need to implement, because you want to figure out ways to reduce this so that it fits into your budget without compromising the quality of the packaging. So what are the best ways to do this? Well, read on to find out some of the best surefire ways to reduce packaging costs so that your product looks good, and that it won’t harm others. It is a balance between getting the right materials, having the good look, and also reducing product overhead. 

The materials 

First thing’s first, is make sur that you have the right materials for your boxes. 

You want something that optimizes the identity of the brand and boosts the product presentation. 

Getting the highest quality may be a good option, since it does protect the product and gets it safely to a customer. 

But the thing is, if you’re just going for quality materials, this can be costly, and in many cases, is much more than it should be. 

By keeping your packaging costs on the lower end, you’ll be able to make sure you get the most out of your packaging. 

You want to minimize the dimensions so that it isn’t too big for the package itself. 

By minimizing the dimensions, you’ll be able to get the right size, and of course, be able to as well create a safer experience for your products as well. 

Try to Use corrugated Fiber 

Corrugated fiber is a better option when choosing to sell products. 

It is made of fluted sheets that are sandwiched together to offer better durability, and the material will give a more stable cushioning for all products and will give better support and protection when handling and shipping. 

Depending upon how heavy or fragile the items will be, corrugated material is customized with regards to thickness and size of the products, making sur that they’re accommodated. 

It’s also really cheap ad good for the environment too. 

You can get slotted boxes, tuck top boxes, roll end tuck boxes, and by sticking with this, it doesn’t mean the packaging isn’t unique, but you can instead gnetifer sizes and artwork that allows for it to set itself apart from the other as well. 

Consider the inserts 

If you’re already using packaging boxes, you might want to opt for cheaper personal touches within the packaging as well. 

For starters, you should look at the different inserts that you can use to give it a smaller touch t your different items. 

For starters, tissue paper is a good one. Paper inserts are also good too, and are a better alternative to bubble wrap, since you can get this for a better price. They’re great for boxes that contain more products than just one, and you can add padding between this or even display them to improve the unboxing experience that you have. 

Other options include inserts. Foam inserts are pretty good, and they offer extra cushion for many products. 

Paperboards are really good because they offer support and protection and are great for displaying cosmetics, candles, and other items as well. 

Plastic trays of course, are effective in keeping the products all put together within a vessel, and are great for baked goods and the like, especially cookies and such.

But consider using these instead of course, of bubble wrap and other items which get costly, or harm the environment. 

Sometimes, the little changes go a long way with improving the sustainability and the costs of your packaging.