Online sellers can put their brand at the forefront of customers’ minds in a number of ways, including social media, blogging, email and SMS marketing, loyalty programs, and more.
However, a common oversight is ignoring the importance of branded custom packaging. This is the customer's chance to see your brand's aesthetic firsthand - often the first time if you don't have a physical retail store.
However, finding a company that makes the packaging for you can be difficult. Why? Because there are so many to choose from, and prices vary, some of them can be confusing.
Which begs the question: how do you best find a packaging partner that won't let you down and whose work is of such high quality that your brand won't suffer?
Answer: Take a deep dive into online reviews.
In this case, we're looking at a popular custom packaging provider: Balers , which offers you the following:
What is Packlane
The styles of boxes they offer and the prices
Features of Packlane
What is Packlane Plus
Pros and cons of Packlane
Packlane Shipping
Payment Methods and Security with Packlane
Packlane Customer Support
Frequently Asked Questions
our verdict
That's a lot of information, so let's get started!
What is Packlane.com?
packlane review - homepage
Headquartered in San Francisco, Packlane was founded in 2015. It is aimed at e-commerce business owners and startups who want to brand their packaging and enhance the unboxing experience.
Simply put, Packline is an online service for businesses looking to design custom product packaging.
Customers can choose sizes, dimensions, materials and designs, and you can order as little as one unit with a few clicks using their 3D design tools.
As of this writing, Packlane is used by thousands of companies, including L'Oreal, Google, The New York Times, Benefit, Shopify, and small businesses of all types, including influencer marketing agencies.
Packlane's website tells us that they offer "full customization, instant quotes, and fast turnarounds" and that it's "the only company that offers custom design labs, live previews, and instant quotes, and we don't just give you the freedom to let your creativity run its course. and develop your own design, but we also help you do it efficiently.
Customers can choose from four types of custom boxes:
mailbox
product box
shipping box
econoflex transport case
...we'll cover these in more detail below.
Once you've selected the type of packaging you want, you can design using their online design tool (no experience required), see a 3D preview before printing, and make last-minute adjustments during proofing.
Pros and cons of Packlane
While the advantages of using Packlane are obvious to us, it's still worth taking a critical look at the platform's strengths and weaknesses:
Advantages of Packlane:
You have access to easy-to-use 3D design tools
Available in a variety of packaging types and materials
Packlane Plus is a convenient choice for growing businesses and big brands
Being able to buy a lower minimum is helpful for small businesses
You can print on both sides of the package
Packlane ships in the US and internationally
Offers packaging made from recycled and recyclable materials
There is a wallet-friendly option with suitable size variants
its website can be accessed for navigation
There are rewards and referral programs
Customer support is readily available and is often considered very helpful
Disadvantages of Packlane:
Prices can go up, especially if you're a small business with few orders and a small budget
Some reviews complain of poor print quality
Some reviews complain of poor customer service
Some reviews complain of inconsistent product quality
Now that you have an overview, let's take email list a closer look at the types of custom packaging you can choose from:
Packlane Packaging Types and Costs
As we already mentioned, there are four box types. Price depends on package size, quantity and material type. Now it's worth noting that the prices we quote below are for the regular box. The price goes up if you add color, custom artwork, different finishes, or in-house printing. So the more you customize, the more you pay.
However, you are not charged for the number of colors used. Instead, the price is determined by the amount of ink coverage, so if you opt for a solid color block, you'll spend more.
While we won't dive into pricing, we'll give you an idea of the base cost. Helpfully, Packlane provides an online calculator so calculating your expenses is very easy. Also, you can use the same calculator when customizing your design. So rest assured, you will never doubt the cost of the finished package.
On a slightly different topic, when it comes to package dimensions, these refer to internal dimensions in inches. There's also a calculator if you're not sure which size package you need (you can find it here ).
mailbox
This is a customizable and sturdy letterbox in sizes from 4”x4”x2” to 14”x10”x4.” You can order as few as 2,000 single pieces.
To give you an idea of the price, a 4"x4"x2" unit costs $68.65. Obviously, that's a lot of money - however, the more packs you order, the lower the cost. So for 500 pieces of the same size units, you'll only be looking at $0.93 per piece, or $0.76 per piece for 2,000 pieces.
These prices reflect letterboxes made from classic matte white cardboard printed with a satin finish. If you want a good quality bright white box, the 0.91 unit will be more expensive at $2,000 per unit. By comparison, a natural matte brown cardboard box costs $0.75 per piece.
Mailboxes can be shipped without purchasing or designing additional packaging, suitable as gift or subscription boxes, and can be sent as they are
product box
The product box is made of SBS cardboard and can be used to package products on your store shelves or sold online. It is ideal for use in beauty products, health supplements and chocolate.
Still, it's not sturdy enough without spending money on extra packaging.
Minimum unit order is 25 and sizes range from 2.25”x 2.25”x 6” to 4”x4”x4”. To give you an idea of the price, a box of 25 2.25” x 2.25” x 6” products is priced at $6.57 each.
The only material type available here is SBS uncoated whiteboard.
shipping box
These are corrugated, sturdy cardboard shipping boxes for businesses looking to ship bulk or fragile and heavy products.
Here, the minimum order quantity for a box is one, with sizes ranging from 6”x6”x6” to 12”x12”x12”, with a 6”x6”x6” unit priced at $69.22, or 1.25 pieces down to $2,000 per item.
You can choose from a classic matte white cardboard shipping box or a natural matte kraft carton. Both are printed with a satin finish.
Econoflex transport case
These boxes are also Packlane's most affordable and environmentally friendly packaging.
Made from 100% recyclable and recyclable materials, these shipping boxes range in size from 6”x6”x6” to 12”x12”x12”, with a 6”x6”x6” unit priced at $0.43.
These boxes are suitable for transporting items of different sizes and are wallet-friendly alternatives to some of the more expensive options above.
Sample Kits
If you want a try-before-you-buy option, you can order a sample kit. Each kit contains pre-designed swatches of the corrugated board material Packlane uses in its standard and high definition glossy print finishes. You'll also receive samples in colors that can be printed onto your designs, as well as a sender, a postman, and a product box.
Features of Packlane
The main feature of Packlane is its online design tool. From here, Packlane customers can customize the packaging of their choice using its simple interface.