Packaging must do more than hold your product in today’s food industry. It must tell your story, protect your brand, and add value for your customers. Knowing when to use custom plastic packaging can give you a significant edge in the market, whether you’re a startup food company or a takeout restaurant. From a unique design to branded packages, custom designs can make your product stand out. But is custom food packaging worth it?
This process may feel stressful. How do you even start? Who do you call? How much is it going to cost? We understand these frustrations and are here to help. At Inline Plastics, we’ve created many customized plastic packaging for our customers, and we know when going custom makes sense — and when it doesn’t.
Today, we’ll walk you through the world of custom packaging. By the end, you’ll have a better idea about how this process works and if it’s worth investing into for your business.
When to Consider Custom Packaging
Imagine this: You sell salads. In order for your customers to get an optimal experience, they need everything as fresh and crisp as the moment you packaged it. But you’re having a freshness crisis: the cheese is getting slimy on the wet lettuce, and the croutons are getting soggy. Your packaging is a single compartment. The components sit together like strangers in a crowded elevator. You realize that you need to separate the ingredients for optimum freshness. But when looking at your manufacturers’ catalogue, the standard packaging options don’t offer the specialized features your product needs to maintain its quality.
This is just one example of when a customized design would be useful. You can demonstrate to your customers that you care about the freshness of your product while differentiating yourself from your competitors. You can choose the size and shape and influence the design of a package. Showcasing the quality of your food through a professional presentation can lead to higher sales and happier customers.
Are There Qualifications to Go Custom?
If only ordering custom packaging was as simple as calling a manufacturer and saying, “Make me something special!” The reality is a bit more complex, especially regarding minimum orders.
Manufacturers typically require you to commit to a certain volume, and there’s a good reason. Creating your perfect package isn’t just about making a one-off design; it involves custom tooling, research, and development. All that specialized work requires investment, and manufacturers need to ensure they can cover those costs. Be prepared to commit to a volume so the manufacturer can justify creating the product.
Getting the Custom Packaging You Need
If you are ready to commit to a customized package, specifying exactly what you want is crucial. The more specific, the better. It is important to know how the container is expected to function from packaging to consumer. When you speak with the manufacturer, you should address the following areas:
- Application: What kind of foods are going into the packaging? Does the food have liquid components? Will it contain foods that emit gases, such as various kinds of produce like broccoli and cauliflower (and you thought only onions were the ones causing all the trouble and making the packages bloat like Santa Claus)?
- Environment: Will the food going into the package be served hot? Will they need to go into a refrigerated area? Are the contents packaged locally or pre-packaged and transported?
- Dimensions and weight: What is the exact size of the food you’ll put into the container? Will the product be hefty? Green salad and potato salad may have the same last name, but their weights tell a different story.
- Shipping: Does your product need to be shipped? If so, where? How will it be packed for shipping?
- On The Shelf: How long do you anticipate the product lasting on shelves? How many packages will be stacked on the shelves?
The most common problem for manufacturers when creating custom packaging for their customers is misunderstanding the product’s requirements. Make sure you communicate to them exactly what you need the package to do. Also, provide a sample of your food so the manufacturer can design the container around it.
Once you have settled on precisely what you’re looking for, the manufacturer will begin the research, development, and product sampling process. During this time, they should contact you at every stage to ensure that you’re aligned with the desired results.
The Customization Process
Most manufacturers use a staged process to ensure accurate product development. The most common are multi-stages of development with “stage gates” (or approvals) between them. Depending on the complexity, custom packaging can take longer to complete from start to finish. The best manufacturers take time to design and test the package for optimal quality and performance.
The timeline for this detailed process can vary depending on the simplicity or complexity of the custom package. For example, changing the height of an existing off-the-shelf package would launch quicker to market versus changing the length and width.
Nevertheless, crafting the perfect package takes time.
It All Starts with an Idea, a Drawing, and a Prototype
At the onset, everyone aligns on the product design and desired outcome. The manufacturer creates detailed drawings, letting the customer see that the sample is formed in the correct shape and design. They then create and build small-scale test versions, known as “prototypes,” that are made for form and fit, ensuring the intended food can rest comfortably in the package.
The manufacturer will make some initial calculations based on these product specifications and create an estimate of pricing per piece based on some assumptions. For example, tooling costs and “gauge” (or thickness) of material required. This is also when they nail down crucial features like ensuring your salad container has the right design to keep ingredients fresh and separate. After the customer gives the green light, things get interesting.
Next, the customer should test their products in the store with consumers. Once the customer rigorously tests these samples and approves the results, they move to the manufacturing stage.
Now, It’s Time to Get Real
With all these design details sorted out, the team is ready for full-scale production. They take what they learned from the test version and scale it up to manufacturing development to make it real. This is where a key portion of the manufacturer’s investment costs occur. Once they order the tooling, they can give you a more accurate price per unit.
When the manufacturer has received the larger tooling needed to make the custom packages, they must fine-tune the tools for the most precise and efficient output. Once they have crafted and tested the tools to perfection, they are ready to move into the final stage.
This Little Package Goes to Market
In this final stage, the plastic sheet is loaded into the “thermoforming” (or forming by heat) machine, and the customized packages are produced. At this stage, the company creates the inventory. Before the launch, you will create an estimated forecast for the next couple of months for your packaging needs. This way, the manufacturer can prepare material and boxes and schedule performance runs.
High-fives all around!
Make Sure Your Custom Packages Are Made Safely
Your choice of packaging manufacturer matters more than you think. Their products will hold food that people will eat. Food safety isn’t just a nice bonus; it’s absolutely vital.
Any manufacturer you work with must follow every FDA food safety law and regulation down to the letter. Before committing to working with a manufacturer for your custom package, ask them about their safety practices.
Find out exactly what steps they take throughout their production process to ensure their packaging meets all safety requirements. Having these conversations early on can save you from potential problems. Also, remember that if your manufacturer is in another country, their standards for food safety may be different.
Is Custom Packaging Right for You?
When standard packaging isn’t meeting your product’s needs, custom solutions could be your answer. While they require more time, money, and commitment up front, the right custom packaging can make your product stand out while keeping it fresh and safe. With careful planning and the right manufacturing partner, you’ll create packaging that protects your food and helps tell your brand’s story.
Finding the right fit for you is our priority, whether that’s Inline Plastics solutions or another option entirely. Questions? We are always here to help.
