Custom food packaging plays a crucial role in a brand’s success. It’s not just about protecting your products but also about reflecting your business identity, capturing consumer attention, and fostering loyalty. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step to choose the perfect custom food packaging, considering your specific needs, available options, and best practices.
Step 1: Understand Your Specific Needs
Identify the Nature of Your Products
Before choosing packaging, it’s essential to understand your products’ characteristics. Are they solid, liquid, dry, or fragile? For example, a dry product has different requirements compared to a liquid, which may need leakproof packaging.
Consider Shelf Life
Certain food products need to stay fresh for longer. In such cases, choose packaging with barriers against oxygen, moisture, or light to ensure optimal quality.
Volume and Production Frequency
If you produce in large quantities, you’ll need packaging suitable for automated production, such as film rolls. For smaller batches or artisanal products, pre-printed pouches may be ideal.
Step 2: Explore Available Custom Packaging Types
Stand-Up Pouches: Versatility
Stand-up pouches are a popular choice for their flexibility and practicality. With a wide base to stand upright, they are perfect for snacks, coffee, or liquids. Features like resealable zippers or degassing valves make them highly functional.
Flat Pouches: Simplicity and Economy
Ideal for single servings or single-use products, flat pouches are cost-effective and efficient. Their compact design makes them easy to store and distribute while providing a customizable surface for your brand.
Film Rolls: A Solution for Large-Scale Production
Film rolls are designed for businesses with automated packaging machines. They offer large-scale customisation with flexible designs while reducing per-unit costs.
Step 3: Choose Design and Customisation Options
Graphic Personalisation
An eye-catching design is essential. Use colours, typography, and graphic elements that reflect your brand identity. Adding a transparent window allows customers to see the product. Many companies now use AI tools to create packaging designs. Learn more about the 5 most popular AI tools for packaging design.
Durable and Suitable Materials
Material selection is key. Opt for recyclable options to meet growing sustainability demands. Ensure the material guarantees food safety. Learn more about sustainable packaging solutions with ePac.
Practical Packaging Features
Options such as resealable zippers, tear notches, or hanging holes can enhance the customer experience and set your product apart.
Step 4: Partner with the Right Supplier
Choose a supplier who can meet your quality, customisation, and delivery needs. Ensure they have expertise in custom food packaging and adhere to food safety standards.
Questions to Ask a Packaging Supplier:
- What are the production and delivery times?
- Do you offer eco-friendly options?
- Do you provide graphic design or technical support?
Check out our guide: 10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Packaging Supplier.
Step 5: Test Before Launch
Before finalising your packaging order, conduct thorough tests to verify durability, leakproofing, and practicality. This ensures a flawless customer experience and prevents post-launch issues.
ePac offers free packaging samples to assist in this critical phase. You can test seal integrity, check grammages, and ensure the packaging meets your expectations.
For those using packing machines, ePac also provides test rolls. These rolls help evaluate packaging compatibility and performance with your equipment before investing in large-scale production, reducing risks, optimising costs, and providing peace of mind.
Want to test your packaging before launching?
Contact us to receive your free samples and ensure you make the right choice!
