Packaging FAQs

Thermoforming involves heating plastic and using vacuum and air pressure to form the heated sheet onto the surface of a mold. The part is then cooled so it holds a custom shape for product retention and display. Thermoformed packaging often takes the form of hinged clamshells or blisters/trays.

Vacuum forming is a simplified form of thermoforming using only heat, vacuum, and atmospheric pressure to form a thermoplastic part. All About Packaging uses compressed air in addition to heat and vacuum to form parts (thermoforming). Forming at higher pressures allows thermoformers to achieve a greater degree of detail than vacuum formers.

A thermoformed clamshell is a shell of rigid plastic that hinges in the middle to retain a product and graphic insert(s). Clamshells typically start out as a sheet of transparent thermoplastic that is heated and formed into a detailed shape to allow for the desired level of product containment. Tri-fold clamshells have three shell segments connected by two hinges

A thermoformed blister is a shell of rigid plastic utilized to retain the product. Thermoformed blisters can be the inside or the outside of a package. Blisters are made from a sheet of transparent or colored plastic that is thermoformed into a specific shape and can have custom finishes for sheen and texture if desired.

We have low minimum-run order quantities so we can service all your custom packaging needs. From 500 to 500,000 pieces, All About Packaging is your trusted supplier for custom packaging.

Lead times vary depending on the complexity of your packaging project. Standard lead times for printed items are 2-3 weeks; for thermoformed items 3-5 weeks. We work with our customers to deliver high-quality packaging within reasonable time frames and strive to deliver each package with an exceptional level of service that you will come to expect from All About Packaging.

We stock PET (recycled and virgin) and PVC (recycled, virgin, and impact-modified) thermoplastics in a variety of gauges. We can thermoform nearly all, widely available thermoplastics. Contact us with your thermoforming needs and we will find a solution.

We incorporate both recycled (post-consumer and post-industrial grade) and virgin materials in our packaging. See our sustainable packaging page to see the other ways we are going green in the packaging industry.

We partner with trusted outside suppliers to provide you with printed plastic solutions. All About Packaging can help coordinate with those suppliers on joint projects so you only have to deal with one point of contact.

We work with nearly any industry that requires custom printed paperboard or thermoformed packaging. We are a one-stop solution for your complete packaging needs.

Choosing the right packaging for your product can be a daunting task. Let one of our expert packaging sales engineers walk you through the process of choosing the right fit for your product. Our packaging experts will make recommendations based on your needs for product visibility, retention, graphics and budgetary constraints to achieve a solution that is best for your company.

There are many factors that determine product sales. Perhaps one of the most profound is the visual impact of your product packaging amid a sea of competitors. You only get one opportunity to draw your customer’s eyes to your product and only a few seconds to do it in—having a well-designed package with visual impact will set you apart from the competition. When seconds count, make your impact by collaborating with All About Packaging to design and produce your packaging.

The cost of packaging is based on a number of factors including:

• Package complexity
• Materials used
• Order quantity

We generally see a range of packaging prices between 2% and 10% of a products’ retail price with higher price-point items toward the lower end of the range.

Tooling is the required manufacturing components that alter raw materials into finished products in a repeatable way, such as printing plates that print the same images onto a multitude of cards, molds that form a multitude of clamshells in the same shape, and trim dies that make cuts in the same place on a multitude of parts. In most cases, tooling specialized to a specific product or product line is necessary, though we are always on the lookout for ways to consolidate tooling between similar products to reduce cost.

Tooling costs vary with the type of packaging being produced. Typically, printed item tooling can range from a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars depending on the size, number up (number of packages made with a single impression) and complexity of the printed package. Thermoformed tooling is typically several thousand dollars; the average ranging from $3,000 – $6,000.

The main difference between a folding carton and corrugated box is the material. Folding cartons are made from solid, folding grade paperboard that’s 10pt to 24pt thick. Solid paperboard can be coated or uncoated, bleached or unbleached, virgin or recycled. Folding cartons can be direct printed with a wide variety of specialty coatings.

Corrugated boxes are made from corrugated fiberboard, which is not solid like paperboard, but is a lamination of heavy paper on both sides of fluted board and often offers more structural support for heavy or large products. Corrugated boxes can be direct printed, on uncoated paper, or can have a secondary printed coated paper laminated to the uncoated fluted board if full-color graphics are desired. All About Packaging’s design team will work with you to determine the best substrates available for your packaging needs.

A display card is a printed piece of paper or cardstock intended to provide pertinent product information to a consumer. Display cards can be inserted into clear packaging such as a clamshell or serve as a structural piece to hold the product in a blister or tray such as in the case of a seal blister or trap blister package. Display carding can be printed as simple or as detailed as the customer desires using a wide variety of ink colors and coatings.