The different printing techniques for the personalization of your boxes

Our plywood folding boxes have the particularity of being responsible packaging solutions, 95 % of which are custom-made. In this dynamic, they must be as well adapted as possible to the products they contain in terms of security, ergonomics, identification, confidentiality and brand image. In order to be able to respond to many different uses and different types of products, NO-NAIL BOXES offers a wide range of printing techniques that are part of its DNA: making custom-made and personalized boxes according to the criteria relating to your sector of activity: chemistry, metallurgy, defense and armament, mechanical industry etc. What are these different printing techniques and which is the best choice?

Many different printing techniques to meet your different needs

At NO-NAIL BOXES, there are no less than ten different printing techniques for your packaging and we will present them to you in detail, each with their specificities thanks to the expertise of Stéphane Guirsch, our technical manager.

Flexography: the most used technique

The most frequently used technique in our company is flexography, which makes it possible to print several thousand panels per day. This is a printing technique that uses flexible printing forms, called stereotypes. These photopolymer stereotypes are the relief mirror image of the pattern to be reproduced. They are fixed on a cylinder. By rotation, the stereotypes are inked in a blade chamber before being applied to the plywood face to be printed. This process, which gives a printing result of great quality, also allows a very thorough personalization: all the Pantone colors are conceivable as well as all fonts, and it is also possible to make gradations of color (halftoning). Flexographic printing is light -resistant and suitable for medium and large production runs for panel thicknesses of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12 mm, which should not exceed these dimensions: 2,440 x 1,200 mm. The stereotypes must be less than 900 x 850 mm.

Screen printing: for large formats and painted surfaces

In addition to these panel thicknesses and sizes, we offer the screen printing technique, which also has the same properties as flexography.

It is a printing technique similar to stencil. It is a screen made up of a frame on which is stretched a very fine mesh fabric (silk or nylon). A part of this screen thus constituted is closed, by chemical or mechanical processes, so as to leave free only the surfaces corresponding to the drawings or texts to be printed. The printing is done by passing ink through the free meshes, using a squeegee.

Inkjet and digital printing: for small production runs with limited manpower and short lead times guaranteed

The NO-NAIL BOXES inkjet printer uses liquid ink and offers high quality color results. The printing is done according to the technique of “jet on demand” which makes it possible to deliver only the quantity of ink necessary for the printing. It is a high resolution printing (256 px), only available in black. Inkjet can print complex patterns such as sequential numbers, barcodes, QR codes and logos. It is a fast and efficient technique, which guarantees a very sharp and high quality result, resistant to mechanical abrasion, water and light. This rather expensive technique is recommended for small series, from one to 500 pieces. It can be adapted to different thicknesses of printable panels: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 18 mm for a maximum dimension of 100 mm for the printable surface. It is also possible to print on larger thicknesses (rafters, etc.).

Digital printing is a reproduction technique allowing NO-NAIL BOXES to print on plywood panels directly from computer media. It is particularly adapted to the current expectations of users by its flexibility and speed. The digital printing technology allows to print small quantities in a short time. The print data can be updated more regularly, printed as accurately as possible according to requirements. Variable data management allows the personalization of each plywood panel. Digital printing provides a clean, high-quality result that is resistant to mechanical abrasion, water and light. It can be white or four-color process and can reproduce complex patterns and photos. It is generally reserved for small and medium series for printing areas smaller than 2500 x 1250 mm and allows to work in continuous flow optimizing the printing time.

Pad printing and stencil: efficient and agile methods

It is a pad printing process. At NO-NAIL BOXES, this process is done manually. The function of the pad is to “take” the image engraved on the stereotype and place it on the surface of the substrate to be printed. This is a less expensive method and allows an image to be reproduced, in color or not, on objects of all shapes since the pad naturally adapts to the surface it is printed on. The printing area is limited to the size of the stamp. We use this technique in particular for the marking of the ISPM 15 logo.

The stencil technique consists in reproducing patterns by passing a roller or a brush loaded with ink or color on a simple openwork cardboard according to the contours of the patterns to be printed. This support is also called stencil. The term “stencil” thus designates both the technique and the material used. The stencil makes it possible to print small series and to intervene on boxes already assembled, painted or equipped with accessories (velcros, steel tabs, etc.). It can also be used for plywood panels or wooden dunnage of any size. Thus, it is a technique that only allows the printing of simple patterns, with a limited font and color palette (black, red, blue and green).

Machining

This is a manufacturing process where the removal of material in the form of chips is the result of a combination of two movements: the rotation of the cutting tool on the one hand, and the advance of the workpiece on the other. The CNC milling machine makes it possible to carry out small drilling and contouring jobs. A software program allows to draw the part and to optimize the trajectories of its cutting. The precision offered by milling allows for renewed technical and aesthetic adaptations: narrow openings, chamfers, indentations, countersinks, etc. Machining is a high quality intervention available for plywood thicknesses ranging from 4 to 30 mm.

Adhesive transfer vinyls

These are self-adhesive labels affixed to an object. For the stickers, NO-NAIL BOXES works in subcontracting with a local printer.

With great agility and adaptability and with controlled costs, transfer adhesive vinyls allow the printing of complex logos from two or three colors, in all formats, with flexible positioning. They can also be removable. This technique is used when the complexity of the visual to be affixed does not allow for stencilling, flexography or screen printing.

Custom printing for custom made boxes

In the continuity of the custom manufacturing of your plywood boxes, printing is part of the personalization process. It is an important step that guarantees both your brand image (logo) and the legibility of information (bar codes, QR codes, sequential numbers, norms) when it comes to fragile, dangerous or confidential products. NO-NAIL BOXES is thus committed to providing you with the most appropriate printing technique according to your specifications.