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We designed a label and a box for a cognac (vinjak), the full bottle weighs around 1.3 kg . The printing company my client chose (in another country) wants to know which type of cardboard (or which type of material) to use for the box. I don't have a lot of experience with materials so I would usually consult with the printing company, but I already asked them for recommendation and had no positive response.

I did some research but I'm still unsure what to tell them- it needs to be firm enough to hold a cognac bottle and still to be able to print a full-color design. Do you know what would be the standard option here?

dieline

Also, do you know would this lock bottom dieline be good for this type of box?

edit : from the printers website: Materials: microwave, small wave, chromocardone, belpack or some other materials of your choice. The printing can be: screen, flexo, offset, UV printing or foil Packaging can be papier mache, laminated or lacquered. (sorry for the rough translate)

Our design is a dark box with some gold foil and UV details, plus a photo of the vineyard founder in some ochre colours

edit2: This is the insert for the bottle we created to put inside (slanted shape is for this specific bottle)

insert

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  • Updating this with your country and printers capabilities would be beneficial to get better answers. Currently too broad.
    – Stegathesaurus
    Commented May 9, 2018 at 15:45
  • this is what it says on their website (country BiH) : Materials: microwave, small wave, chromocardone, belpack or some other materials of your choice. You can order all packaging with and without the press. The printing can be: screen, flexo, offset, UV printing or foil. Packaging can be laminated, laminated or lacquered.
    – Mjav
    Commented May 9, 2018 at 16:09
  • Mjav you can edit your question to add this information, don't use the comments for that.
    – Luciano
    Commented May 11, 2018 at 7:20
  • Thank you, I did edit the new info in the question - I just left a comment for Ovaryraptor beacuase I thought he/she would be able to help based on the info asked for. Was that wrong or against the rules?
    – Mjav
    Commented May 11, 2018 at 7:57
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    A decent, reliable printer will work with you on the material requirement, not dump it on you, but you may have to ask first. I worked with Northern Foods in the UK for 10 years, various product packaging for supermarkets, often with tests for new materials, processes. They paid for the R&D. Appreciate your situation is different BUT the relationship with the printer remains critical, you cannot guess the requirement with a little research. Minimum foundation (for me) is previous example of similar product. I've printed in China & Czech Republic - good printers offer samples / recommendation.
    – Applefanboy
    Commented May 11, 2018 at 9:14

2 Answers 2

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The type of cardboard, thickness, and strength is going to depend on the weight and distribution of the product inside. If you're not a cardboard expert (I'm not either), then I would recommend a little R&D.

Head down to a store, find a product with similar weight, quantity, shape, and package design to the one you want, and buy it to keep as a sample. The producer will want to know the thickness and whether or not it's corrugated (perhaps more), but you could always just ship them the sample box for certainty.

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  • Excuse my ignorance... What is R&D?
    – Rafael
    Commented May 9, 2018 at 18:26
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    @Rafael That stands for Research & Development.
    – AndrewH
    Commented May 9, 2018 at 18:34
  • Great idea for a quick "get out of jail free" card!
    – mayersdesign
    Commented May 9, 2018 at 19:47
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The printing company my client chose (in another country) now asked me which type of cardboard (or which type of material) to use for the box.

Ok Everybody understood the problem backward. You, the client, the provider.

Let us start with you. You are not supposed to give a material from scratch. You should ask them "What type of cardboard can YOU print?"

What thickness, and what kind of post process can you make? Can you make a corrugated sandwich after you print the cover? Can you use direct inks, color cardboard, recycled cardboard, hot stamping, etc? Can they do die cut?

Now you need to separate your project.

No, probably the cardboard does not need to hold or protect the bottle. You then probably need to make an internal structure with corrugated cardboard to hold the bottle and make a firm structure, so the outer cardboard do not suffer much stress.

enter image description here

Normally a thick cardboard used for the outer layer or box is one called SBS "Solid Bleached Sulphated" and comes in several thickness. You need to see if the thickness is enough to hold the product (with the additional structure inside it)

Buy a catalog of SBS to test the thickness. Buy some sheets and make a real size dummy and see it in action.

If they can not print a specific thickness, the client probably choose a not si fitted provider.

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  • Thank you, yes I am aware of the backwardness of this situation, good point, long story. As for the internal structure - I did make an insert for the box with a hole for the specific shape of the bottle. I never thought about the insert to be thicker then the box itself - is that what you mean? Or were you just referring to it being corrugated?
    – Mjav
    Commented May 9, 2018 at 20:58
  • I added the insert sketch in the post as well - but maybe by "internal structure" you meant more like a inside layer of the box?
    – Mjav
    Commented May 9, 2018 at 21:31
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    I added an image illustrating the inner structure. Now your outer box does not hold the stress from the bottle. It is supported by the thicker internal structure.
    – Rafael
    Commented May 14, 2018 at 4:51

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