Advantages and disadvantages of white cardboard packaging
White or Brown?
Every company that ships products to customers knows how important it is to have sturdy and presentable packaging. A humble cardboard made of corrugated cardboard serves as the first line of defense for goods against careless couriers and sorting facility mishaps. Thick, 3 or 5-layered cardboard cushions and protects the package's contents, ensuring that the order arrives undamaged. It's no wonder that the majority of the shipping sector relies on corrugated cardboard packaging.
However, when all your competitors (or at least most of them) use brown cardboard packaging, it may be worth distinguishing your packages with white or colored ones. Well-designed packaging can significantly enhance the look of shipments.
Making a choice between white and colored packaging isn't that simple, though. Let me make it much easier for you. First, let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of white shipping boxes. This will help you make an informed decision. Let's start with the pros:
They look great
Unprinted white cardboard boxes look much cleaner than plain, brown unprinted packaging. If you don't regularly use custom printing, white is a simple and inexpensive way to distinguish products sold by your brands. Customers expecting a dull, brown package will be pleasantly surprised by the bright white coming from your clean cardboard packaging.
White is also associated with hygiene and immaculateness. This impression of cleanliness goes perfectly with health, food, or cosmetic products. Brown cardboard can't achieve the same effect. White ensures a positive impact on the customer.
They create a high color contrast
A pattern printed on a white box will always outshine the color on a brown one. Thanks to white, every color shines, and shades are brighter and truer. For regular packaging, brown, navy, black, or pastel colors work best. With white cardboard, you don't have to worry about choosing a color. Every color will look great.
Most of the colored boxes available on the market are simply printed on white ones. The only exception is black packaging, where ink is applied directly to brown paper. The beauty of this solution is that you can use any color you like or even employ a contrast method and print the background to make the packaging look monochromatic with white text.
They feel high-end
Sharper colors and the clean look of white give packages a more exclusive character. White cardboard allows for creating vibrant, colorful graphics that can decorate the entire box. Customers will immediately sense the aura of luxury emanating from packages sent by your company.
However, white packaging isn't all sunshine and rainbows. They do have some downsides. Fortunately, most of these can be mitigated so that they don't outweigh the benefits. Here are potential drawbacks of white boxes and sample solutions:
They get dirty easily
Shipping packages lead a tough life. We must remember the journey that each one has to undertake. After leaving the warehouse, they travel in trucks, get loaded onto ships, board trains, and go through air traffic. Along the way, they pass through many not necessarily clean hands. Before finally reaching their buyer, they often rest on the ground, get covered in snow, or get wet in the rain. They don't always come out of these adventures perfectly white.
What can you do about this? Some companies use white cardboard on the inside and brown on the outside of the box. This way, the impression of exclusivity is maintained upon opening the package, and the external wall conceals any dirt and scratches.
They don't look as eco-friendly as brown ones
White corrugated cardboard comes from renewable wood pulp and is 100% recyclable. However, some customers perceive it differently at first glance. Brown cardboard packaging simply looks more "green." People look at them and immediately know that they haven't been treated with bleach or other harsh chemicals. You might not be on hand to explain to them that it's the same with white.
If environmental stewardship matters to your customers, print a recycling label on white boxes. Let them know that the cardboard is just as environmentally friendly as the brown one.
They may cost more than regular boxes
The price of cardboard packaging depends on many factors. Size, quantity, wave type, all play a role. Just like brown boxes, the more white ones you order, the less you pay. They require a more complex production process, which can make them cost around 10-15% more. Additional labor and materials needed to produce white cardboard increase costs. After all, factory workers also need to eat.
However, don't forget that white is easier to print on, which can save money during packaging customization. Furthermore, white by itself becomes a color, allowing you to use negative space to your advantage. A single-color print becomes a two-color end product.
Also, remember that cardboard, in general, is an inexpensive packaging material. A small cost to switch to white cardboard can be an inexpensive way to achieve a perfect look. Despite the additional expense compared to the base cost, using white packaging is still very cost-effective.
Opportunity for growth
The choice is definitely not easy, as with everything in life. Nevertheless, it's worth trying out a new solution, even if only temporarily, to see for yourself how the impression of exclusivity can boost sales."
