How to finish beautifully: expert hacks to make your gift boxes stand out

FOR THE BEST PACKAGING? START AT THE END… THERE ARE MYRIAD EFFORTLESS – AND AFFORDABLE – WAYS TO WOW YOUR CUSTOMERS BY CHOOSING JUST THE RIGHT FINISH FOR YOUR BESPOKE PACKAGING AND BOXES. WHATEVER BUSINESS YOU’RE IN, FROM JEWELLERY TO COSMETICS AND LUXURY HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, AND WHATEVER THE SHAPE OR SIZE OF THE BOX, IT’S A SURE-FIRE WAY TO SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS.

Having your boxes or cases printed with your business name or logo is a great way to reinforce your brand. For even more impact, however, and to guarantee you’re at the centre of your customers’ minds – every time – choose from the parade of Potters’ seductive, exquisite finishes. Tapping into many forgotten box-making skills, this guide will explain how to distinguish your packaging solutions from the crowd. Whether it’s beautiful foil or an understated emboss, we call on our team’s creativity and imagination, thinking inside and outside the box.

“THESE TECHNIQUES PROVIDE A SUBTLE, YET SOPHISTICATED LOOK, GIVING GIFT BOXES TEXTURE AND DIMENSION”

Screenprinting
This method has come a long way from the traditional handmade art, where ink was passed through a mesh or screen stretched onto a frame, with ink-blocking stencils to determine the design. It is a fully automated process, using the same principles to achieve stunning designs in various vivid colours. It creates exciting results, with multi-coloured, multi-layered effects in almost any design to suit the size of the package, including inks with a glittery effect, texturised inks, or puff inks that expand to create a raised surface.

UV and spot UV
These specialist printing techniques give a luxurious gloss to gift packaging. The process involves putting a tough clear-coat liquid onto the packaging and exposing it to Ultra Violet light, which instantly bonds and dries it. Spot UV refers to applying the UV Coating to a specific area (or areas) of a printed piece rather than coating the entire surface. Spot UV is a great way to add depth and contrast through varying levels of sheen and texture. The use of UV and spot UV results in a professional and classy finish that can be applied to many types of packaging, including boxes, tubes and bags.

Embossing and debossing
These techniques provide a subtle yet sophisticated look to gift boxes and bespoke packaging by giving them texture and dimension. To achieve a raised or embossed effect, paper or card has to be pressed into underneath, resulting in a finished design or logo that stands out from the card, giving it a 3D effect. Debossing? Well, it’s the exact opposite. When the design is imprinted from above, it makes indentations in the material. Resulting in a depressed (debossed) imprint of the image on the paper or card. Your printed packaging will have a contemporary feel, whether you choose to emboss or deboss as a finishing touch.

Hot foiling
Also known as foil blocking and hot foil stamping, this process produces finishes that appeal to many prestigious companies. The stunning results are achieved by taking foil supplied on large master reels and trimming it according to the dimension of each project – meaning it works for both small and large areas. The process – adaptable to different budgets and briefs – as is suitable for both long and short production runs. Brass and copper plates are used to create the die/stamps for more intricate, detailed designs developed by chemically etching the plate to create the design. Zinc alloy can be used for bolder artwork that is less reliant on detail. Traditionally, gold or silver are the most common colours used for foiling – but there’s a wide range of pigment and gloss foils available in solid, pearlescent and holographic colours and finishing effects.