Creating Custom Paper Cylinder Packaging for Your Products, From Design to Production
Every product you sell needs packaging that elevates the entire product, not packaging that looks the same as competitor products.
Paper cylinder packaging is the perfect solution. Round packaging is easily the most distinct packaging option. The packaging is also protective, communicate quality, and a product is always selling from the packaging.
The issue is that most customers of packaging companies treat round paper tube packaging as a commodity. Custom packaging does not end when finishing design. It is a missed opportunity.
“A packaging report”, released 2023, states, “72 % of consumers are influenced to buy a product based on the packaging of the product”.
Your custom cylinder packaging is as important as each product within is. You've worked to sell each product, the tube packaging adds value to those products. It is a sales tool you have and should use. In our expertise packaging design and tube production packaging is the most forgettable of the options. It takes design equity to create the best packaging and is a valued service.
Design Fundamentals for Cylinder Packaging
What makes an individual choose a product over its competitors is the first question to address in the designing of a paper cylinder packaging.
It is possible to identify three elements fundamental to answering this question.
The Importance of Visual Hierarchies
Customers pay attention to items placed on the shelf in an F or Z manner. Although there is a hierarchy within an image, you do not have to introduce bombing with a bunch of elements. Within the first 1.5 to 2 seconds of exposure to your tube, there should be an obvious focal point.
The top third of the cylinder is the ideal location for the first most important message, usually the product name or main image. Eye-catching information is preferred on a shelf where other items are competing for attention. Information of secondary importance should be placed on the middle band, while legal information, barcodes, and other such information are placed at the bottom.
Psychological Effects of Color on Customer Buying Behavior
Specific responses are triggered by the use of certain colors. Trust is usually the message communicated with blue. If the
Apply a 70-20-10 color split. The dominant base brand color should cover 70% of the design. 20% goes to a secondary accent color. Then pop a final contrasting color for the last 10% for calls-to-action or other important details.
The Power of Typography
Sans serifs are always the best option for cylindrical designs as they are the most legible when wrapping around the tubes. For the standard 3-inch diameter tubes, headlines can are best sized between 24-36pt.
Sticking to a maximum of two font families is best for design. One should be the type that is used for headlines, and the other for the body copy. The more fonts used, the more visual clutter there is which can cause a drop in the conversions.
Body text should be kept to a minimum of 10pt. Keep in mind that the audience sees the design from a distance of 3-5 feet, not the 12 inches you are viewing from your monitor.
Selecting the Right Paper Tube Supplier
Partners providing paper tube services are not equal. While some focus on mass production without modification, others may choose to focus on small productions with elaborate detail.
Your choice affects whether you get packaging that enhances your brand or opt for tubes that are simply inadequate.
Assess Their Production Capabilities
Knowing the production and machinery capabilities as well as the production requirements is crucial. Is their order volume a match? Do they employ offset or digital printing?
Of the two, offset printing is more economical, costs less and is more feasible for larger orders of 5-10k or more. For volumes lower than that, digital printing makes more sense but will increase the printed volume’s cost by 30-40%.
Check the supplier material needs. Quality manufacturers should be able to offer a number of paper weights. If they only offer one or two options, you may be dealing with a supplier that is limited.
Examine Custom Abilities
Ask for access to samples of their most difficult works. Focus on if they have:
● Crisp print registration without blurry edges or color misalignment
● Seamless interiors without rough edges
● Lids that fit tightly without falling off or being difficult to remove
● Evenness in thickness of the walls
Standard tube suppliers take your artwork and apply it to their templates. A true custom cylinder packaging partner will work with you to tailor their cylinder designs to your product's dimensions and the level of protection you need.
Evaluate Communication Practices
Ask a specific technical questions that require knowledge of materials and printing processes to answer. A good manufacturer will provide clarity and answer in detail within the day.
If they answer vaguely or something along the lines of "don't worry," or "no problem," be cautious. Your best business partner will be the one to answer in detail regarding your questions, as well as ask you questions about your product and shipping’s target market.
Cost is important but dependability is a must. If a supplier is 15% under your other quotes but their delivery is late or they have high defect rates, you will spend more in the end than what you saved up front if you go with the higher priced more reliable supplier.
Production Processes Efficiency and Quality
A good digital producer should normally be transparent, but most companies do not treat their production as a transparent process. Typically you provide your artwork and the digital producer will take their time to create something good.
However, good companies will monitor the entire production first and make a plan before placing their orders.
Projected Production Schedule
The steps in the production of paper cylinder packaging follow a set procedure. Having knowledge about the steps will help you identify possible delays before they impact critical launch timelines.
● Weeks 1-2: Design Approval and Technical Details. At this stage, the supplier creates a dieline and verifies the structural elements. Rushing this stage means paying in time, later, on seal weakness and fitting problems.
● Weeks 3-4: Creation of Printing Plates and Material Sourcing. Custom plates for offset printing run $300-800 per design. Digital printing skips this step, but also llimits available finishing options.
● Weeks 5-6: Production Runs and Quality Control. Most manufacturers run a 10% cushion on production for expected defects. In the case of 5,000 tubes ordered, one should expect 5,500 tubes in the shipment.
● Week 7- Packaging and Shipping.
Trade-offs between Speed and Quality
Timelines can be condensed, but not without cost. Whether it's wet-ink needing time to dry, or adhesives needing time to cure, or the 3-5 additional business days on lamination.
Here's the area where costs get ugly. Brand requests for faster production with no other variable adjustments. With custom cylinder packaging production, there are three options:
● Fast and cheap (low quality)
● Fast and good quality (high cost)
● Good quality and affordable (standard time)
Choose any two. It's not possible to have all three.
Choosing The Right Materials For Protection
The type of paper used affects shelf life, durability in shipping, and how the customer views the packaging. Choosing the wrong paper can result in the loss of profit and unnecessary returns.
Prioritize the needs of the product over visual appeal.
Material and Weight Coordination
Items weighing less than 8 ounces can be packaged without issue in 250-300gsm paper stock. Examples include small candles, and cosmetic samples, and tea bags.
Products weighing between 8 and 16 ounces need 300-350gsm stock, which is suitable for most food items and liquid food products, as well as soap bars.
If you are working with products weighing more than 1 pound, you will need 350-400gsm or composite materials. Low-quality paper tubes will collapse under pressure.
Exposure to The Elements
Will the goods in the paper tubes be wet or stored in humid locations? Ordinary kraft paper gets moist and weakens the paper's structure.
Clay-coated papers are more effective at preventing humidity with a 20-30% price increase, preventing warping along with most other paper products used in retail.
Paper needs a barrier coating for products with grease and oil. To the customer, uncoated paper that soaks up the liquid and creates smeared dark spots looks damaged.
How Finishings Options Affect Everything
Matte finishes align with philosophies and practices that are environmentally friendly. Gloss finishes grab attention and are perfect for social sharing. Soft touch finishes feel and look expensive, justifying significant price increases. And, Spot UV finishes are aesthetically pleasing and people cannot resist the urge to touch them.
Each finishing layer adds $0.15-0.50 per unit to your costs. But finishes also increase perceived value by 40-60%, per 2024 packaging value research.
The environmentally considerate and recyclability factor consumers value the most is around 68% now. If sustainability is pivotal to your branding, opt for water-based inks and avoid plastic lamination. Before customers even read the packaging your materials convey your brand values.
In Summary
Custom cylinder packaging is the main differentiating factor between premium and commodity products. The difference is visible in sales, customer retention, and shelf presence.
Design principles that lead to conversion. Supplier selection criteria that avoid disaster. Production workflows that retain balance between quality and speed. Material selection that embraces protection of the product and align with the brand’s values. That’s the blueprint you have.
It’s common for brands to overthink packaging where execution is where they underspend. Or they rush production where they overspend on fixing a mess. You are positioned to avoid both.
The packaging industry moves quickly. Consumer expectations grow. Retail criteria evolve. Sustainability is no longer an afterthought. Brands that treat packaging as a strategic investment outperform those that see it as a necessary expense.
Prioritize action over flawless execution when devising a strategy for your next move.
Start with a single product and run an experiment. Analyze the outcome and amplify the successful ones. Data-driven decision-making will outperform any consultant or focus group for your expansion.
Want to change the packaging for your product? Sprintpackage paper tube company is here to help you with a personalized quotation and to refine your requirements. We will guide you through available materials, designs and production schedules aligned with your launch.