Packaging materials
Tria offers 20 packaging materials: four boards, three rigid box wraps, four laminations and coatings, three foil and deboss finishes, two insert finishes, three pouch films and water-based ink. Each material page gives the thickness or structure, what it is good at, where it fails and which Tria products use it. You can hold any of them first with the free Swatch Book.
Pick a material by job
| The job | Start with | Step to |
|---|---|---|
| A shelf carton for a light product | 18pt SBS paperboard | 24pt SBS once it passes about 12 ounces |
| A box that ships on its own | E-flute corrugated | B-flute for heavy loads |
| A rigid gift box | 1200 gsm grayboard | 1500 gsm for spirits and watches |
| Full color on a rigid box | Matte art paper wrap | Linen for a single mark |
| A premium feel on a carton | Soft-touch lamination | Matte aqueous if it ships loose |
| A metallic logo | Gold foil | Champagne foil for restraint |
| A jar or bottle that must not move | Die-cut paperboard insert | Foam insert for heavy items |
| Coffee or supplements in a pouch | Foil barrier laminate | Matte barrier for dry goods |
Boards
18pt SBS paperboard18pt SBS (solid bleached sulfate) is white virgin-fiber paperboard 0.018 inch thick, close to 300 gsm, with a clay-coated face that prints sharp and takes lamination, foil and spot UV cleanly.Good for: cartons for products under 12 ounces24pt SBS paperboard24pt SBS is the same white, clay-coated solid bleached sulfate board as 18pt, but 0.024 inch thick and close to 400 gsm.Good for: glass over 12 ounces, sleeve and tray, counter displaysE-flute corrugatedE-flute corrugated is fine-fluted board about 1/16 inch (0.06 inch) thick, with around 90 flutes per foot, so it prints almost like a carton while still protecting a product in the mail.Good for: mailers, shippers, inserts1200 gsm grayboard1200 gsm grayboard is dense recycled board about 0.08 inch thick, the standard core for rigid boxes.Good for: most rigid boxes
Rigid box wraps
Matte art paper wrapMatte art paper is smooth coated paper, printed offset and glued over rigid board as the outer wrap, and it is the standard wrap on Tria rigid boxes.Good for: any rigid box with printed artworkLinen wrapLinen wrap is textured paper embossed with a fine linen weave and glued over rigid board, so the box reads as fabric in the hand.Good for: jewelry and gifting rigid boxes, drawer boxesKraft wrapKraft wrap is unbleached brown kraft paper glued over rigid board or tube stock, and the same natural kraft look runs through Tria cartons, tubes and paper bags.Good for: candles, soap, natural food brands
Laminations and coatings
Soft-touch laminationSoft-touch lamination is a thin velvet-matte plastic film bonded over the printed board, warm and slightly grippy in the hand.Good for: skincare and fragrance cartons, rigid box wraps, premium mailers that ship inside an outerMatte aqueous coatingMatte aqueous coating is a water-based coating applied over the print that seals the ink without adding gloss.Good for: mailers, cartons, anything that ships on its ownGloss laminationGloss lamination is a clear, shiny plastic film bonded over the print.Good for: food, confectionery, anything with photographySpot UVSpot UV is a clear gloss varnish applied only to the areas you choose, cured with ultraviolet light, over a matte surface so a logo or pattern catches the light while the rest stays flat.Good for: cosmetics cartons, pattern work on dark boards
Foils and deboss
Gold foilGold foil stamping presses a bright metallic gold film onto the box with a heated die, leaving a mark that catches shop lighting in a way ink cannot.Good for: spirits, chocolate, celebration packagingChampagne foilChampagne foil is a warm, pale metallic foil, quieter than gold, pressed onto the box with a heated die.Good for: one mark on a wrap or cartonBlind debossBlind deboss presses a logo or mark into the wrap or board with a metal die and no ink or foil, so the mark sinks below the surface and is felt before it is seen.Good for: a logo on a rigid lid or carton front
Inserts
Die-cut paperboard insertA die-cut paperboard insert is 18, 20 or 24pt SBS cut and scored into a cradle, collar or platform that holds a product still inside a mailer, carton or rigid box.Good for: jars, bottles, sets in mailersVelvet flockingVelvet flocking bonds short fibers to a paperboard or foam insert so the product rests on a soft velvet surface instead of bare board or foam.Good for: jewelry, watches, small fragrance
Pouch films
Matte barrier laminateMatte barrier laminate is a multi-layer pouch film: a matte printed outer, PET for strength, and a PE layer that heat seals.Good for: stand up pouches for dry goodsFoil barrier laminateFoil barrier laminate is a pouch film with an aluminum foil layer bonded inside, usually PET/AL/PE, which gives the highest oxygen, moisture and odor barrier of the Tria films.Good for: coffee, supplements, cannabisKraft PE laminateKraft PE laminate is natural kraft paper laminated to a polyethylene seal layer, the natural-look pouch film for tea, granola and bath salts.Good for: tea, granola, bath salts
Hold them before you choose
The Swatch Book is a free set of board, wrap and finish samples. Name the materials you are deciding between and they go in the set. For a quote and a dieline, send the size and quantity; it usually comes back within one business day.