Everything About Kraft Paper Box Packaging

Last Updated on March 6, 2024 by Packoi Team

That doesn’t mean you have to completely change your packaging solution. However, implementing a few of these trends will impress your customers.

In this article, you’ll learn more about what’s new when using Kraft boxes to pack your products. You can apply some of these ideas to give your product a new look and make it visually appealing to customers.

What Is Kraft Paper Box?

A Kraft paper box is a type of box that uses paper made from pulp or wood fibers. This paper material, which you can also call kraft paper, contains both cellulose and lignin. Lignin is an important compound that can hold fibers together. It helps create the brown paper that you commonly see in Kraft packaging materials.

If you don’t know yet, brown is the natural color of paper. It’s not white. The white paper that you commonly use goes through a bleaching process. It may look cleaner, but it’s also full of chlorine.

That means using brown kraft paper is safer because there’s no chlorine. It remains in its truest form – which is more environmentally friendly.

Why Kraft Boxes Packaging Is the Best?

Using kraft paper boxes as your packaging option is a good idea simply because it uses kraft paper. Apart from being the most natural form of paper, there are other reasons why you should choose to use this as your packaging solution.

1. It’s 100% Environment-Friendly

Most Kraft packaging materials come from recycled paper. This makes it good for the environment because the paper is biodegradable. Not only that, but you also keep it from adding to the landfill. You keep trash from accumulating, and that will reflect well on your brand and business.

But that’s not all, kraft paper doesn’t go through any chemical processing. That leaves it with a rough texture – which is also good for the environment.

You see, having a rough texture means the box will not laminate easily. So you can’t put any coating on it. This is ideal because things that have lamination or coating are harder to recycle. So once again, you’re helping the environment—and the recycling industry, to be specific.

Without any coating or having to go through any bleaching process, Kraft boxes become 100% biodegradable. That means it won’t leave any harmful residue when you decide to recycle it. And if you use organic ink or design materials, you can ensure that your overall packaging is eco-friendly.

2. It Attracts More Customers

Why is it so important that Kraft packaging is 100% environment-friendly?

Because customers like it when a company makes an effort to be more eco-friendly. So choosing this is good for your brand identity. Especially since customers tend to support companies and brands that share their values and advocacies.

That means when you choose eco-friendly options like Kraft boxes, customers will resonate with your efforts. You can win over more clients because they will choose you over other brands. When that happens, you’ll get more sales.

Do you know the best part about this? Kraft packaging is cost-efficient. So when you look at it from a profit perspective, you’ll still win. You get to earn a higher bottom line from every purchase.

3. It’s Very Strong and Durable

Although it seems unlikely, kraft paper is very strong and durable. This is quite thick – with an 18-point thickness. And when you make kraft boxes out of this material, you stack kraft paper on top of each other.

This is why Kraft packages are very durable. You can bet that it can survive intense handling when your product is in transit. This is possible because of the rough texture of its surface. It’s like a natural protection against chafing and scratches.

Even if kraft paper doesn’t have any lamination or coating, it doesn’t matter. It can still resist moisture. That means your product has enough protection inside.

When you use an auto-lock feature at the bottom of the box, it can carry even heavy items like mugs, glass jars, etc.

All these make kraft boxes an ideal packaging solution for all types of products. Even if you want to ship fragile items, you can rely on them to protect your product.

5 Common Trends When Printing on Kraft Packaging

While Kraft boxes are already beautiful on their own, brands put markings on them like brand logos so people will know that they came from their company. If you’re looking for new packaging trends, many options can help you make the best and most interesting packaging design choices for your business. Here are the 4 popular and successful trends that brands use when printing on kraft boxes.

1. Using Black Print

If you want to make a bold statement, black print is your best option. It exudes a powerful image. It may look basic and simple, but you’ll find that it can be a great way to showcase your design.

You see when you use black, people aren’t distracted by colors. That means their full attention will be on your design. So if you want your customers to focus on the message that you’re trying to convey, stick to a simple black print for your kraft box.

2. Using Full-Color Print

If you want your packaging to have a bit more personality, choose a full-color print. This means you’ll be using the regular CMYK during the printing process.

When you use this print, don’t expect that the kraft-colored packaging will be vivid. The rough surface of the kraft paper wouldn’t make this possible. No matter what color you use, the fibers of the paper will still be visible. This is actually great if you are trying to make your packaging look 100% organic. It can help give your packaging design a natural and vintage look.

This printing style also means you can only use basic graphic designs. That’s because kraft paper can really absorb the ink. So you can’t put complex designs because that can compromise the integrity of the kraft box.

3. Using White Ink to Bring Out Vivid Colors

If you’re not going for a natural look and you want your kraft box to have more vivid colors, there’s a technique to make this happen. You have to print white ink first before you print colors on top of it. This can make the color pop and appear sharper even on the rough surface of the kraft box.

How does this work?

You see, the white ink can block the brown texture of the kraft paper. This means the colored ink will not blend into the paper. This is how the color appears sharper. With the rest of the kraft box looking rough and natural, this will make your colorful designs pop out.

Some kraft box printers call this technique the white ink substrate. With the right equipment, you can print detailed photos and artwork on the surface of kraft paper.

4. Using White Print

This is a popular and relatively new packaging trend in kraft box packaging. Printing white ink is a bit tricky to do – which is why not a lot of manufacturers in the packaging industry can accomplish the white print look.

The all-white look of the design is just as powerful as having an all-black print. But it adds a cleaner and fresher vibe to your packaging.

When you look at the white print against a brown paper background, it makes your design pop out. It looks sharp – but it’s not overwhelming. That combination makes your brand look simple yet upscale. It’s also a bit delicate in the way it projects your brand message.

Since it’s not like an in-your-face print, people tend to be more receptive to it.

Without a doubt, this technique can make your packaging stand out – especially in a sea of colorful prints and black ink designs. This is probably why this is so popular right now.

5. Mix and Match Printing Techniques

When you are creating custom-branded packaging, don’t think that you have to limit yourself to one type of printing technique. You can mix and match them if you like.

For example, you can use both white and full-color printing. Both of these will give your packaging a rustic and vintage feel to it.

To help you make the right decision about what printing trend to follow, consider the message that you want to deliver. Then think about how these printing techniques convey your message. Pick the best option for the type of brand reputation that you want to build.

6 Different Design Trends for Kraft Box Packaging

Choosing to use Kraft packaging boxes to pack your products is a great idea. It makes a clear statement about your advocacy because of your eco-friendly packaging choice. Not only that, the brown and rough textures of the kraft paper hold a certain beauty of their own. It exudes authenticity and a sense of timeless beauty that other packaging options don’t have.

While the real beauty of Kraft packaging is in its natural form, that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate designs into it. Some designs will enhance the beauty of the kraft paper while helping you promote your brand and product.

Here are some of the favorite new packaging trends that can give you ideas on what design will fit your custom boxes.

1. Brand Name Designs

Simplicity is the name of the game – and this is why more brands are choosing to stick to their brand name as the packaging design. It’s not even the brand logo – it’s just the name. Sometimes it’s just front and center. Other times the brand name is repeated all over the packaging in different sizes, fonts, or colors. This is a great way to familiarize your brand with customers. Even from afar, they’ll know that the package contains your products. You can use it to increase awareness of your brand.

In this packaging design trend, you can add a few images – as long as they’ll make your brand name stand out further.

There’s another benefit to using this design trend. All the branding on the packaging’s design can help customers spot your product easily. They don’t have to look for your product. They can see it from far away.

2. Color Block Design

Color blocking isn’t a new thing in the packaging industry. When you use specific colors and blocking techniques, you can even convert an ordinary kraft box into a beautiful gift box.

The new trend for color blocking right now involves unpredictable shapes and sizes. So you can actually take advantage of that to create your own style. Make sure you choose the right hues, shapes, patterns, and color variations. One of your design intentions is to capture the attention of your customers while making them aware of your brand colors. That way, they can associate these colors with your products.

It’s a great way to encourage brand and product retention.

3. Simple Geometric Designs

Using bold yet simple geometric designs is proving to be a common preference among packaging designers. This design uses sharp angles, clean lines, expressive hues, and various creative choices that can provide a preview of the product within.

It’s actually a subtle promotion of the product within. But if you can implement this well, it can be a beautiful way to make your customers curious about what they’ll find within the package.

4. Cartoon Design

The kraft paper surface can actually be a great way to tell the story of your brand. Be creative and use cartoon illustrations to convey your brand message.

What’s great about this is it can be very eye-catching. Even if your product is on a shelf with other displays, it can stand out. This is a great way for you to show your artistic side and leave a lasting impression on customers. Even if they don’t buy your product immediately, they’ll remember how the Kraft packaging stands out on the shelf.

This is something that you can really customize. You can create a brand icon or character that represents your business. 

5. Inspiring Design

Who said you just have to be artistic when it comes to choosing the design for your kraft packaging? You can also use your packaging design to give your customers an inspiring message. Think about what your ideal customer is usually going through. Do your research and find out if they are struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression.

Whatever you come up with, let your packaging speak words of inspiration to them. Let it be a message of hope that really resonates with your customers. Being relevant and inspiring can encourage loyalty toward your brand.

If your business can show that you care for your customers, they’ll notice that. Emotional marketing is very powerful, and this is something you can use your kraft box for.

6. Sustainable Design

Kraft packaging seems like the perfect way to show your support for sustainable designs. But what this specific design trend means isn’t just about recyclable materials. It’s about what they call “rightsizing.” This means the package should be the right size, so there’s no waste.

But that’s not all. Sustainable packaging is also about having a perfect size. When your packaging isn’t too big or too small, it can reduce shipping costs. If you can make your product as light as possible, shipping companies can stack more products at once. This is good for the environment because it minimizes the carbon footprint for that specific delivery.

Tips When Choosing the Design Kraft Boxes

From a design standpoint, there are several technical details that you have to consider to personalize your Kraft packaging. Things like understanding how colors blend into the rough texture of the kraft paper are important details that can affect the final look of your packaging design.

Here are some important tips that you have to consider as you plan the design of your Kraft Box packaging. Among other things, this can ensure that your design can have a successful implementation in the final packaging.

1. Think About the Price

As a material, kraft paper is very cost-efficient. It won’t cost a lot to use it as your product’s packaging. But if you keep adding design elements, the cost can add up. Whether that’s printing, illustrations, graphics, ribbons, or twine, these will make your packaging cost rise.

So before anything else, you need to set a realistic budget. While you want to make your kraft packaging as beautiful and unique as possible, you also want to make sure it won’t compromise the profit potential of your sales transactions.

You don’t have to worry. There are a lot of designs that won’t break your budget.

2. Plan the Design Carefully

Try to be precise with your design choices for the Kraft packaging. Make sure that it’s big enough to contain all the information that you want to put in it. So if you plan to put your brand story in there but you’re only shipping a 10-ml perfume bottle, the message you want to put there might not fit in the box.

You should also check if the design you’re choosing is appropriate for the product you want to ship. Should you emboss your text or just use vintage colors and graphics?

Also, think about what you want your customers to see. Don’t overwhelm them with the design. You want it to be beautiful and eye-catching, but you don’t want to take the spotlight away from the product itself.

3. Know How Colors Work on Kraft Paper

Keep in mind that kraft paper has a rough surface. That means it can absorb colors differently. You might not get the vivid colors that you want.

Of course, there’s a technique that you can use to ensure that the colors will stand out. But it requires you to print white ink first before putting on the other colors of ink. This can be more costly, but it can show the colors more clearly.

Packoi Printing Can Help You Design Kraft Paper Box Packaging

With all the design trends that you can use for kraft box packaging, it can get confusing. Don’t overwhelm yourself with all the details. If you work with the right packaging company, they can help you identify the right trends that will fit your vision. They can use their expertise to help you find the perfect packaging solution for your product.

When it comes to packaging expertise, Packoi Printing is one of the best that you can find. We have years of experience in producing custom-made kraft boxes.

Let us know your design requirements and we’ll get back to you with a fair quotation as soon as possible.