While some of us might not think twice about the color of a product’s packaging, studies show that branding colors can boost consumers’ brand recognition by up to 90%. The psychology of color can play a large role in consumers’ buying or passing on certain products. Understanding the subliminal messaging of colors can help a business build its brand more effectively and score more sales.
Choosing the right base color for shipping boxes is a significant first step for companies looking to use color for their brand’s advantage. Discover the key differences between the two most common base box colors — brown kraft and white — as well as what brand messages other box colors convey and whether you can ship custom boxes.
Brown kraft and white are the most common shipping box colors because they are the two most naturally occurring colors of corrugated board. Choosing any other color for a shipping box requires printing the color onto the corrugated board. Typically, this process involves printing the color onto mottled white cardboard.
If you would rather stick with a more standard brown kraft or white box, consider the differences between the two.
Brown kraft is the light brown color that cardboard naturally gets after corrugated cardboard’s pulping process. Using brown kraft cardboard as shipping boxes creates a simple, stylish and familiar look to consumers. The minimalistic look of a brown kraft shipping box helps brands look professional and polished.
Recently, brown kraft boxes have become increasingly popular as a sustainable shipping material. Because these boxes are made by recycling the natural materials of pulverized and blended wood pulp rolled into brown filament, they are relatively eco-friendly. Brown kraft boxes are even biodegradable and decompose quickly.
Brown kraft boxes are highly customizable. Companies can have whatever logo or design they wish printed on a brown kraft shipping box. The versatile customization offered by brown kraft boxes means businesses can choose whatever size, style and shape their boxes come in.
In particular, brown kraft is the ideal shipping box choice for a company with a logo that matches this description:
Most shipping boxes are a mottled white shade, which gives the box a slightly off-white appearance. Unlike white printing paper, which is fully bleached, a white shipping box maintains darker undertones of brown kraft coloring. White shipping boxes can provide a more striking aesthetic due to their clean and crisp appearance.
White shipping boxes can be an excellent fit for many brands, especially those with the following characteristics:
Along with the practical considerations of how your box color of choice goes with your logo, your box color can affect consumers’ feelings. Although there are no rules against any base color for a shipping box, some colors are better suited for certain purposes, including the product or service.
Selecting the right shipping box color can help build your brand and inspire more sales or customer loyalty. The right box color will complement the product’s coloring and work nicely with the brand’s story.
The following cheat sheet can help you pick the best colors for your box:
Ultimately, choosing the shipping box color that is best for your brand comes down to personal preferences. Your shipping box design can be as colorfully complex or as neatly minimalistic as you’d like, depending on what brand message you’re trying to communicate. Keep in mind that the outside of your shipping box should complement the box’s contents, so avoid colors that clash with the product.
Although brown kraft and white are the most common shipping box colors, there is a rainbow of other colors that a box’s base color could be. In fact, the United Parcel Service (UPS) will ship just about any type or style of shipping box as long as the package is labeled clearly and correctly. The box may also feature a logo in any color, so feel free to get creative when designing custom boxes.
At Custom Boxes Now, we provide a wide variety of shipping boxes tailor-made to your requests. Our easy and effective printing can enhance brand messaging by placing eye-catching graphics on your shipping boxes. You’ll also get to enjoy our budget-friendly prices and environmentally friendly practices.
If you’re ready to create your custom shipping boxes, place your order with Custom Boxes Now! Start designing your shipping boxes today or contact us for more information.