Journal
The Packaging Journal
Longer pieces on the decisions behind a packaging order — what things cost and why, where formats fail, and how to read what a supplier tells you.
Latest · Getting started
How to Brief a Packaging Supplier
Most quoting delays are caused by a brief that describes a box instead of a product. Six pieces of information usually replace three rounds of email.
7 min readFive Decisions on a First Packaging Order
The choices that determine whether a first custom packaging order works — and the ones that turn out not to matter nearly as much as they seem.
8 min read SustainabilityHow to Read an Environmental Packaging Claim
What recyclable, biodegradable, compostable and sustainably sourced actually mean on packaging, and which of them a supplier can substantiate.
9 min read SeasonalSeasonal Packaging Without the Write-Off
Strategies for festive and event packaging that do not leave you holding dead stock — neutral bases, changing bands, split runs and undated artwork.
7 min read OperationsPackaging a Range With Dozens of Variants
How brands with twenty shades or forty designs package a range affordably — one box, one variable element, and everything else held constant.
8 min read EcommerceShould You Ship in Your Retail Packaging?
The economics of shipping in the retail box against using an outer, what it costs in board and damage rates, and how to decide for your product.
8 min read DesignPackaging Ideas for Small Beauty Products
Practical approaches for lip balms, glosses, sample sets and small cosmetics — where the space goes, and what actually improves a tiny pack.
8 min read BrandingWhat Packaging Does at a Retail Launch
The specific jobs packaging performs when a product first reaches a shelf, and the specification choices that make it do them well.
8 min read DesignWhen a Window Earns Its Place
Windows help some products sell and actively hurt others. A decision framework, the cost and recyclability trade-offs, and the film-free alternative.
7 min read PricingHow Quantity Affects Packaging Pricing
Why unit price falls with volume, which costs are fixed and which are not, and how to decide whether ordering more is actually cheaper for you.
8 min read CategoryAre Pillow Boxes Good Enough for Fine Jewelry?
An honest comparison against rigid boxes — where a pillow box genuinely competes, where it does not, and how to tell which side of that line you are on.
8 min read StructureWhy Pillow Boxes Pop Open
The four reasons a pillow box springs open in transit or on a shelf, why a heavier board usually makes it worse, and what to change instead.
7 min readQuestions about The Packaging Journal
What does The Packaging Journal from The Pillow Boxes cover?
The Packaging Journal carries longer pieces on the decisions behind a packaging order: what things cost and why, where formats fail, and how to read what a supplier tells you. The articles focus on pillow boxes and small retail packs.
Which Packaging Journal article helps me brief a packaging supplier?
Read how to brief a packaging supplier. It sets out the six pieces of information that let a supplier quote accurately, which usually replaces several rounds of email.
Does The Packaging Journal explain environmental packaging claims?
Yes. One article explains what recyclable, biodegradable, compostable and sustainably sourced actually mean on packaging, and which of those terms a supplier can genuinely substantiate for a given specification.
Is there a Packaging Journal article on seasonal packaging stock?
Yes. The seasonal packaging article covers neutral bases, changing bands, split runs and undated artwork, all ways to keep a festive look without being left with dead stock after the season ends.
How does The Packaging Journal handle ranges with many variants?
The article on packaging a range with dozens of variants shows how brands with many shades or designs keep costs down: one box, one variable element, and everything else held constant across the range.
Does The Packaging Journal compare shipping in retail packaging versus outers?
Yes. That article weighs the cost of shipping in the retail box against using an outer carton, including board and damage rates, and shows how to decide for your own product and order volume.
Which Packaging Journal article covers small beauty product packaging?
The piece on packaging ideas for small beauty products covers lip balms, glosses, sample sets and small cosmetics, explaining where the panel space goes and which upgrades actually improve a tiny pack.
Does The Packaging Journal discuss when a window helps a pack?
Yes. The window article gives a decision framework for when a window helps a product sell and when it hurts, along with the cost and recyclability trade-offs and a film-free alternative.
Does The Packaging Journal explain how quantity changes packaging prices?
Yes. It explains why unit price falls with volume, which costs are fixed and which are variable, and how to judge whether ordering more boxes is actually cheaper once storage and change risk are counted.
Which Packaging Journal articles deal with pillow box problems?
Two do. One compares pillow boxes with rigid boxes for fine jewelry, and the other explains the four reasons a pillow box springs open and why a heavier board usually makes that worse.
Next step
Have a packaging problem worth writing about?
Send the product, the quantity and the date you need it on a shelf. We come back with a written quote, a specification and an honest view of anything in the brief that will not work.