The Complete Guide to Luxury & Premium Packaging
An Essential Resource for Prestigious Brands
Premium packaging for luxury brands is both useful and aesthetic. Its essential function is to protect your product from damage, but its real value is its emotional connection to your customers and its shelf presence for potential customers.
The benefits are clear. An exclusive package, produced with superior materials, builds loyalty in customers and value for brands.
What is Premium Packaging?
Premium packaging is an indispensable part of the luxury product experience. It’s characterized by high quality materials, state of the art technology, and distinctive, original design. Custom luxury packaging differs from standard packaging in its complexity, appearance, and heft. Since it is more costly to manufacture, it is used primarily by high-end brands with larger profit margins.
Premium packaging’s value is the exclusivity and instant recognition it offers customers and potential customers, leading to increased sales and revenue. The cost is justified by the higher price it allows your brand to charge.
Importance of Packaging in Luxury Branding
In the consumer products industry, competition for recognition is fierce, and being remembered can be the difference between profitability and bankruptcy. Perception undisputedly drives value — even more so for luxury purchases which are largely defined by their appearance, and are often dependent on making a strong first impression.
Brand Identity
Because expensive products rely heavily on their distinct visual identity to stay memorable, premium packaging is a fundamental part of their brand identity. The visual, sensory experience is a large part of its value, making it easy for customers to make that first purchase and more likely that they will become loyal customers.
Shelf competition is where sales are won or lost. After brand equity, the perfect custom luxury box is your strongest ally in beating your competitors. You should be able to confidently affirm that your packaging has all of the following characteristics.
Packaging Must-Haves For Luxury Brands:
- The box’s visual tactile experience is a delight to the senses.
- The box design is instantly recognizable.
- The packaging’s craftsmanship, artistry, and durability are unmistakable.
- It is clearly superior to competing products on the same shelf.
- Everything about it supports your brand story.
- It nurtures brand loyalty.
How many of these must-have features does your product packaging have?
Customer Experience
If you market extravagant, sophisticated products, your #1 job is to create memories. If you’re not memorable, you won’t be profitable.Custom packaging impacts customer experience in several important ways. While there are multiple points of contact that influence the experience with your product, two of the most important are the shopping experience and the unboxing experience.
Customers shop for expensive products at prestigious stores. They want to pamper themselves, make a statement about who they are, and be catered to. They want to be surrounded by beauty and take time making their selection. At this point, product packaging is critical to making the sale.
Once they’ve made their purchase and get home, absolutely everything about opening the box and removing the product needs to feed the senses. It must be exquisite if you want to nurture loyal, life-long customers. Luxury packaging is the only way to succeed.Customer Experience Must-Haves for Premium Packaging:
- Exclusivity
- Memorability
- Staging
- Discovery
- Emotional connection
- Entertainment
Crafting the perfect housing for expensive products begins with design and ends when the flawlessly crafted boxes are ready to ship to product owners. Its success depends on talent, attention to detail, and passion for excellence. This guide was written to give you all the information you need to make the best packing decisions for your prestige brand.
Premium Packaging Design
The process of creating a luxury box begins with design. Packages for high-end brands need to be crafted with the same distinctive style and meticulous attention to detail as the products they contain. Premium packaging manufacturers must bring out the best in the artists’ design, while working to develop the most cost-effective production process.
The following steps are commonly executed:
- The artwork is reviewed with the customer first in order to clearly understand the designer’s intent and vision. At this time, printing recommendations and options are thoroughly covered.
- When the design file is delivered, it’s separated into printing and finishing layers. At the same time the options that will best enhance the completed 3D carton are selected.
- Exact sample cartons are developed so they can be used for focus groups and leadership meetings before a final decision is made on the design. Artists and designers should be encouraged to participate in this process.
- Sometimes artwork is modified to show alternative designs in order to inspire and unearth new possibilities.
- Various board types – i.e., mylar, holograms, sustainable, bright whites, coated, uncoated, etc. – are commonly tested; and diverse stamping, leaf, pearls, film laminations, inks coatings, holograms, etc. are presented.
- At the end of the review and feedback process, there may be 25 to 50 different options for consideration.
- RFQ’s for all options are developed in advance, allowing for the budgeting of carton cost.
Color & Special Effect Examples
The possibilities for realizing a brand’s unique vision are endless. Here are just a few examples of ways we have combined color, special effects, and packaging materials to create exactly what the client wanted:
- A recent package for a beauty brand used .017 Invercote, 1st pass: 4-color process, 2nd pass: cold foil (Halo), 4 spot colors, matte varnish with UV satin and UV gloss coatings, and embossing.
- Another project for the same company used .017 Invercote, 3 spot colors, hot stamping (silver), and AQ matte coating.
- This month we used .017 Invercote, backside pass: 1 spot color with AQ matte coating, frontside pass: cold foil (silver), 4 color process and 2 spot colors with AQ matte coating and UV gloss coating, and embossing.
- For another we used .018 Sappi board, backside pass: 1 spot color with UV matte coating, frontside pass: 4 color process and 4 spot colors with UV gloss and UV matte coatings, and embossing.
- For a job in the summer we used .018 1/2 Mil Mylar, 4 color process, 4 spot colors, UV gloss coating, UV matte coating, and embossing.
- For another customer’s job we used 1/2 Mil Mylar with .018, 6 spot colors, matte varnish, UV gloss coating, and embossing.
Premium Packaging Production Process
The process involved in creating a high quality packaging finished product is a very complex endeavor. Here is an overview of the steps in Arkay’s process. They are representative of the manufacturing process throughout the packaging industry.
Pre-Press
All production jobs are planned and prepped in Arkay’s Design Studio in Hauppauge, New York and then sent to Arkay’s Roanoke, Virginia facility for continued prepping and production. Once the information is received, a “Job Bag Jacket” is created. It contains all customer requirements and necessary materials related to each production step, i.e., color, size and style, and stamping.In the Pre-Press department the team creates the printing plates and Cyrel plates. This is done by using customer artwork in preparation for the next step, the board sheeting process.
Sheeting
Raw material is received as either roll form or pre-sheeted stock. When in roll form, our sheeter machine is used to cut the roll into a predetermined sheet size that helps to minimize the amount of board waste. Based on the board vendor, material stock, and/or quantity needed for a job, pre-sheeted stock may be used. The board manufacturer is notified if the board received is damaged or found to be noncompliant.
Aerating
The Aerating department processes all pre-sheeted board stock. The aeration process is performed between every production process while the stock is in sheet form. Aerating is done to help keep dust and paper fibers from contaminating the sheets during the different stages.
Printing
The paper stock can be custom printed on one or two sides with up to eight colors per pass. Multiple passes can be used to add additional colors. Quality monitor checks are performed frequently throughout the run by both the press operators and manufacturing management. Each printing press is equipped with two coating units and the ability to apply cold foil inline. Offset printing and flexographic printing can also be combined into one process which creates a mixing and matching effect such as pearlized tones, metallic printing, and spot coating in a single pass.
Converting: Laminating
The lamination press is able to seal a carton’s surface with a glossy or matte finish. It may also be used to create a transparent window with one continuous, uninterrupted surface.
Converting: Stamping
Single-level or multi-level embossing can be done to add dimensionality to the product. The raising (embossing) or lowering (debossing) of the printed surface provides a unique twist to a brand’s package. The same machine can also add the application of stamping which applies a high-quality (often metallic) finish to an area of a carton giving it a holographic or pigmented effect. These processes need to be closely monitored to ensure the highest quality product.
Converting: Die-Cutting
At the die-cutting stage, modern, precise machines cut, strip, and blank full sheets into individual boxes. In addition to the frequent quality checks performed by the operator and team, each machine is equipped with a barcode scanner that reads a unique job specific printed barcode as an extra verification measure.
Finishing: Separating, Flat Pack, Hand Stripping
To make the transition to the final finishing process flow smoothly, the separating team may need to break down the die cut loads into individual item skids. Hand-stripping is completed if needed.
Items that don’t require gluing, such as Insert cards, get placed into a finished case as a flat pack and receive a final inspection.
Finishing: Gluing Machine
Arkay’s state-of-the-art gluer machines have vision systems that allow it to “see” what it’s doing, turning modules to allow for cross folding and gluing, sensor tag placers, and auto case packers. Cartons receive a fanned inspection before being placed into the machine feed and another inspection is done at the final delivery section.
Packaging: Palletization and QA Certification
The finished product is placed into corrugated boxes and labeled with specific job-related details. Cases are placed onto pallets at a maximum standard height of 52 inches. At this point the QA Team completes their final quality certification. If there is a quality concern, the management team becomes involved for review and final disposition.
Shipping
The certified pallet is scanned for traceability. Corner boards are added for security and shrink wrapped as the pallet awaits final processing by the plant and warehouse shipping team for shipment to the customer.
Premium Packaging Technology
Because state of the art technology lowers costs for customers, it’s important to be future minded about technology.
The most modern cutting machines save space, reduce waste, easily create custom shapes, are highly precise, and maximize production capacity.
State-of-the-art folder gluer machines can create a variety of box configurations accurately, consistently, and repeatedly. At Arkay we have installed Heidelberg Diana 115 Folder/Gluer, the latest in a series of state of the art gluers.
In addition, we are proud of our Heidelberg Speedmaster 8-Color Offset Press with Cold Foiler 75 x 106 cm with double coating system and 2 intermediate units: Heidelberg’s XL 106. These Speedmaster 8-Color Offset Presses were Heidelberg’s Drupa models, publicized as Heidelberg’s “ultimate printing press.”
We also have installed Heidelberg’s DYMATRIX 106 PRO with Die Cutter, Blanker and Inline Embosser. Our Zund Plotter Table is a renown winner, as are our Bobst Stampers, Marquip 59-nch Sheet Runner Sheeter, Pre-Press Epson, Heiber Schroer Windowing machine, Pack-Smart Rigid Window Affixing System, and many other expert models of cutting edge equipment which keeps our Roanoke facility running seamlessly day and night.
Additionally, Arkay’s EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) Program for domestic and foreign cartons is a system used by shippers to exchange information with carriers and other parties involved in the transportation process.
Sustainable Options For Luxury Packaging
PwC recently released a study showing that more than 80% of customers are willing to pay up to 9.7% more for sustainably manufactured products. In a May 2024 press release they report, “Consumers are assessing producers’ sustainability practices through tangible attributes including: production methods and recycling (40%), eco-friendly packaging (38%), and making a positive impact on nature and water conservation (34%).”
There is no question that sustainable packaging solutions must be environmentally friendly — both for the product and its customers — making it critically important to understand and be able to implement sustainable manufacturing practices.
What makes a package eco-friendly?
There are many ways to make packaging manufacturing environmentally friendly. Here are some of the methods we use.- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and offsetting remaining emissions with Renewable Energy Credits in accordance with the CarbonNeutral Protocol
- Minimizing waste and being efficient with resources, for example:
- Installing a white roof on our facility in Roanoke, which aids in the reduction of energy consumption
- Using LED lighting throughout our entire facility
- Establishing company-wide responsible material sourcing requirements
- Fostering an ecologically aware company culture
- Choosing suppliers and products that dramatically reduce the impact on the environment, such as:
- Monadnock Kona — made with a blend of fiber from reclaimed coffee bean bags and certified post-consumer waste
- Monadnock Astrolite — a Forest Stewardship Council Certified paper that meets the luxury marketplace need for environmentally friendly folding cartons.
How can customers have confidence in a company’s sustainability efforts?
Being at the forefront of environmental awareness and efforts is highly desirable to luxury product manufacturers who are also striving to create a sustainable product. One of the best ways to show evidence of an effective program is to get recognition from authoritative organizations.- Achieve CarbonNeutral® status. working with Natural Capital Partners, a world-leading provider of carbon reduction solutions, offsetting our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in accordance with The CarbonNeutral® Protocol, the global standard for carbon neutral certification
- Earn a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum medal from EcoVadis, the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings
- Become certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), a label that immediately tells a customer that they are buying wood and paper products from well managed forests, backed by a rigorous, third-party certification audit.
- Earn an AA safety and quality rating from the BRC Global Standard, a rare and valued recognition
To learn more about how Arkay practices sustainable manufacturing, read our “Sustainability Report 2024“.
Domestic vs. Overseas Manufacturing
The question of whether to manufacture a product domestically or overseas impacts so many aspects of a product packaging business that it needs to be thoroughly vetted. A 2023 US-based research study by Morning Consult found that two-thirds of American customers intentionally purchased products that were “Made in America” and more than half were willing to pay more for them.
Based on our 100+ years of experience as a domestic manufacturer, here are the reasons that we have found to recommend onshore manufacturing.
- It gives the business a strong competitive edge for timeline and speed to market.
- It dramatically reduces the risk of supply chain disruptions from accidents, war, and disease.
- The pandemic arrived four years ago, this reliance became a disadvantage because of supply chain disruptions and it became obvious that, if more businesses relied on domestic manufacturing, the more successful they would be in managing their workload.
- In addition to wars in Europe and the Middle East, skirmishes have broken out worldwide that have physically restrained shipping, most recently the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea disrupting all transportation in that area and dramatically curtailing supply chains.
- Suez Canal accident.
- It’s better PR: It’s simply good – and well-deserved – optics to manufacture on American soil, subsidizing local employment and well-being.
- Strict product quality control standards can be enforced.
- Sustainability can be more reliably achieved with local control.
About Arkay
In 1922, Max Kaneff opened the original Ar-Kay Printing on the Lower East Side or Manhattan. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 13 after spending several years as a printer’s apprentice. In the 1940s, he met Helena Rubinstein, Elizabeth Arden, and Estee Lauder, and was drawn to the possibility of making folding cartons for these beauty lines. Max’s son, Howard, took over the business at the age of 30 when his father died unexpectedly from a heart attack. He renamed it “Arkay” and believed strongly that premium quality and good customer service would bring Arkay success. The years have proved him right.
What Others Say
Arkay has received P&G’s External Business Partners Excellence Award for many years, and received P&G’s Partner of the Year Award for the first time in 2023. Arkay has additionally received recognition and awards from other companies over the years, but what matters most to us is what our customers personally go out of their way to say about working with our team of experts. These glowing testimonials mean more to us than any award and adds to the pride we feel working at this unique company.
“I’d like to thank you and your team for your partnership and working through these incredible times to deliver such an amazing product. It took tremendous teamwork and technical expertise to bring this product to market and the final product speaks for itself!”
This customer says it all, as well:
SHOWCASE YOUR BRAND WITH PREMIUM LUXURY PACKAGING
