Archive for the ‘Packing Tips’ Category

One of the most common mistakes made when packing is not properly protecting the item being shipped.  When this happens, the impact to the outside of the box transfers to the contents which may cause damage.  Here are some suggestions for safely packing your item for shipping…

• Use a sturdy Corrugated Shipping Box.  Make sure the corners and flaps are intact.  If you are reusing a box, do not use a box with tears or holes.
• Put protective wrapping such as 3/16″ height Bubble Wrap around the item.  If packing more than one item into a box, wrap each item individually.
• Center your item in the box and allow for 2″ to 3″ of packing material to be placed around the item (this includes the area underneath the item).  We recommend using Packing Peanuts or bubble wrap as cushioning.  The goals here are to suspend and stabilize the contents.  The items should not touch any portion of the box or not move around during transportation.
• If shipping multiple items be sure that they do not touch each other and that there is at least 2″ between each item.
• Tape your box on the top and bottom seem (include the left and right sides) using a Carton Sealing Tape.
• Put the appropriate Shipping Label on the outside of the box to encourage proper handling.

Remember that poor packing can lead to damaged items or cause your customers to be critical of the item you sold them.  In either case, they might not come back.

Lastly, even the best of packing jobs can end up getting damaged; therefore, we do recommend insuring your packages with your carrier.

The two most commonly asked questions when purchasing bubble wrap are:

What size bubble wrap do I need?

Bubble wrap rolls have three basic measurements: the roll width, length, and bubble size. An example retail product offering would be our 12″ x 175′ (3/16″ bubble height) bubble rolls.

Width: The size of the product being wrapped will determine what roll width will be needed. Common retail roll widths are 12″ and 24″ and the rolls are typically perforated every 12″.

Length: The length of the roll is dependent upon the amount of items that will be wrapped.

Bubble Size: The size of the bubble refers to the height of the bubble and not the diameter. The standard bubble heights are: 1/16″, 1/8″, 3/16″, 5/16″, and 1/2″. Small bubbles are ideal for wrapping individual items and large bubbles are best used as void fill.

When using bubble wrap, do I face the bubbles in toward the product or away from the product?

When wrapping an item in bubble wrap make sure to face the bubbles in toward the item being wrapped. This will allow for the bubbles to expand as needed thus creating a layer of protection around your item. If the bubble wrap is being used as void fill it does not matter if the bubbles face the product.

Bubble Wrap® brand is a registered trademark of Sealed Air Corporation.

Most new or small businesses charge their customers a shipping charge, but often forget to factor in the cost of packing and materials. That said, the first shipping and packing tip is to ensure that your price or shipping charge includes sufficient mark-up to adequately cover the expense of packing your item(s) thus preserving your margins. To determine your packing expenses first identify the materials needed to ship your product(s) on a per item basis. Start by asking the following questions…

1. Is the item being shipped fragile or large?

If yes, ship the item in Corrugated Shipping Boxes.

If no, consider one of the following mailing products; Bubble Mailers, Mailing Tubes, Poly Mailers, or Rigid Mailers. Mailers are a low cost alternative to boxes and are usually less expensive to ship.

2. If using corrugated shipping boxes, decide how the item(s) will be protected during transportation?

The most common methods of protecting the contents of a shipping box is wrapping the item in Bubble Wrap, suspending the item using Packing Peanuts, or filling the box with Kraft Paper in effort to stabilize the item.

3. Factor in the other supplies needed to ship the item(s) which include; Carton Sealing Tape, Shipping Labels, Packing List Envelopes, and a Tape Gun.

Now calculate the amount of materials it takes to package one item and multiply by the number of shipments per month. This will give you an understanding of how much packaging material is needed on a monthly basis. Finally, divide the cost of materials by the number of items you ship per month to arrive at your “per item” packaging cost.

Other things to consider:

• Don’t forget to insure your package. Both UPS and FedEx offer free insurance up to $100 per shipment. The US Postal Service does not offer free insurance.
• If you have an employee packing, you will have to calculate labor charges to cover the “time” aspect of packing.
• Buy your packaging supplies in bulk to save money.

Bubble Mailers have become a popular choice for shipping items such as CD’s, DVD’s, Jewelry, Video Games, Trading Cards, Hardware, and more. As their popularity has increased, so have the inquiries regarding proper sizing.

That said, we decided to post the following formula to help you determine the best size mailer for your item(s).

Width of Mailer: (W) Width of product + (T) Thickness of product + 1/2″

Length of Mailer: (L) Length of product + (T) Thickness of product + 2″

Note: The correct mailers interior size MUST be larger than the minimum calculated size in BOTH dimensions.