Your folding carton design serves as a crucial touchpoint with consumers. While your products may be exceptional, the packaging that houses them must communicate that quality at first glance. Laminates and coatings are powerful finishing techniques that transform ordinary paperboard into packaging that commands attention on crowded shelves, enhances brand perception, and provides vital functional benefits.
These specialty finishing options do more than just create visual appeal; they strategically influence how consumers perceive and interact with your products.
From luxurious soft-touch finishes that invite handling to high-gloss coatings that make colors pop, the right decorative effect can significantly elevate your brand's packaging and create meaningful differentiation in the marketplace.
Key Takeaways
Laminates consist of a thin layer of material—typically plastic film, metallic foil, or specialized paper, sometimes holographic or patterned—bonded to the paperboard substrate of your folding carton.
This creates a physical barrier that provides:
Laminates are frequently utilized in a variety of packaging applications such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, cannabis, health and beauty, and consumer products. They are often employed with products that require high barrier protection against moisture, oxygen, light, and other factors that can degrade quality or freshness (an obvious concern for the food and beverage industry).
However, traditional laminates often contain non-recyclable materials, such as plastics and aluminum, which can be difficult to separate and recycle, leading to waste and environmental harm.
To address this issue, sustainable laminates are being developed that incorporate more environmentally friendly materials, such as paperboard, bioplastics, and other sustainable options. These materials can be recycled, composted, or biodegraded more easily, reducing your impact on the environment.
Unlike laminates, coatings don't add a separate physical layer to your folding carton, making them typically more sustainable than laminates. Instead, they modify the existing paperboard surface through application of liquid substances that are then dried or cured.
Coatings offer:
Like laminates, coatings provide fantastic barrier protection against moisture, oxygen, and other environmental factors that can affect the product's quality or freshness. They can also be used to create a non-stick surface, add durability or water resistance, or improve the printability or appearance of your packaging.
For example, barrier coatings made from biodegradable or compostable materials, can help to reduce waste and promote the so-called “circular economy.” These coatings can be applied to a range of packaging materials, including paper and plastic films, to provide a protective barrier that is also biodegradable or compostable.
Usually applied after printing, coatings can be water-based (aqueous) or rely on ultraviolet (UV) light. Aqueous coatings involve exposing substrates to inline infrared lamps and circulating hot air that evaporates the water, coating the bonded sheets. Alternatively, UV coats cure the substrate through polymerization created through exposure to UV light.
The printing and packaging industry offers numerous coating options, each providing unique benefits for your folding carton design:
As consumers increasingly prioritize eco-friendly packaging, understanding the sustainability implications of laminates and coatings becomes essential for your folding carton design strategy.
Conventional plastic-based laminates present recycling challenges due to their multi-material composition. The bonded layers of plastic and paperboard often require specialized recycling processes that aren't universally available, potentially limiting their recyclability in standard municipal programs.
The packaging industry has responded with innovative alternatives:
Coatings generally offer advantages from a sustainability perspective:
Beyond aesthetics, these finishing techniques deliver significant functional advantages that enhance your folding cartons' performance throughout the supply chain and at the point of sale.
The sensory experience of your packaging creates powerful consumer connections:
Both laminates and coatings significantly impact how your printed designs appear:
Overall, laminates and coatings can provide a range of decorative benefits that help to enhance the overall design of the packaging, while also providing important functional benefits such as protection and printing capabilities.
When used thoughtfully and sustainably, laminates and coatings can be an effective tool for creating folding cartons that are both visually appealing and environmentally responsible.
However, given their similarities, it can be a challenge deciding which is the right packaging solution for your brand. When determining whether laminates or coatings are appropriate for your folding carton design, consider these key factors.
Evaluate what your packaging needs to accomplish functionally:
For maximum barrier protection against moisture and oxygen, laminates typically provide superior performance, while coatings offer adequate protection for less demanding applications and are often more sustainable.
Consider your brand's environmental commitments:
If environmental impact is a primary concern, water-based coatings and newer sustainable laminate alternatives may better align with your objectives.
Your packaging finish significantly impacts brand perception:
High-end products often benefit from the substantial look and feel that laminates provide, while coatings offer tremendous versatility for creating distinctive visual and tactile effects.
Practical considerations also influence your decision:
So, let’s review. The finishing touch you select for your folding cartons plays a crucial role in both product protection and consumer perception. While coatings generally offer more cost-effective and environmentally friendly options with excellent decorative capabilities, laminates provide superior protection and a distinctly premium feel that certain products demand.
Rather than approaching this decision based solely on cost, consider how these finishing techniques align with your brand strategy, sustainability goals, and product requirements. The right choice elevates your packaging from merely functional to truly exceptional, creating memorable consumer experiences that drive brand loyalty and repeat purchases.
For brands seeking to navigate these options effectively, partnering with a customer-centric and experienced packaging partner offers invaluable expertise. Oliver Inc. specializes in helping brands identify the optimal finishing techniques for their folding carton designs, balancing performance requirements, sustainability objectives, and brand aesthetics to create packaging that truly stands out in today's competitive marketplace.
Contact Oliver Inc. today to explore how the right laminate or coating can transform your folding cartons into powerful brand ambassadors that protect your products while driving consumer engagement.