Human beings are creatures that love variety. It is said that variety is the spice of life. This statement may seem to be inclined towards recreation and entertainment but it actually revolves around all of man’s activities. Man needs variety in all his endeavours so as to have the desire to trudge on. Variety brings about adventure; it brings about new challenges and also creates hope. If everything was the same day in day out, life would be so boring and we would not have anything to live for. We inject this idea of variety even in work. We have a wide variety of choices to make regarding a lot of things including minor things such as what kind of envelope to use for different purposes.

Envelopes are used widely for storage and for packaging of flat materials. They have been used for many decades now and have proved to be invaluable due to their convenience and their efficiency. There are several type of envelopes that have been designed. The different designs are supposed to help in the packaging of: different kinds of documents, documents of different sizes, documents of different thickness, and documents of different quality. Some of the envelopes are also made for different kinds of occasions.

The envelope that is used the most is the commercial envelope. It has a size ranging from 3.5” by 6” by 11.5”. These envelopes are usually used to send documents such as invoices, cheques, bills, and formal and informal letters. There is also the catalogue envelope that has a size of 6” by 9” the suggested enclosure size is 5.75” by 8.75” but this size varies depending on the insert thickness. These envelopes are designed with a centre seam that makes them stronger to package heavier materials such as catalogues and booklets.

We also have the booklet envelopes that have a side seam. They have a size of 4.75” by 6.5” with an enclosure size of 4.5” by 6” that varies depending on the insert thickness. These envelopes are ideal for annual reports, sales materials and brochures. There is another type of envelope known as the baronial envelope. It has a deep triangular flap and the envelope has diagonal seams. The envelope was traditionally used to mail business announcements, to send greeting cards and to send invitations. There are many kinds of baronial envelopes each with a different size; the professional baronial envelope has a size of 2.125” by 3.625”.

There are many other kinds of envelopes in the market and one can even make their own custom made envelopes. The aim is to usually get an envelopes that will best package your material and give optimum protection.

 Moving house  is something that many people dread. Apart from the fact that not many people appreciate change, the whole process is tedious and can be overwhelming especially if one has a lot of household stuff. The main issue is normally packing the items and the approach one has to follow. One can easily get demoralized when they see the many tiny things around the house that will need to be packed. Packaging is also another issue; how are the many different objects going to be packed? What is one going to use and where will they get them from? Removal boxes are usually the best solution for moving house. This is due to the many advantages and benefits they have.

The removal boxes are easily available. One can get many removal boxes from the retail stores where they are sold at very low prices or even given away for free. Here one can also get boxes of different size which is a crucial thing when it comes to packing items of different sizes and weight. The boxes are also preferred since they are strong enough to be able to hold items securely and give much needed protection from damage that may be caused by outside forces such as scratches, shock and will even provide security.

Once one has acquired several removal boxes of different sizes, then one is ready to begin packing. The first step is to plan how to pack. The best approach for packing when moving house is to pack items room by room starting with the rooms that are secondary to the daily activities i.e. rooms that do not offer basic daily functionality e.g. library, play rooms etc. The last rooms should probably be the bedroom and kitchen.

When packing, each removal boxes should be labelled. The labelling should indicate what the contents are in detail and it should also indicate from which room the contents have been taken. The labelling is very important because it helps when it comes to knowing where each box will go to in the new house. It will also help those who are helping in moving to know the fragile and the hardy items. It will also help in knowing how the boxes will be stacked in the moving vehicle. Hardy items are put at the bottom and the fragile items at the top to avoid them being crushed.

The word box could be used to mean a shape of the box but it mainly means a container with flat sides with opposite sides of equal length. Apart from the spherical shape that the pots had, the boxes could be one of the most ancient packaging solutions used by man. In the past, many materials have been used to build packaging boxes. Natural materials such as wood, bark, or weaved reeds were used among many others. With the advancement of technology other materials were manufactured that made even better boxes, this included metal sheets, wooden boards and veneers. When paper was introduced people went on to produce tough corrugated boards that made excellent boxes. These are still used today and are some of the best packaging solutions.

One of the major factors that led to the extreme popularity of cardboard boxes is their cheap prices. Corrugated boards can be made out of waste paper and the process of making the boards is not expensive at all. The boxes can also be recycled making them even cheaper and also makes them a packaging option friendly to the environment. Cardboard boxes as has been mentioned are made from paper which is made from wood. The resulting corrugated board is a very clean product that is also very sanitary. This is because the cardboard does not react in any way and is not harmful in any way. It makes the boxes a good method for storing even dry foodstuff such as dry cereals, fruits, and other farm produce.

The boxes also offer good protection for all the contents stored within. When goods or items are in storage, they are at times at the risk of damage from forces within the immediate environment. This could include damage from things falling on the contents, items banging on the package or things such as wetness, sunlight, wind, unfavourable temperatures, pests and rodents, and such like risks. The boxes will offer adequate protection. Although the boxes can be destroyed by wetness or extreme compression forces, the boxes provide considerable protection if the box is placed in a strategic location.

Boxes will also give the stored items within security. Boxes are designed with flaps that can be used to completely shut in the contents. When the box flaps are shut, one cannot tell what is in a box. The box flaps can be fastened using staples, tape or straps.

Till rolls are essential in all businesses; you use the rolls in order to print out receipts, or even just track the goods and products that leave your store or market. The rolls are even more critical to those stores which make use of point of sale machines which require a continuous supply of till roll. Basically, the laws by most countries demand that stores provide their customers with receipts, and customers are also encouraged to seek these receipts. At any rate, both parties would benefit a lot from the receipts because these can be used for any dispute that may arise because of the purchase.

So, when do you need to buy till rolls? Basically, as we have said, the rolls are necessary at any given time in a year. After all, your receipt machines would constantly need your rolls in order to be able to print out receipts. As such, you must always have a healthy stock of rolls in order to ensure the healthy flow of your business. Indeed, it is safe and logical to assume that your business will come to a screeching halt if you fail to produce receipts.

There are many businesses which have a point of sale machine (POS) or two. If you have a POS machine, and if you serve hundreds of customers a day, it means that you will be able to consume a roll in less than two days. If you have a single POS machine, it is necessary that you have at least 10 rolls in order to make sure that you can cover the entire week of operations. If you have a large store, apparently, you will need more. For instance, if you have two or three machines, you will need at least twenty to thirty supplies of rolls in a week alone. If you have a really big store, then you would need hundreds to keep your business running.

Therefore, if you are engaged in sales, whether wholesale or retail, you need to have truckloads of the rolls in a month. So, when do you need to buy the till roll? The answer is pretty simple and straightforward: as often as you deem necessary. You have to make sure that you do not run out of the rolls because, as we have said earlier on this article, it can cause your business or your store to stop making money. And, of course, you do not want that.

Over the years cheese packaging has been rather un-inspirational on the whole. The only notable examples of attractive cheese packaging is wooden boxes sometimes containing french soft cheese and the classic wax casing. This new student design has an exciting functional element to its packaging. The packaging is made up of a wooden base with a glass jar which means it is made from high quality materials, giving it the chance to be re-used for re-purposed once the product its self has been finished. The label also has a high quality finish with on trend and attractive typography that has an entirely modern style not seen in the cheese industry before.

Image from Packaging of the World

The most interesting element to this packaging is that it also functions as a utensil for slicing the cheese at a constant thickness. The propeller style slicer is easy to use and cuts your cheese easily and at the same thickness.
Adding a functional and highly useful element to packaging can in some ways be limiting but in this case it will most likely appeal to more consumers than it will put off. It can give a consistent and attractive standard of cutting suitable for a professional standard of serving cheese.
The theme of the propeller and the 'captain John' is also great and gives the packaging a sense of character and likeability.  
 

Moving from one place to another is a very tiring activity. There are just so many logistic concerns that you need to worry about. And then there is the issue of security, speed, and organization. This is where the cardboard packaging boxes come in.

Basically, transferring from one home to another is, with little doubt, one of the most stressful activities that you will ever engage in. As a matter of fact, we would rather avoid this, if we can. Of course, there are some things which would render this moving from one home to another to be an unavoidable necessity.

So, how many boxes do you think you will need in moving from one house to another? There is, of course, no definitive answer. The number of packing boxes that you would need depends entirely on the quantity of the materials that you are going to transfer.

Perhaps, the more relevant and more practical question is this: how many do you need to prepare? Basically, the more that you prepare, the better. It is better if you have more than if you have less. You have to understand that one of the most pressing worries of transferring residency is the organizing and keeping tracks of all your precious materials. Of course, you cannot put them all in one box because this would be messy and, not to mention, crazy! If you try to put all things in one box, you are going to end up with a very big headache and a lot of broken materials.

You need to have lots of boxes so that you can properly categorize and you can properly organize your materials. Basically, you would be able to separate the kitchen utensils from your bedroom materials; you can separate the curtains from the bedroom sheets; among others. You must not put all your items in a box or two.

Another benefit of using multiple boxes is when it comes to your most used materials. For instance, if you put your can opener along with household items which you do not use as often, you will have difficulty looking for a single can opener. However, if you put them in a separate box along with other kitchen utensils, especially if you put the can opener at the surface of the box, the story would be very different.

At any rate, the bottom line is this: always prepare lots and lots of cardboard packaging boxes when you are moving homes. You might not need all of them, but you will surely use many of them.

Mikey Hart has taken yogurt packaging to a whole new level with this design from roaming cow. The simple pot design which gives focus to the very charming lid. The simple white and black colour scheme allows for the flavour colours to brighten it up but keep it looking like a serious and high quality product.

The logo on the lid is quite distinctive and also gives it another splash of colour much needed. The image of the cow keeps in with the apparent cow theme, the colours of black and white representing the usual colour of dairy cows. The overall design is simple, reflecting the products philosophy that it contains as little as possible rather than filling it with lots of stuff. This also makes it more natural and a lot healthier.
 

Image from The Packaging Design Blog

The pops of colour give great product differentiation, being both flavour and yogurt types they are both fun and informative. The typography of the logo reflects a refined and simple style with the drawing of the cow being simple too it leaves a lasting impression and is easily transferable to lots of different media in black and white or colour. The typography of the rest of the packaging reminds me of the innocent smoothie packaging. It has a quirky and informal style which encourages the consumer to actually read what it says on the packaging.

Designed by Ampro Design in Romania, this chocolate packaging design is really special. As the chocolate market begins to get crowded, it takes something really special to stand out from the crowd and this packaging does just that. Even just the shape shows that it is something  special. The thinner and slimmer style of bar is indicative of a higher quality standard of chocolate. The way the chocolate is sealed in also suggests this and keeps it fresh.

The colours of the packaging although not bright or attention grabbing as such, are so down to earth and luxurious they demand attention. The paler colour scheme really compliments the high definition images of the product its self which is shown to have different fillings and flavours. For each different flavour there is an image of its key ingredient but if you look more closely the entire packaging is themed around each individual flavour.

Image from Packaging of the World

Every flavour has its own hand drawn and painted design which contains elements of its ingredients. The logo is really special. It has been created to make it look like it has been drawn in chocolate and looks very accurate unlike some cheaper imitations. The logo along with the text about the product and its flavour have been kept coherent across all of the packages and flavours giving the whole thing a unified feel.

The whole arrangement looks him quality and really goes a long way into putting the name Spria Chocolate onto the map for chocolate lovers. This packaging is miles better than most of the luxury chocolate brands around at the moment and hopefully this will inspire some competition in coming redesigns.

Padded envelopes are packaging materials built for a special purpose. Basically, the envelopes with padding are constructed in a manner that somehow guarantees the safety of the materials that we put inside. More often than not, the padding is usually made of bubble wraps in order to act as cushion in order to protect the fragile contents of the envelope.

Of course, the bubble envelopes have other purposes other than for simply securing the important contents of the envelope. By looking at the envelope alone, we can already determine that it is constructed using high-quality materials and high-quality papers. This is the very reason why we normally get excited when we receive packages and mails especially if they come in bubble envelopes. But, what really are the reasons for our heightened joy when we receive such mails? Here are some of the more common reasons:

1. Some companies make use of the envelope with padding in sending official and formal letters. If we get a mail in an envelope with padding, we cannot help but be happy and excited, especially if we are applying for work at a particular company. Basically, this can mean that the company bosses have already decided your fate. Of course, whether the response is positive or not, you will not know unless you open and read the contents of the envelope. At any rate, whatever the response might be, knowing that there is finally a response and that the long and agonizing wait is already over is a good cause for excitement already.
2. Sometimes, the envelope with padding is used in order to mail sensitive materials. If we get a gift that is sent through an envelope with padding, we automatically assume that the contents of the package are important and expensive. For instance, if we get a mail inside a bubble envelope, we will think that there is something that is delicate and expensive inside. Otherwise, the sender would not have sent it through that type of envelope.
3. Finally, it is normal to feel a certain degree of happiness and excitement upon receiving an envelope with padding precisely because the very envelope itself has something to do with importance and formality. Regardless of whether you know where or from whom the package may come from, you will always feel a hint of excitement. Why? Simply because you know for a fact that whatever the content of those padded envelopes might be, you know that it is going to be important.

Matches are always useful. Whether you need them for a survival kit, working in a restaurant or at home to light candles or incase of power cuts. Not only are they one of the most basic sources of fire but they are also one of the most basic and consistent packaging designs around.

These packaging designs and decorations have been taken to a new level however, there are some fantastic examples of excellent match packaging around and here are some of my favourites.

Images from Pinterest

These Japanese creations have faces on the match heads themselves that match the hand drawn images on the front. The whole thing is cute and simple and will definitely give consumers a smile before being used.
 

These cute and colourful boxes have a clear colour theme and which gives them all a good feeling. Matchboxes make great promotional material as imagery and colour schemes transfer well onto them. They’re something everyone finds useful and are far less likely to be thrown away or forgotten about than a business card or pen.