Published · 2 min read
The first question most customers ask about printed packaging is the unit price. But there is no single unit price in printing: cost is set by two variables together — the number of colours and the quantity.
Plate cost: one-off, and per colour
In flexo printing a separate plate is made for each colour. A four-colour design means four plates. This cost is one-off: reprinting the same design does not remake the plates. On the first order, though, it is added straight to the total.
Cost per printed unit: falls with quantity
Machine setup, colour matching and the initial waste happen once per job. Divided across 5,000 units that fixed load is heavy per piece; divided across 200,000 it is light. Same design, same machine, different unit cost.
Where the two meet
- On small batches a simple design with few colours is markedly more economical, because the plate cost is spread over few packs.
- On large runs the plate cost becomes almost invisible per unit and the extra burden of a multi-colour design is not felt.
So the answer to "how many colours should I use?" starts not from the design but from the quantity. Tell us yours and we can work out where the threshold falls.
What printing in-house changes
Our multi-colour flexo unit sits next to the lines that make the packaging. The practical consequence is that there is no additional supplier between printing and production: colour matching, print placement and film structure are arranged under one roof. When a correction is needed, the job does not turn into a week of back and forth.
What preparation needs
A vector logo file, the Pantone references for the colours, and the barcode number if there is one. If you have no design we can advise on dimensions and placement; production starts once you approve the print proof.