Definitions of Common Terms Used in the Packaging Industry
Adhesive – glue, a material used to adhere one surface to another
Aseptic processing - a process by which a product is packaged in a container in a way that maintains sterility, ie. cheese
Bag-in-Tube - is a composite cardboard tube with a tinplate lid and base, containing a double-layered bag to hold liquids.
Barcode – UPC– Universal Product Code – a method used to identify products. The code has 2 parts; numbers and bars
Barrier material – a material possessing properties that limit the transmission of gases
Bin – large storage container
Bioplastic - plastic material derived from renewable biomass sources, such as sugarcane and cornstarch
Bleed – print that extends beyond the trim edge of the finished piece
Blister pack – transparent, molded plastic, often sealed to a sheet of cardboard and used to package and display an item of merchandise
Blow molding – process of extruding plastic into a mold then blowing it with air pressure against the sides
Blown film – film produced by extruding resin into a tube which is then expanded by air
Brand owner - a brand is a mark or symbol (could be as simple as a UPC code) indicating ownership of a product. The brand owner is the party holding ownership of the brand.
Bulk pack – items are packed loose rather than individually
Burst strength – measure of material strength to resist rupture
CAD – Computer Aided Design - CAD software is used for nearly all three-dimensional designing, ie. structural design for a box
Caliper – the thickness of paper material measured in thousandths of an inch
Cardboard – a heavier paper - the commonly used packaging terms are paperboard and corrugated
Case pack - the quantity of items in a container
Clay coating – a coating for recycled or kraft paperboard to improve whiteness, smoothness and gloss
Clamshell – package with a hinged lid
Clarity – the degree of transparency
CMYK – Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow and Black – the primary colours for printing with a process method (see Process print)
Coating – a protective layer applied to a material
Co-extruded film – flexible plastic material consisting of two or more layers adhered together into a single ply during the extrusion process
Cold seal – adhesives that bond with pressure only, typically used where heat is damaging to the product, ie.chocolate bars
Colour standard – colour specification for printing
Common Carrier - a company that offers services to transport goods
Composite can - a can made of layers of paper with metal or plastic ends, ie. frozen juice cans
Conceptual design - the initial concept of a graphic design
Container – an item used to store product – could be a box, bin, crate, etc.
Co-packing – producing private label products
Core – a paper tube
Corona treatment – alters the surface of materials to make them more receptive to ink adhesion
Corrugated – “moving box” material – fluted paper (medium) adhered to one or two paper liners
Cradle to Cradle - the life cycle of the product from raw material extraction through to a recycled afterlife
Cradle to Grave - the life cycle of the product from raw material extraction through to disposal
Crease – an impression in material for the purpose of bending or folding
Critical Supply - components that are critical to the sale of a product
Density – the weight per unit volume
Die – tool used to cut a shape ie, “cookie cutter”, most commonly used in paper converting to make boxes
Die-cutting – the cutting and scoring of material
Distribution – product handling from factory to point of sale
EPR - Extended Producers Responsibility, a program that identifies end-of-life management of products as the responsibility of producers (e.g., brand owners, first importers or manufacturers)
Extrusion – the process through which resin is heated and formed
Film – generally used to describe a light weight plastic material
Final artwork - the final design and labeling prepared for printing
First seller - brand owner, importer or distributor
Flexible packaging – usually plastic type films used to produce bags, sheets, box liners for items such as garbage bags, bread bags, snack bags, frozen foods
Flexographic printing – method of print that uses rubber or photopolymer printing plates
Foam – polystyrene base, ie, fresh meat trays, egg cartons
Folding carton – box/tray/carrier made from paperboard
Fulfillment – the process of packaging a customer’s product for shipment
Gauge – measurement for thickness of a material – one mil is 1/1000 of an inch or 25.4 microns
Gaylord – a heavy corrugated carton of pallet load proportions
Gloss finish – shine on the surface that reflects light
GMP – Good Manufacturing Practice which implies that the entire manufacturing procedure has been designed to produce a quality product.
Graphic design – image and identification on the package
Gravure printing – short for rotogravure - design is etched on a metal cylinder which transfers the ink onto the printing surface of the material
Gusset – the fold in the side or bottom of a pouch allowing it to expand when contents are inserted
Haze – the distortion of light in passing through film
HDPE – High Density Polyethylene, plastic material used for film and bottles
Heat-seal – the fusion of films through heat and pressure
Hermetic seal – airtight and impervious to gases or fluids
Impact resistance – the ability of film to withstand impact
Injection molding – process of heating plastic or metal to a fluid then injecting it into a mold
In-mould labelling is the use of paper or plastic labels during the manufacturing of containers by blow molding, injection molding or thermoforming processes
Intermediate bulk container (IBC) - is a reusable industrial container designed for the transport and storage of bulk liquid and granulated products, such as chemicals, food ingredients, chemicals, etc.
Kraft – brown paper, usually made with unbleached wood pulp
Lamination – the process of adhering two or more materials together
Lead-time – the time delay between placing an order to receiving delivery
Label – sticker used to identify contents of a package – can be self adhesive or applied with coatings or glue
Labeling - often refers to product identification, ie. content, weight, UPC, nutritional value and claims, etc.
Lithographic printing – a type of printing process commonly used in the paper industry, also known as offset litho.
LDPE – Low Density Polyethylene - flexible plastic material, ie, bread bag
LLDPE – Linear Low Density Polyethylene – flexible plastic material with a higher tensile strength and better puncture resistance than LDPE
MAP - Modified Atmosphere Packaging - a method of packaging food where the proportions of gases in a sealed container are different from air - used to enhance shelf life of foods
Matte finish – non-reflective finish
Migration – the transmission of an additive, coating or ink through the material
Mil – thickness measurement of plastic film (1/1000 of an inch)
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) - a method of packaging food where the proportions of gases in a sealed container are different from air - used to enhance shelf life of foods
Mylar – polyester (PET) film, a type of plastic
Nylon – a material made from polyamide resins
Offset Litho – a type of printing process commonly used in the paper industry, also known as lithographic printing
One-way pallets - shipped to the customer and not returned to the supplier
Onsert - also known as an Extended Content Label (ECL), is a booklet which is affixed to a pressure sensitive label on a package. These booklets provide extra space for additional information that is needed, and avoids having to make several separate labels.
Opacity – the hiding power of inks or colour additives (pigments) to prevent light penetration
Overhang specs - specification for the allowance of how far a product can extend past the edges of a pallet
Pallet – another term for skid - a portable, flat wooden, plastic or metal platform on which goods are stored and moved
Pallet Skirt - Pallet skirts (also often referred to as pallet wraps) wrap around the bottom half of pallet displays and can be the perfect canvas for your company logo, artwork, or an advertising message.
Pallet pack - the number of items on a pallet
Pallet system - handling of pallets through the distribution system
Pallet wrap - material used to secure product to the pallet, ie, stretch film, shrink film, strapping
Palletizing – the method of configuring products on a pallet
Paperboard – heavier weight paper substrate used for facial tissue, chocolate boxes, etc. Can be bleached white virgin material, kraft or clay coated white on one side and brown on the other
Part pallet - a pallet or skid holding less than a full load
PE – Polyethylene - this pliable plastic material is heat sealable and widely used in the packaging industry
PET – Polyester - a type of plastic material made from polyethylene terephthalate, ie, soft drink bottles
Photopolymer plates - printing plates made with a polymer that changes its properties when exposed to light
PMS – Pantone Matching System is the universally accepted colour definition system. Colours are given a reference number called the PMS number
Point of sale (POS) - the location where a product will be sold for consumption
Polyester (PET) – a type of plastic material made from polyethylene terephthalate, ie, soft drink bottles
Polyethylene (PE, Poly) – this pliable plastic material is heat sealable and widely used in the packaging industry
Polypropylene – a type of lightweight plastic material with stiffness characteristics, ie, snack foods
POP – Point Of Purchase – where the product will be sold for consumption
POP display – a stand or holder to display products at the point of purchase
POS - Point Of Sale - the location where a product will be sold for consumption
Pouch – a bag constructed by sealing sheets along the edges
Pouch (stand up) – bag that stands erect due to a gusset formed on the side or bottom of the pouch
PP - Polypropylene - a type of lightweight plastic material with stiffness characteristics, ie, snack foods
Primary packaging - the packaging designed to come in direct contact with the product
Printing plate – made of metal, rubber or other material that is etched, engraved or embossed which picks up the ink to transfer the design to the material
Process printing – a type of printing used to create images and photographs
Proof – representation of the graphic design printing and colour
Raw Material - the ingredients that go into making a product
Ready-Retail Packaging (RRP) - packaging delivered to a retailer in a self-contained unit, which is immediately ready for on-shelf product display without the need for assembling or unpacking.
Registration – the alignment of printing more than one color or image over another
Resin – solid or semisolid viscous substance used to produce plastic materials
Retort pouch - a package created by aseptic processing and made from multiple layers of flexible laminated films
Reverse printing – printing ink on the underside of the film or material
Reversed-out print - lighter typeface on a darker background, such as white text on a coloured background
Rigid box – a formed paper box set up and ready for use, ie, jewelry box
Rotogravure printing – design is etched on a metal cylinder which transfers the ink onto the printing surface of the material
SBS – Solid Bleached Sulfate - bleached, virgin paperboard used for higher end products and those with direct food contact, ie, cosmetic and chocolate boxes
Score – an impression in material for the purpose of bending or folding
Screen printing – printing method where the ink is forced through a mesh fabric
Seal Layer - the heat sealable, innermost layer in plastic packaging films and laminates.
Secondary packaging - the packaging that contains multiple primary packages for buying convenience at the point of sale
SFI - Sustainable Forestry Initiative - a certification standard based on principles that promote sustainable forest management
Shelf life – the length of time a product may be stored without becoming unsuitable for use or consumption
Shrink casing - the material that encloses sausage filling, usually in the format of a tube for stuffing.
Shrink wrap – plastic film that shrinks when it is heated
Shroud – a cover used to protect items ie. equipment, pallet loads
Skid – another term for pallet - a portable, flat wooden, plastic or metal platform on which goods are stored
Skin packaging – film that is heated and applied over a the product and card
Steel rule die – a form with blades use to cut and crease
Strapping - plastic band used to wrap and secure product to a pallet
Stretch wrap – plastic film that stretches, commonly used to secure containers on a pallet
Structural design – the shape and size of a package
Substrate – type of material such as paper or plastic film
Surface printing – printing ink on the outermost surface of film or material
Sustainability – the capability of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment
Tare weight - the weight of a container when it is empty
Tear resistance – the ability of film to withstand tearing
Tensile strength – the amount of pull a film can withstand before stretching or tearing
Tertiary packaging - is the packaging designed to ensure damage free handling, storage and transport of the grouped packaged products
Thermoforming – the method of heating a plastic material to where it is soft enough to form into a shape
Tolerance – permissible maximum deviation from specifications
Tooling - manufacturing aids such as cutting tools, dies, molds and patterns of a specialized nature
Tote – large bin or container
Trapping – placing one ink over another to hide registration variances (ragged or blurry edges) in the printing
Vacuum packaging - a method of preservation in which all the air is removed from a container or package before sealing
Vapor barrier – barrier that prevents or slows the migration of liquid vapor through a material
UPC – Universal Product Code or barcode – a method used to identify products. The code has 2 parts, numbers and bars
UV coating – a coating applied over printed paper then dried by exposure to UltraViolet radiation
Zipper pouch – plastic pouch with a sealing device that opens and closes like a zipper, ie, plastic sandwich bags