PREMIUM PACKAGING
There is that brief moment before a box is even opened. You hold it in your hand, feel its weight, perhaps run your fingers briefly over the surface. At that very moment, the impression of the product’s quality has long since been decided.
That is precisely what premium packaging is all about. It doesn’t have to be flashy, nor does it have to look expensive. It must be harmonious: the right material, clean edges, an interior that fits perfectly. At LESER, we have been creating such packaging for five generations now, for jewellery, watches, cosmetics, spirits and many other products that deserve a little more attention than a standard box. We’d be delighted to work with you to find the perfect solution for your product.
What makes packaging premium packaging?
Two boxes may look identical in a photograph but feel completely different in your hand. This is rarely down to a single detail; it is almost always down to four decisions that work together.
1. Material: Solid board, 1 mm or 1.5 mm thick, feels different to thin folding boxboard. It lends the packaging weight and a sense of stability.
2. Workmanship: Edges that close neatly, lids that neither jam nor wobble, and surfaces free from creases or bubbles.
3. Finishing: the accent, usually applied sparingly and often limited to the logo.
4. Interior: determines whether the product sits securely in place when the box is opened or whether it slides loosely back and forth.
Premium packaging from LESER: quality you can see and feel
- Sharp-Corner technique: Precise edges and flawless surfaces, the most visible sign of quality in premium packaging.
- 100 % bespoke: Size, material, colour, logo and finish are tailored entirely to your requirements.
- High-quality materials: Solid board in 1 mm or 1.5 mm thickness and fine Wibalin® cover papers in a wide range of colours and textures.
- Refined finishes: Hot foil stamping, Offset printing and spot varnish, individually or in combination.
- Small quantities possible: Stock items from 10 pieces, bespoke solutions from a few hundred pieces.
Materials and workmanship: what really matters
Most of the differences between good and excellent packaging lie in the parts you cannot see. At LESER, solid board is laminated by hand with the cover paper, and it is the neat finish at the corners that determines the overall impression. This is precisely where the Sharp-Corner technique comes into play: the corners are joined edge to edge, creating a sharp, straight edge rather than a soft curve.
When it comes to the cover paper, you have a great deal of freedom. Smooth or textured, matt or glossy, in muted natural tones or in a bold corporate colour. Above all, it is the overall harmony that matters: a deep black, slightly rough paper conveys a different message to a cream-coloured linen. We’d be happy to send you samples, as texture is difficult to describe and even harder to assess on a screen.
And because a perfect fit is also key to premium packaging: from several hundred pieces we manufacture every box as an individual made-to-measure solution, tailored to your product with millimetre precision.
The main box styles for premium packaging
The most widely used is the cardboard slip lid box, the classic design of lid and base. The double layer of material makes it particularly sturdy and gives it a noticeably high-quality feel when the lid is lifted. If you want to save storage space and shipping costs, the magnetic box is the better choice: it is delivered flat, opens smoothly and closes reliably. The biggest wow effect comes from the cardboard drawer box, whose inner box slides out slowly, on a satin ribbon if desired.
For flat products and sets we recommend the book cover cardboard box. It opens like a book and therefore looks particularly elegant. Where an exact fit and a calm appearance matter, the collar cardboard box has an internal collar that guides the lid neatly into position.
Finishing: how cardboard becomes a brand
You can choose from these three techniques:
- Hot foil stamping: the classic choice in the premium segment. Your logo takes on a metallic sheen in gold, silver, rose gold or a custom colour and stands out noticeably from the surface.
- Offset printing: the choice when you need several colours, including Pantone custom colours for precise brand shades.
- Spot varnish: adds targeted glossy accents to a matt surface. An effect you only notice in the light, and that is exactly why it works so well.
All three techniques can be combined, on the inside as well. A printed interior is one of the most affordable ways to make packaging look significantly more upmarket.
Material origin: FSC®-certified cardboard
With premium packaging, it is not only how it feels that counts, but also where the material comes from. LESER has been FSC®-certified since 2018. The FSC system sets requirements for forest management and for the entire supply chain; compliance is assessed and regularly reviewed by independent bodies. For you this means a traceable material origin that you can also demonstrate to your own customers. On request we manufacture your packaging from FSC®-certified cardboard. (FSC® licence number: FSC® C144083, further information at www.fsc.org)
If recycled material is a criterion for you, please talk to us: our recycled cardboard is made from 100 % recycled material in the body, cover and foam. There are also alternatives to foam for the interior, such as cardboard inserts or ribbons made of cotton, linen and jute. We will clarify which combination is feasible for your product in conversation and will be happy to send you samples.
What’s inside: the difference between a box and packaging
If the product sits securely and centrally, everything looks well thought out. If it slides back and forth, that impression is lost, no matter how elegant the exterior is. These packaging inserts are available:
- Foam inserts with a precisely fitted cut-out, the most common and most flexible solution. The only cost is the steel rule die, usually a few hundred euros. The tool is reusable, so the cost arises only once.
- Cardboard inserts as a lightweight and easily recyclable option, also in several parts for sets.
- Deep-drawn parts for exact contours when the product has a special shape. Depending on size, the tooling costs are slightly higher than those of a steel rule die and are worthwhile from just a few hundred pieces.
- Moulded fibre inserts as an alternative with a pleasantly matt surface. The tooling costs are considerably higher, which is why moulded fibre only becomes interesting from several thousand pieces.
- Ribbons and loops made of satin, cotton, linen or jute for securing and lifting out the product.
If you’d like a little more: scent and light
Sometimes the usual is not enough, for example with a limited edition, a launch or a press kit. In such cases it is worth looking at two options that many people are not even aware of.
Scented packaging carries a fragrance directly in the material. It is released when the box is opened, appealing to a sense that packaging otherwise never reaches. Luminous packaging works with integrated LED lighting that puts the product centre stage as it is opened. Both are effects you need exactly once, but then properly.
WHICH INDUSTRIES BENEFIT MOST FROM PREMIUM PACKAGING
Wherever the product itself is already a promise, the packaging plays its part. These are the sectors that approach LESER most often:
1. Jewellery and watches: here the packaging is part of the gift and often stays with the customer for years.
2. Cosmetics and perfume: a market in which the packaging plays a decisive part in the purchase decision on the shelf.
3. Wine and spirits: the gift packaging decides whether a bottle becomes a present.
4. Fashion and accessories: from the shoe box to packaging for scarves and belts.
5. Manufactories and art supplies: small runs, high standards and usually a product that exists only once.
Need help?
We’re happy to help.
Whether by telephone, email or contact form: simply get in touch with us. We reply quickly and personally and are happy to help.
Packaging Consulting
Phone: +49 (0) 7821 / 5803-39
Email: kontakt@leser.de