Printed matter is judged entirely on appearance and fails almost entirely at its corners. That makes edge and corner protection the whole specification for much of print despatch - and because paper fills a case by weight long before volume, cases sized by eye are frequently unliftable.
Appearance is the product
A book, a brochure or a print run arrives either perfect or visibly damaged, and there is very little in between. The customer is not assessing whether it still functions; they are looking at it. That makes cosmetic damage total damage in a way it is not for most goods.
It also means the failure modes are specific and predictable: corners, edges, surface marking and damp. Protection aimed at impact in general is usually aimed at the wrong thing.
Weight per volume catches everyone out
Paper is dense. A case sized by eye for its dimensions will be structurally fine and too heavy for anyone to lift, which turns a packaging decision into a manual handling problem at the receiving end.
| Decision | Driven by | Common error |
|---|---|---|
| Case dimensions | Weight, not volume | Sized to fill the box |
| Board grade | Weight and stacking | Single wall on a heavy case |
| Base construction | Concentrated weight | Standard base failing under load |
| Layer separation | Preventing surface marking | Stock packed directly against board |
| Pallet height | Compression through the stack | Stacked to vehicle height |
| Moisture protection | Damp marks the whole stack | Film only, no hood |
Sizing cases for printed matter.
Single copies: the book wrap case
For single-item despatch, a book wrap sized to the item beats a box on almost every measure. It fits the product rather than approximating it, protects the corners and edges where printed matter actually fails, needs no void fill, and usually sits in a lower carrier band.
It is one of the few places in packaging where the better option is also the cheaper one, which is why it has become standard for book despatch - see Postal Boxes and Mailers: Which Format to Use.
Palletised print
- Board top and bottom to spread load and protect the outer faces.
- Edge protection on the corners, where crushing concentrates - see Corner Boards, Edge Protection and Pallet Stability.
- A hood or film that genuinely sheds water, because damp marks the whole stack rather than one item.
- Controlled stack height; compression is cumulative and paper does not recover.
- Interleaving between bundles where surfaces would otherwise rub.
Large format and mounted work
Large format print flexes, and flex creases. The specification is usually about rigidity rather than cushioning: a rigid backing, corner protection and flat despatch, with the item unable to bend within the pack.
Rolled work needs a rigid tube with end caps rather than a soft core - crushed ends are the characteristic failure and they damage the first and last part of the print.
Moisture is the quiet failure
Damp does not damage one item in a stack, it marks the whole stack, and the damage frequently appears after delivery rather than at it. That makes it particularly awkward commercially, because the claim arrives late and the cause is disputed.
A hood over a palletised load is cheap insurance against exactly that - see Shrink Film and Heat Shrink Packaging Explained.
Print for print's sake
There is an irony in this sector: businesses that sell print often despatch in plain packaging. Where the outer is seen by the end customer it is a reasonable place to demonstrate the product, and printed tape or a printed outer costs little relative to the impression.
See custom printed packaging and Printed Tape vs Printed Boxes: Which Earns Its Place.
What to send us
The format and weight of what you despatch, whether it goes as single copies, bundles or pallets, and anything arriving damaged - with photographs, because corner damage is distinctive and tells us where in the journey it happened.
See packaging supplies for the ranges.
A first step for print and publishing businesses
Corner damage is distinctive enough that a handful of photographs usually identifies where in the journey it is happening.
- Photograph damaged items as they arrive, before anyone unpacks them.
- Weigh a full case and ask whether one person can lift it comfortably.
- Compare a single-copy box against a book wrap for the same item, including the carrier band.
- Check a palletised load for edge protection and a water-shedding top.
- Look at whether your own despatch packaging demonstrates what you sell - see Printed Tape vs Printed Boxes: Which Earns Its Place.
The short version
- Printed matter fails at corners and edges, and cosmetic damage is total damage.
- Paper fills a case by weight long before volume - size cases accordingly.
- Book wraps beat boxes for single copies on protection and carriage together.
- Damp marks a whole stack and the damage appears after delivery.
- Rolled work needs a rigid tube with end caps, not a soft core.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to send single books?
A book wrap sized to the item. It protects the corners and edges where printed matter fails, needs no void fill, and usually sits in a lower carrier band than any box holding the same item.
How heavy should a case of printed matter be?
Light enough for whoever lifts it at the other end. Paper fills a case by weight long before volume, so sizing by dimension produces cases that are structurally sound and practically unusable.
How do we protect a pallet of brochures?
Board top and bottom, edge protection on the corners, a hood that sheds water, and a controlled stack height. Edge crushing and damp are the two failures.
How should large format print be despatched?
Flat with a rigid backing and corner protection, or rolled in a rigid tube with end caps. The failure is flex and crease rather than impact.
Should we print our own despatch packaging?
Where the outer is seen by the end customer, it is a cheap and obvious place to demonstrate the product - see Printed Tape vs Printed Boxes: Which Earns Its Place.