The Wide World of Packaging Prototypes

Reaping the Benefits

With the addition of prototyping services to its list of offerings, Just-Us Printers has quickly realized how this new business segment can supplement and support its other departments. For example, Justus explains that introducing the company’s packaging services to its commercial printing customers has opened these customers’ eyes to how they can utilize folding cartons in their own businesses.

Additionally, Justus says that by having offset folding carton production capabilities, folding carton prototyping becomes a natural feeder for the production side of the business.

“It’s been fun to see the natural fit that all the different departments have,” Justus says. “Prototyping fits so well with the full production side. It’s funny because you never know what you’re going to do the next day and what’s going to come. Whether it’s a display going into a major retailer or a one-off display that someone just wants in an office, you never know what’s going to come next.”

For Edwards, the key to staying on the pulse of what the packaging market wants is through networking and attending packaging conferences and events that have a focus on digital printing. He explains that breaking into the packaging market can be a challenge, especially for newcomers to the industry. But by speaking the packaging language and understanding the needs, challenges and trends of the industry, those adding package prototyping services will be setting themselves up for success in one of the hottest segments of the printing industry.

“Of all the types of the printing, packaging is one that has the best direction to go,” he says. “It’s growing and it’s not going to go away.”