Monday, August 6, 2012

Ordering Printed Stretch Film

If you’re someone who likes stretch film, you’re not alone.  However, you might wonder where printed stretch wrapping comes from, and where it might be. 

Stretch wrapping is ideal for advertising different products, and it is something that’s good for storage and transit.  Usually, they tend to cost more due to the options that they have. Here are some of the steps that a person might take for custom printed stretch wrapping. 

Understand the Pricing and Minimums 

The first thing to understand is that you need to know the minimums. On average, the minimum is just a pallet, and the minimum is set up, and usually takes down the time for every single print job.  For the stretch film rolls, one pallet usually is about 192 different rolls.  For machine stretch, one pallet comes with 40 rolls.  The machine rolls usually are a lot longer than the hand rolling, so keep that in mind. The pricing does vary based on the colors, and the type of the film that you’re going to print on.  Most of the time, for super customized options, you’re looking at more than 5 grand for these. 


Determine the thickness and color 

The logo and the color are what will determine the ideal stretch and the color choice for the film. 

Clear is the cheapest, but it’s not what will make logos look good. White is another one that’s pretty common, as it lets the artwork, and the logos stand out.  Logos that are most white will be printed on a black colored film as well. both the white and the black logo are perfect for containment of the load, and they usually are opaque too.

The thickness must be considered.  Most of the time, you should look at the different types to choose the right kind of film for the job.  The most commonly used are the 80 gauge, but it might not be good for you to get something different. Bear in mind that the printing of this cannot be done on super thin films.  However, nothing thinner than 60 gauge is best for you to print on. 

Give the Artwork and the colors used to print 

Remember that most companies will not edit this artwork.  You must supply your finished artwork in order to get good pricing for the print job.  Once this artwork is supplied, the printing colors that are needed are determined, and from there, you get a digital proof made for this, and this details the size and the logo along with the film placement. 



Paperwork and Pricing 

Once the colors of the film and print are further decided. The pricing and the fees for the plate are calculated. More complex logos with different designs tend to have greater fees for plates than those that are simplistic. Plates do need to also have engraving for the initial printing jobs.  

Engraving and its fees are usually required for the first time you order this, and then, once you’ve agreed upon the price, you then need to have printed proof there that it’s returned and signed. 

Along with signed proof from the customer, you also need to film out the wind sheet, which details the means in which the logos get printed onto each film roll.  There are different ways for you to determine this, and it should be done before printing. 



Finally, you need to add the down payment, and then, you’ve just got to wait for them to print it, which can take up to 6 weeks depending on when you order the stretch wrapping, bearing in mind peak times.