When we talk with our new clients, some of them have doubts about the printing solutions.
There are many articles on the Internet sharing the advantages of different printing solutions, but no article sharing about “how to do”, or the cost of printing solutions when importing from China.
We have listed the 7 printing solutions for customizing your aluminum bottles. You will learn how to add your own brand to your metal bottles.
- Silk Screen Printing
- Offset Printing
- Painting
- Heat Transfer Printing
- UV Coating
- Labeling
- Hot Stamping (Foiling)
Solution 1: Silk Screen Printing
Screen printing is one of the best printing options for aluminum bottles. You can get stenciled prints on your aluminum bottles. The process involves meshing inked designs on your flat aluminum surface.
Most manufacturers use screen printing on fabric or paper branding. It is also possible to imprint your designs on any metal bottle.
The number of colors for aluminum bottles may be limited. Depending on the type of stencils used for the prints.
They include the price of printing before billings. In screen printing, more quantity equals less price. The more units you print, the lesser the price. You can get quotes from $0.1-$1.7 based on different colors and quality.
The best way to achieve this printing solution is by imprinting a stencil on a mesh screen. Now you have to apply force to get the best results.
Push the ink through your neatly trimmed stencil. Keep applying force until you recreate the imprint of your design. Repeat the process on each aluminum bottle.
People sometimes get different results after screen printing. This is due to the various stenciling techniques used in the procedure. Suppliers generally quote based on unit price.
Solution 2: Offset Printing
Offset printing works best on large quantities of aluminum bottles. Manufacturers get the best printing deals on offset printing.
Offset printing comes in reusable plates. Yes, you can reuse the plates a couple of times. It’s the best choice for its cost-effective and advantageous benefits.
Offset printing offers faster printing solutions on your metal cosmetic containers. Allowing you to achieve mass printings at a faster rate.
You can get up to nine(9) color variations on your aluminum bottles. There’s a high chance of getting multiple high-quality printing units.
You do not have to place the ink on paper with offset printing. This allows you to avoid smearing of all kinds. Offset printing gives you an attractive and appealing result.
Product labeling on any metal bottle is achievable with offset printing. This printing technique allows you to export your design from the computer. There’s no decrease in resolution quality from the computer.
It’s a one-way exporting and printing technique. The cost for offset prints can range between $0.02 and $0.06 per unit(only for printing costs).
Remember that color selection and print quality affect pricing. Above all, offset printing offers great quality at a fair price.
Solution 3: Painting
Painting directly on your metal bottle is another cost-effective printing alternative. This option provides room for maximum creativity. You can get a professional to sketch on your metal cosmetic containers.
Painting on aluminum bottles is not only cheap. It gives your packaging a unique design. The artist can easily represent your brand’s image on the products. Providing the best custom designs on your aluminum bottles.
The pricing for painting on one aluminum bottle could range from $0.05-$0.08/color. But this printing method only allows 1 color max, so the bottle manufacturers normally consider it as a base color.
For example, as you can see in the photo, there are 2 colors on the bottle, aluminumrock will use painting as the base color which is orange-red.
Another white color will be printed with silkscreen printing. So the printing cost will be 1 color painting cost + 1 color silk screen cost. It will be $0.06/unit(only for the printing cost) based on our MOQ of 3,000 units.
The different color variations in painting allow you to experiment. Remember to go for oil-based color pigmentations. They give your design a glossy finish. Most painting prints remain on the containers for years.
Your customers never have to worry about breakage on the packaging. The paint sticks to the aluminum bottle retaining the design.
We love the glossy effect of painting solutions. Most printing alternatives would cost extra to achieve that.
Solution 4: Heat Transfer Printing
Everyone loves heat transfer printing. It’s one of the newest printing solutions for aluminum bottles.
The modern heat transfer procedure is different from the iron-on-decals method we know. It’s a two-way process that guarantees high-quality printing.
Click the above picture to download the catalog of aluminumrock
First, the machine imprints your design on printing paper. The machine then applies the ink to the metal bottle.
This works using even heat and pressure on the paper. Ensure the heat spreads across all sides of the metal.
After printing, remove the film on each aluminum bottle. The film protects the design from intense heat.
It controls the amount of pressure and heat on the paper. Remove the film carefully to get the finished product.
There are different kinds of heat transfer printing techniques. Whichever method you chose may affect the printing result.
The most common ones are dye sublimation and vinyl transfers. Some manufacturers love to stick with inkjet transfers.
Others with modern-age printing elements go for digital appliqué transfers.
They all help you achieve heat-pressed custom designs. You might have to choose between 3-8 color options.
Some heat transfer printing techniques do not work with every color. Pricing may vary between $0.03 and $0.1 per color. Rates vary depending on the color and quantity of metal cosmetic containers.
Solution 5: UV Coating
UV Coating printing process begins with applying print liquids on paper substrates. We then apply ultraviolet light to further polish the design on the metal bottle.
UV coatings come after a printing procedure. The ultraviolet light makes your design glossy.
UV coating gives your aluminum bottles refined packaging. The glossy-like effect keeps the bottle shining even from a distance.
Ingredients like calcium, carbonate, kaolinite, and polyethylene keep it strong.
This luxurious printing should cost you anywhere between $0.08 and $0.2/color. 2 colors maximum. For example, if you have a product line for perfume, the UV coating will be the best choice for your bottle.
As you can see the perfume bottle, has 2 colors. We normally charge $0.15/unit(only for the printing cost) based on MOQ 3,000 units.
Use UV coatings to bring life to your aluminum bottle designs. Companies with luxury packaging invest in UV coatings. That’s why their metal cosmetic containers have this added high-quality feel.
The ingredients from UV coatings help you increase the strength of your products. It also extends the duration of the packaging.
People go for different types of UV coatings. Each type appears and feels different on metal cosmetic containers. Gloss UV shines most of all UV coatings. It provides the glossiest finishings on your metal bottle.
Others like Matte UV give an elegant and luxurious finish. Pearlescent UV gives your metal cosmetic containers a refined glow. Try Orange peel UV for a custom tactile feel.
Solution 6: Labelling
Labeling is the perfect option for grabbing your customers’ attention. Label prints are appealing to the human eye.
They help convey your brand’s identity to potential customers. You can get both simple and complex (digital) printing solutions with labeling. Labels can go on metal cosmetic containers in eight different colors.
Your budget determines the label’s quality and color variations. Pricing should vary between $0.04 and $0.09/color depending on different quantities.
As you can see this is the label printing for an aluminum bottle. We normally charge $0.05/unit(only for the printing cost) based on MOQ 3,000 units.
Flexographic labeling solutions offer matte and gloss specifications. These labels can also thrive under extreme weather conditions. You do not have to worry about clients in cold or humid climates.
Another common options are digital labels. They work best on small-volume prints for your aluminum bottles. Digital labels would help you save more on cost.
Thermal labels are the most popular label printing solutions. This method can accommodate small, medium, and large-scale prints.
You would also get the best results on variable data prints. Metal bottle manufacturers that have variable data designs go for thermal labels. Ink-jet labels offer high-quality color results.
Solution 7: Hot Stamping (Foiling)
Hot stamping involves applying metallic prints on foil. You’d need a high degree of heat and pressure to achieve your desired prints. Foiling also creates matte and glossy-like prints on aluminum bottles.
Hot stamping works well on metal cosmetic containers. The dark-colored surfaces do not affect the prints. It is easier to imprint your design on the aluminum bottle. Since foiling does not involve the use of inks.
Hot foil stamping is the best option for shining designs on aluminum bottles. Its anti-counterfeiting feature makes your design long-lasting.
There are various types of hot stamping machines. Their heat and pressure variations affect the printing results. You can go for the flat-flat, round-flat, or round-round prints.
You can easily create your embossed designs with embossed foiling. There’s a slim color range though. You might not get more than 4-5 color variations at a time. Pricing for hot stamping varies between $0.08 and $2/unit(only for the printing cost). Hot stamping makes your metal cosmetic containers stand out.
Your customers can identify your product packaging from the competitors. Foiling offers versatility with your packaging.
Summary
These 7 printing solutions provide the authenticity you need. They’d help your packaging stand out from the crowd. Each solution is cost-effective.
You’d not have to break your bank to package our aluminum bottles. They are time-sensitive as long as you have the designs. Enjoy the best product packaging experience with these printing solutions!
