Short answer: sometimes, and it depends on how the box is printed. Longer answer: plates are a real cost in packaging and they are the reason short runs have historically been expensive, so it is worth understanding which method uses them and what that means for your order.
Method by method
| Print method | Plates needed | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Digital | None. The image is applied directly from the file | Shorter runs, multiple artwork versions in one order, fast changes |
| Offset lithography | One plate per colour | Longer runs, tight colour consistency, fine detail on paperboard |
| Flexography | One photopolymer plate per colour | Printing directly onto corrugated liner, high volume shipping boxes |
| Foil stamping | A stamping die rather than a printing plate | Metallic detail on a small area |
| Embossing | A matched die set rather than a printing plate | Raised or recessed detail in the board |
Plate is not the same as die
These two words get used interchangeably by buyers and they are completely different tools. The printing plate carries the inked image for one colour and transfers it to the sheet. The cutting die is a shaped tool that cuts the outline and scores the folds, and it is built from your dieline. A box with no print at all still needs a die. A box printed digitally needs a die but no plates. If you are new to the terminology, what a dieline is covers the drawing that the die is built from.
Why buyers ask this question
Almost always because a quote elsewhere carried a plate charge, or because they are trying to work out whether a small first run is affordable. That is a fair concern. Plate and die charges are what historically made a run of a few hundred boxes cost more per unit than the boxes themselves were worth.
At iBox the die, the printing plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included in the order, on a minimum of 100 boxes per size and artwork. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, confirmed on your written quote. That means the plate question stops being a cost question and becomes a straightforward production question: which method suits your run length and your artwork.
Which method should you choose?
- Several artwork versions, modest quantity per version. Digital, because there is no per colour setup to repeat for each version.
- One artwork, large quantity, precise brand colour. Offset, because plate based printing holds colour consistently across a long run.
- Corrugated shippers, one to three bold colours, high volume. Flexography, printing straight onto the liner.
- Photographic imagery on a corrugated box. A printed sheet laminated to the board, rather than direct printing.
If you want a fuller comparison of the two main routes, read offset vs digital printing.
What happens on a reorder
If your artwork has not changed, the setup work does not need repeating, and the same tooling that made your first run makes the next one. If your artwork has changed, say so clearly when you reorder, because a changed file needs a fresh proof and you should see it before the press runs. Turnaround is stated per product across Rush, Standard and Cost saver lanes, from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 days for delivery.
Send your artwork and quantity to the quote form and the recommended print method will come back with the price, with plates and the die already included.
