A printed protector is printed flat, before the board is folded, so the artwork has to be drawn for a part that will be bent. Logos land across a fold, text runs along a leg, and anything placed at the notch will disappear into the corner. Getting the artwork right is a five minute job if the fold line is known, and a reprint if it is not.
Where artwork actually lands
The outside of the legs is the visible surface on a folded pack. The fold itself is a crease, and fine detail across a crease fills in.
The notch area is removed, so artwork there is lost. On a pre-bent piece, the whole corner is the notch, which is why logos are placed on the straight run.
One or two colours is the practical range. More than that starts to compete with the cost of the protector itself.
Specification at a glance
The table shows where each element of a print job sits on the finished part.
| Element | Where it sits | Note |
|---|
| Logo | Outer leg, straight run | Not across the fold |
| Item code | Leg, large | Picking aid |
| Size mark | End of the piece | Readable in a stack |
| Handling note | Outer leg | One line only |
| Fine detail | Avoid | Fills in at the crease |
What printing is for on a protector
Not decoration. It carries the item code, the panel size, the handling instruction or the customer logo, so a pack can be identified without opening it and a stack can be counted at a glance.
That makes print a picking aid as much as branding, and the most useful artwork is often a large code on the leg plus a size mark at the end.
Plates, minimums and revisions
A plate charge applies once per design; after that the cost is an increment per piece. A revision means a new plate, so the artwork should be signed off against a proof rather than a description.
Print does not change the mechanical specification. It can be added to any wall and any inside width within the normal ranges.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
How many colours can you print?
One or two. More starts to cost more than the protector.
Can I print across the fold?
Artwork can cross it, but fine detail fills in at the crease.
Is the print on the inside or outside?
Outside, so it stays visible on a folded pack.
How is artwork approved?
Against a proof, before the plate is made.
Does print change the minimum?
A plate charge applies once, then the normal minimum per size.
Share the section drawing or a pack sample with mona@hengnicepacking.com and we will confirm feasibility before quoting.
