It lacks the glamour of color-saturated ink precisely placed onto dazzling white paper, but packaging and delivery is essential to putting your freshly printed communication safely, and promptly, in the hands of your intended audience.
“CARTON CONVENIENTLY”
When you see this phrase on a quote, it indicates special handling was not requested, AND, you’ll receive the very best, most efficient packing of your job. Here are some ways we make sure all your beautiful and perfect pieces are packaged better than a fresh carton of eggs:
Banding: paper banding is standard for any folded piece, as it holds it firmly flat and facilitates boxing. A 4″-5″ thickness of pieces is usual; the quantity varies with the thickness of job.
Shrink-wrapping: This step is often employed to protect jobs from the perils of shipping. Package carriers, especially on multi-day ground deliveries, subject cartons to a lot of handling. Shrink wrap prevents movement, scuffing and guards against external damage.
Cartons: We use about 15 sizes that fit most any job. The goal is a filled carton weighing 35 lbs. or less. Heavier cartons may not hold-up in shipping. And they’re harder to handle at destination.
Bulk Shipments: Large-quantity jobs call for bulk packing on skids. Pieces are carefully carton-packed, then firmly bound on skids to eliminate product movement in transit.
CUSTOM/SPECIAL SERVICES
We will band and/or shrink wrap pieces in specified increments for inventory control and ease of distribution. Example: bundles of 25, 50, 100.
- Custom Cartons to handle odd-sized or larger jobs require 3-4 days lead time to produce.
- Special Labeling is a service many customers require. Bar-coding, custom-numbering, anything is possible. We’ll furnish a “test label” if necessary.
- We also offer inventory management and fulfillment services which take the hassle out of storing, managing, and fulfilling your printed products.
DELIVERY
Our motto has always been, “Find the right mode at the least cost.” This rings particulary true for our delivery services.
Package Carriers: The big shippers-UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc.-are often the way to go. We use them as efficiently as possible.
LTL Resources: “Less-than-truck-load” shippers are a key delivery tool. We utilize a network of regional, hand-picked companies that are often the fastest-and cheapest. Even for next-day shipments! From NYC to Detroit to the deep South, B&B can surprise you with economical delivery of even large bulk jobs.
Local Deliveries: in Richmond Metro, and often Ashland and Petersburg, are free! (Who can complain about that?)
ON-LINE TRACKING
We not only line-up the best delivery, we let you track your shipments on-line, through our secure Customer Center. We directly import shipper data for your job, so you get instant updating on your shipment status.