Clamshell packaging is an attractive and durable way of displaying a variety of products. From fresh produce to nuts and bolts, clamshell packaging offers protection and security to consumables and non-consumables alike. Stock clamshell packaging is available, as well as the option to hire a company to design and manufacture custom clamshell packaging for your specific product.

Packaging trends change yearly with the invention of new products and improvement of old products. Clamshell packaging is not exempt from these changes. In order to stay on top of clamshell packaging news and trends, consider the following:

1. Display your products in custom or stock clamshell packaging.

2. Design header cards for your clamshell packaging.

3. Follow the market trend to go green by choosing biodegradable or recycled clamshell packaging.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Display products attractively in custom or stock clamshell packaging

Clamshell packaging stock is the way many companies are choosing to package their products. Clamshell packaging allows customers to view eye-catching inserts and displays products attractively. It also provides tamper-proof product packaging.

I recommend: ThomasNet Industrial News Room follows trends in the packaging industry. In a recent article, it points out the trend of eye-catching packaging, such as clamshell. Retail Media News offers an article describing some downsides to sealed clamshell packaging.

Keep products safe while visually showcasing them in clamshell packaging

Clamshell packaging has two features that make it a trend setter; it works as a deterrent to theft and tampering, and it allows products to be visibly showcased. Because of these benefits, many markets are turning to clamshell packaging. Some of the markets that are currently benefiting from this type of packaging are medical, food, pharmaceutical, hardware, electronics, toys, cosmetics and toiletries.

I recommend: Freedonia is a market research group that studies the trends of high-visibility packaging products. Read its study guides to better understand the market trends in the packaging industry. Impact is a company that stays on top of clamshell packaging trends. It produces both standard and custom clamshell packaging.

Join the force of businesses moving toward environmentally friendly clamshell packaging material

With global warming and soaring energy prices, manufacturers and consumers alike are making choices that are more beneficial to the environment. This trend has quickly found its way into the packaging business. More and more companies are offering clamshell packaging that they manufacture from renewable resources, such as corn and potatoes.

I recommend: EzineArticles.com discusses the shift in the market towards environmentally friendly plastic clamshell packaging. Another source for learning about environmentally friendly clamshell packaging is AllBusiness.com. It discusses the shift in the market towards food packaging that is recyclable or biodegradable. Bnet also has an article on biodegradable product packaging.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before choosing a header card designer or a supplier of clamshell packaging, ask for samples of its products so you can be sure you will be happy with the end results.

Clamshell packaging, so named because the attached top and bottom snap closed like a clam shell, has increased in popularity and is used for a variety of products. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are the clamshell packaging materials of choice because of their clarity and strength. PET is the standard clamshell packaging material used when FDA approved packaging is required for food or pharmaceuticals.

Stock clamshell packaging is available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses ranging from 0.007 to 0.047 inches. Clamshell packaging can also be customized to protect and display a product with unique physical features.

Plastic clamshell packaging is also sealable to prevent theft and tampering. Plastic clamshell packaging is generally designed to hang on a pegboard display. However, if the weight is distributed properly, it can stack on a shelf display. Advantages of clamshell packaging include:

1. Protection
2. Visibility
3. Design flexibility through a variety of clamshell packaging material.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Forget soggy cardboard; choose clamshell packaging instead

Whether you're selling produce or electronics, shipping across town or across the country, clamshell packaging resists everything from water to weight. Cardboard and other packaging materials cannot offer the protection of plastic clamshell packaging. Once a cardboard box is damaged, wrinkles, dented or gets wet, it loses its saleability, even if the product inside is undamaged. Clamshell packaging always looks fresh, clean and professional, lending added credibility to your product.

I recommend: Request a free sample from VisiPak and test it yourself.

Choose from custom or stock clamshell packaging material

Take a look at how well custom clamshell packaging showcases different products and makes purchase more convenient for the consumer. Imagine how plastic clamshell packaging could enhance the visibility of your product.

I recommend: View some package samples from Andex.

Compare prices

Clamshell packaging stock is available from a number of different suppliers. Choose one that is large enough to stock a variety of sizes, or can design and produce your custom clamshell packaging. Consider the location of the supplier, as well. All other variables being equal, the supplier closest to your operation will be most efficient, especially for those last-minute orders.

I recommend: Get on-line quotes from several clamshell packaging suppliers, like Impact MFG, Packaging Graphics, and a whole list of others.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Avoid over-packaging your product. If you do, consumers will see it as a waste of materials and an inconvenience. Use only enough clamshell packaging to provide the protection the product needs. Using a thin-walled clamshell package whenever possible will keep your costs down.
• •  Cost is a major consideration in all business decisions, and a customized package will always cost more than a stock item. However, the customization of your clamshell packaging could pay off in better retail sales because it makes your product stand out and showcases its unique features more than stock clamshell packaging.

One of the main strategies for loss prevention, product protection and shipping solutions is clamshell packaging. This high-design plastics and backing system keeps all kinds of consumer goods in decent condition until sale. But there are many different kinds of plastic clamshell packaging as well as emerging issues (such as the need for "user-friendly" packaging that doesn't give customers a headache when they try to open their purchases).

That means that there is a need in the packaging industry for what is called "packaging engineering." Packaging engineers go to school to learn about clamshell packaging and other options, and find jobs later setting "packaging policy" for companies and agencies. The web can be a great resource for a business looking to educate staff in this way. Readers can find:

1. College and university programs around the nation in packaging engineering for dealing with stock clamshell packaging and other forms of product protection.

2. Other trade schools and learning centers for finding out more about clamshell packaging.

3. Online info pages detailing trends and properties of clamshell packaging stock designs and other packaging types.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look for college and university clamshell packaging education and training programs

One option is to opt for a formal training program from one of America's accredited colleges or universities, where an overall packaging engineering degree gives the student insight into the uses of clamshell packaging material and other industry mainstays.

I recommend: Find college and university packaging engineering programs around the country at the School of Packaging website. Find out more at Georgia Tech's College of Engineering.

Find more trade schools and independent programs for clamshell packaging education and training

It's not just colleges and universities that train packaging engineers: other independent trade schools or agencies focused on the need for design in packaging offer other programs, some of them more tailored to specific features of packaging design, such as clamshell packaging.

I recommend: The Packaging Today website lists various learning opportunities for package engineering. Find more options for clamshell packing and other kinds of packaging programs at Summit Publishing Company's PackWorld site.

Use clamshell packaging education and training info pages to learn about trends in the industry

Another way to learn about clamshell packaging materials online does not include enrollment: new magazine articles and other info pages will get the reader up to speed in what is happening today with clamshell packaging manufacturers in an ever-changing field.

I recommend: Find online learning pages about trends in industrial clamshell packaging at Graphic Arts Online. Find more news from suppliers of clamshell packaging at the Packaging Digest.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When getting into programs for clamshell packaging education and training, ask reps about what specific certification processes or credentialing will come out of the program and how it will prepare the student for jobs in the industry. Students may want to know what to tell prospective employers even as they are going through the program.

Clamshell packaging key terms describe the transparent thermoformed plastic with a hinged lid and closures. The packaging can be configured in many ways and offers distinct advantages over other types of product packaging. One of the main draws of clamshell packaging is that it enables customers to see the actual product they're buying rather than a picture or simple description of it. It also conveys a high-end image at a relatively low cost while protecting your product and serving as a theft-deterrent — especially for smaller items.

If you're in the market for clamshell packaging to showcase your products, here is a handful of good-to-know terms to get you on your way.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Stock

Off-the-shelf clamshell packaging that isn't custom produced to product specifications is considered stock. Often, manufacturers who use stock clamshell packaging will custom-order inserts that highlight and support the product inside the generic package.

I recommend: See hundreds of different stock clamshells available at Impact Manufacturing, which offers a handy diagram and calculator to help you find just the right size to fit your needs.

Insert card

An insert card, also called a header card, is the printed literature card that typically is inserted behind, above or around the product being put in the clamshell packaging.

I recommend: Examples of insert cards along with some information on the process involved in having them printed is available at Blisters.

Tri-fold

Tri-fold clamshell packaging has a three-part design that includes a triangular base that enables it to stand upright.

I recommend: See pictures of and learn about tri-fold clamshell packaging options at National Plastics.

Tray

A custom-formed tray is often used inside of clamshell packaging to keep the product in position and help protect it. A tray can be used in combination with a type of stock packaging to save costs.

I recommend: Buckell Plastic Company is one of a number of companies that custom-designs tray inserts for clamshell packaging.

RF sealing

RF (radio frequency) sealing is the most popular method of sealing clamshell packaging because it is tamper resistant and virtually theft-proof. Clamshell packages with an RF seal must be opened with scissors or a knife, which can also be inconvenient for consumers.

I recommend: Professional Packaging Systems does a great job of showing and describing the process used in RF sealing.

Thermoformed

Thermoformed packaging is plastic that has been shaped into a 3-D container or package. Clamshell packaging is thermoformed.

I recommend: Learn all you ever wanted to know about the process of thermoforming at Universal Protective Packaging.