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Looking for boxes

4 replies [Last post]
Sun, 07/17/2005 - 16:32
Anonymous

I have the game ready for the production in finding all parts and assembling myself.

I got the artwork done and pricing almost all doneBUT

I need boxes 23"X 13" (monopoly size) two fold holding style.

I also need to find out how to get them blank and add the print to them or if it would be cheaper to add the artwork before ordering them.

The artwork is all done for the boxes and decks and gameboard. This is all doen in jpeg though which I dont imagine will be hard to convert over as I have been told needs to be in TIFF or Quark

Does anyoen know a supplier for boxes???? Where do I look for the blank ones.

Thanks

Mike

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Sun, 07/17/2005 - 18:06
#1
FastLearner
Offline
Joined: 12/31/1969
Looking for boxes

Can't help you with the boxes (but to say that you'll almost undoubtedly just want one company to print and wrap them), but I will note that the fact that your images are in JPEG format is a concern.

The first concern is that JPEG (except for the very highest quality setting) is a "lossy" format, where "noise" or "artifacts" are introduced into the image to save space. This means that the image is automatically of lower quality than however it was created, and it could be sufficiently bad that it will be visible in high-quality printing.

The second is that you need high resolution images, at a bare minimum 300 dots per inch (dpi) if there's any text at all, with more being better. Paint-like illustrations (things without hard edges between colors) can survive in the 300dpi range, but type is going to look fuzzy at less than 450dpi, with what I would consider "acceptable" quality starting at 600dpi for type. Changing the dpi now won't help -- the dots have to be in the original, so be sure it was all created and saved out at a very hight dpi.

The third is that if there is any type, it almost never should be in the artwork itself (the JPEG or the TIFF), but rather created in a page layout application (like QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign). That allows the imagesetter (the special high quality printing device that will outpot your images to be made into printing plates) to print the type at its highest resolution (usually 2400dpi or higher), to make it clean and crisp on the final.

Hopefully none of that is a problem, but I wanted to alert you to the potential before sending it off to press.

-- Matthew

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Sun, 07/17/2005 - 21:12
#2
Anonymous
Looking for boxes

They are done in 300 dpi as far as I can tell.

I am not a techie I just saw the pictures and look awesome to me.

They are not a very complicated artwork like a picaso or such. They are rather simple for someone who has talent.

I am trying to do most of the work assembling the games myself. I tried your suggestioin of the boards and cutting chipboard and apply backing paper with book binders material.

The boards worked out well. Now to get the artwork to be attached and get boxes to hold them altogether.

I have all pieces needed to add to game now and will start with getting 25 printed off at printers to try attaching in a fashion until I get the hang of it for quality reasons.

I need the boxes mostly though. I need blank ones to apply the artwork to or find out if cheaper to have the artwork I have transferred right at the printers onto the boxes.

I have the storage facilty for games and a business name ready.

Working on buying the vacuum sealer for packaging them now. Decided since I have been working on this for a while and come with a few more conceptual games I would do 500 of this one to start with and put a couple other games together as I have them almost worked out on paper to start. This way I can set up a distribution of more than one game coming from my company.

Nothing like taking a small time project to spend time with my kids to the extreme.

If someone has a contact for boxes for games I would appreciate a link or two for comparison.

Thanks

Mike

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Sun, 07/17/2005 - 22:24
#3
Anonymous
Looking for boxes

It's interesting that you call this a small time project when it really sounds as though you are starting a small business creating your game! Best of luck to you!

Are you doing/have you done all of the boards for your 25 or so copies of the game? if so, then you may also want to consider making the game boxes yourself. This is especially true if you have the artwork for the boxes already completed. If you have the skills and patience to create the games (and the tenacity to find book binder's cloth), then creating the box won't be that hard for you.

Check out this thread for some instructions on doing so and this thread on attaching the artwork.I would suggest using single-ply illustration board for the box so it will be a little sturdier, though singl-ply chipboard would work well also.

Considering you're doing 25 of the same size, it would be no problem to create them all in a day or less of work. If you don't want to make the scoring tool shown in the thread, you can also score the boxes with a razor knife and a metal straight edge. The scoring tool allows you to set a fence against which you can score all of the sides without having to measure any of them or line up any straight edges. It took me about 20 minutes to make my scoring tool, and about 45 minutes to make my first set of 4 boxes. Once the fence is in place for either cutting or scoring, the work goes very fast regardless of the quantity you're creating.

Reading your first post a little closer, I'm not sure if you're going to do a run of 500 of this game or 25. For 25, hand work is a possibility, for 500, it definitely isn't (unless you have a LOT of spare time).

For a small run, you can shrink wrap the games without having any vacuum sealer to start with (I'm not sure you'[d need a vacuum sealer over a shrink wrapping set-up for game packaging). You can use the plastic that you get for sealing windows in the winter (comes in giant sheets or on rolls). Cut it to fit your box and seal the edges with either double sided tape or with the edge of an iron (that will take some practice), then shrink the plastic with either a heat gun (don't get to close or you'll burn a hole in it) or a hair dryer (will take longer).

Either way you go, best of luck with your company.

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Sun, 07/17/2005 - 22:43
#4
Anonymous
Looking for boxes

First...

I am making 500 of the game. I am starting with doing the 25 to practice on until I am experienced enough for a professional looking quality then I will do the 500. So really I am getting 525 printed in total.

The shrink wrapper may be the better way to go BUT I couldnt think of the name of the machine to use. I do know a friend who has a vacuum sealer for packaging though which I have access too.

As for setting this up as a small business I guess I have went over board again. Figures. Its just in me to do that. I am working on about 4 games at the same time and looking at having them all self published for this way I would have a better chance of approaching a company to carry my product when I can say I have 6 games or so and low minimums for ordering.

I am not that far into it yet though. Just looking at boxes as for everything else I got from reading posts on this board and talking to many people on here via email or telephone at all kinds of wierd hours. LOL

This is set up in our garage and as a FAMILY not only myself doing this. My 2 children and my wife assist with all the work involved. Plus the artwork was doen from soemone online from this board. When I have it all in place I was asked If I would start a thread showing my prgress as I have a distributor already for 600 of the game and another I am still awaiting a reply which was interested in seeing a prototype of it.

I am new and trying to go at this with only advise from you guys here so I am sure I will learn alot as I go.

Thanks

Mike

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