Product packaging ideas for sending family photos

Guest post by Ryan Barnes

The goal when sending delicate photographs to family members across the country isn’t only to ship the items very easily without damage, but also to make them look presentable. It’s where product packaging plays an important role. The good news is that there are so many ways to pack photo prints when sending them to your family.

The near-unlimited supply of custom design materials available at your fingertip makes deciding for a photograph product packaging a fun problem to have. From stickers that include your name to personalized ribbons and tissue wrapping papers, the combinations are endless.

Here are some photography packaging ideas that are worth checking out:

  1. Custom Album Boxes And Photo Boxes

A very convenient and attractive way to pack full albums or multiple smaller prints is through the use of album boxes and photo boxes. There are many styles on websites such as Etsy that can serve as inspirations if you want to DIY your boxes. Some great box options are also available for purchase. For example, you can have a firm cardstock style plus a ribbon or a custom wood keepsake box. These boxes will make the photo prints easily portable. Your family members will also feel safer taking them out and showing them to other people.

  1. Photo Print Wrapping Paper

Wrapping paper is another option. Who doesn’t love the part where you have to rip open a gift that’s beautifully wrapped?  From a nice natural style using butcher paper to any print imaginable, there are just so many options to choose from. Just make sure to pick a material that fits the feel of the photos inside.

If you don’t want to order a large quantity of photo print bags, definitely consider wrapping paper. It’s also the ideal choice if you’re a photography business that hasn’t yet worked with a brand creation agency, like Idea Dolls London, to decide on your branding. Don’t forget to finish off the wrapping paper with a beautiful tag and layers of ribbon.

  1. Fabric Wrap

Need to wrap up some photo prints, but want something unique?   Use fabric instead of wrapping paper or tissue paper. For example, you can use a piece of white cotton fabric and a striped navy to wrap a photo proof box. Also, you can use white cotton webbing in lieu of satin ribbon. Scotch tape will, then, do the trick to keep the fabric wrap in place by wrapping it as you would do in any other gift.

Look for inexpensive fabric by browsing your local fabric store. Ensure that the fabric you’ll choose synchronizes with the feel you want the receiver to imbibe upon receiving and opening the gift. So long as the fabric belongs to the same color family, feel free to mix and match patterns and solids.

  1. Custom Photo Print Bags

The use of specialized flat paper bags where you can slide your photo prints into is one fun and cost-effective way of personalizing the delivery of delicate photographs. These are easy-to-use and are available in different colors and sizes. If you like, you can even pre-print your name on them. There are bigger bags for full albums and smaller ones for the smaller individual prints. Your family will surely love them, especially if you finish them off with personalized stickers or stamps.

  1. Embellished Shipping Boxes

Sending photos inside an embellished shipping box would definitely make your family smile upon opening the mail. To embellish what’s already free, use United States Postal Service’s Priority Mail boxes!  Make a ‘greeting’ that perfectly fits on the inside flap in place of the small thank you note. Give the ‘greeting’ a nicer feel and look by using an A9 flat card made with 100% cotton.

Add a handwritten note if you want to make the embellished shipping box more personal. For instance, you can print the receiver’s name on the top of one small sheet that you can tuck into the box. That would be an excellent spot to write your family a special note. This type of packaging makes a lasting impression for, at most, USD$5 in materials and a little bit of extra time. This way of sending photos that contain special memories to your family is worth every penny if you think about it!

Final Thoughts

Put yourself in the receiver’s shoes when choosing your photography packaging. Imagine you’ll be on the receiving end of the package. Whatever you choose, you’ll want your packaging to accurately reflect how you want your family to feel about the photos. Keep in mind that when you treat the photographs as something truly special, your family will feel that way, too.

Ryan Barnes is a full-time blogger who writes a wide variety of topics online. Aside from updating content on his own blog, Ryan loves to partner with other websites by sending them some of his articles.