The Ultimate Packaging Zine - LeKAC Sourcing (Spring 2022)

THE PACKAGING ZINE

Editor in Chief

Gabrielle Ho

Art Direction

Samneet Mann

Taylor Tran

Sydney Shortt

Editors

Gabrielle Ho

Taylor Tran

Graphic Designers

Samneet Mann

Sydney Shortt

Writers

Gabrielle Ho

Taylor Tran

Cover Photo

Samneet Mann

Contributors

Kopi Thyme

Flavours of Art

LeKAC Sourcing Ltd.

MESSAGE FROM THE TEAM

Happy Spring! We wanted to begin as always by thanking each and every one of you for subscribing to our packaging zine. This edition of the zine is extra special because it marks one year of seasons zines!

We’re excited as always to share updates and packaging news with you. However, for those new subscribers, let us introduce ourselves. We’re a Canadian-based company offering custom packaging solutions across North America. We’ve also expanded our services to include graphic design, branding, and social media management!

With the world constantly changing from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and other global events, we want to take this time to thank our clients for

their patience and understanding. If you’re worried about the status of your order, please let us know and our Business Development Consultants can provide an update.

As a final reminder, we remain open by appointment only! For our Ontario office, while mask mandates have been lifted, our staff will continue to wear masks for our safety and yours.

Not comfortable meeting in person? No worries! Our consultants are available via video or phone call to assist you as well.

Sincerely,

Everyone from LeKAC Sourcing Ltd.

Check out our Marketing Services if you’re interested in branding, graphic design and social media management help!

Learn with Lenny!

Check out pages 22–23 to find Lenny teaching you about packaging terms you’ll find useful the next time you order custom packaging!

PICK YOUR OWN PACKAGING

FARMING INDUSTRY PRODUCTS

When you think of the farming industry, you may not immediately associate it with packaging, right?

I’ll be honest, I thought so too… but I was wrong. There are endless options for packaging when you consider the industry on a consumer level. After researching and studying these businesses thoroughly, LeKAC was actually able to create new featured products with the help of various companies across the country.

WHY CHANGE?

Our main driving force for entering this industry was the sheer amount of single-use plastic existing in it. At most

pick-your-own farms, there is an abundance of single-use plastic in the form of baskets, handles and bags. It’s more important than ever to make the switch to something more sustainable, especially with the single-use plastic ban approaching.

More and more consumers are becoming eco-conscious, and a shocking 8 of every 10 customers are actively interested in knowing whether or not a product is eco-friendly, packaging included. Consumers are eager to make a contribution towards change, and farm owners should take a step in the right direction.

OUR PRODUCT SOLUTION

The LeKAC Pack was able to come up with various packaging products that are 100% recyclable and/or reusable. Not only will you be able to do your part to reduce your plastic usage, but you’ll also be able to broaden your reach and create more awareness for your company and brand. With custom packaging, you’re guaranteed unique items perfect for your produce and longer lasting publicity.

OUR ECO-FRIENDLY OPTIONS

Last month, LeKAC Sourcing attended the Ontario Fruit and Veggie Convention (OFVC). We were there as exhibitors, showing off our custom packaging solutions for farms, butcher shops, and other produce!

This year we are proud to showcase a large variety of eco-friendly products from our agriculture clients from the last few years!

Our featured products from the OFVC 2022 show are:

• PP Non-Woven Reusable Bags

• Kraft Paper Bags

• Kraft Woven Bags

• Corrugated Fruit Baskets

Not what you’re looking for? No worries! Our packaging line is extensive and we have so much more to offer for the farm industry! The full catalogue is available to view on our website !

Want to see the products in person and didn’t catch us at OFVC? Fruit and veggies not your jam? No worries! We’ll be at two other trade shows this year. More details regarding the upcoming trade shows are available on page 11 .

Hope to see you there!

You can also give us a call at 1-866-996-6818, email us at info@lekac.com, or contact us on Instagram or Facebook! We can’t wait to hear from you.

Our team hard at work sharing our wide selection of custom packaging solutions at the OFVC Trade Show. Our booth is full of samples from clients and take-home samples of ribbons, papers & more.

LeKAC Business Development Consultants work endlessly to come up with packaging solutions that match your budget and requirements!

MISSED US AT OFVC?

SEE US AT

Bakery Showcase Trade Show

APRIL 10th –11th 2022

BOOTH 425

Toronto Congress Centre

650 Dixon Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9W 1J1

SIAL Canada

APRIL 20th – 22nd 2022

BOOTH 1824

Palais des Congrès de Montréal

1001 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montréal, QC, H2Z 1H5

FEATURED PRODUCT

CORRUGATED FRUIT BASKETS

• High Quality

• Eco-Friendly

• Affordable

Our corrugated boxes come in a variety of structures, printing and lamination options! Get in touch with our team to learn more about what we can supply.

A GUIDE TO PRINTING ON KRAFT

Here at LeKAC, we offer two types of paper base: brown and white Kraft. But what should you keep in mind when printing on Kraft? In this blog post, we’re giving you a guide for everything you need to know about printing on Kraft. Keep reading to learn more!

Brown VS White Kraft

The first question to ask is: “What kind of Kraft do I want?”. Depending on the look you want for your packaging, your options are open!

Brown Kraft is the most basic of our offerings. It has a more industrial look, and has the texture from the natural fibres. White Kraft on the other hand, has a smoother finish to it! Kraft can be used for boxes, bags, and a number of other packaging materials!

What’s The Difference?

The key difference between the brown Kraft and the white Kraft is… the print! So why do these look so different from each other? Remember brown Kraft’s natural fibre texture? It’s this texture that makes the print look slightly different! The brown Kraft is naturally more absorbent, meaning the ink seeps into the

material, resulting in a loss of vibrance! However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t print colour on brown Kraft.

Cooler, brighter colours will show up more clearly on brown Kraft material, whereas pastels and warm colours will blend in to the background.

What’s the Best Way to Print on Kraft?

When creating your design, we always recommend using the CMYK colour mode. The colours may not look as vibrant as you think they should be on your screen, but trust the process! Most digital screens use the RGB colour mode, and can display more saturated, vibrant colours.

If you have a one-colour print in mind, spot printing is your best bet for opaque coverage! This option is great for brown Kraft, as CMYK printed white would have trouble showing on the paper. Although colour gets absorbed into the brown Kraft material, you can use it to your advantage!

Take this bag from Mary’s Brigadeiro

as an example. Despite the brown Kraft, the colours in the side gusset still come through. Many of the colours are bright, cool tones, and the lighter, pastel shades add dimension to the design!

Want to print a colour design on a brown Kraft surface, but still aren’t sure if it would look the way you want?

Our knowledgeable design specialists can help make custom mockups and 3D renders of your design so you can visualize the final product better. Contact us today for a free consultation!

TO READ THE FULL BLOG POST VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.LEKAC.COM

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT KOPI THYME

PACKAGING WITH FLAVOURS FROM THEIR ROOTS

Based out of Toronto, Kopi Thyme creates Southeast Asian inspired soup bases and marinades, delivered directly to your door! Their goal was to create packaging that reflected the flavours from their roots they were sharing.

We had the chance to sit down with co-owners Sara Tang and Tao Yee Lim to ask them more about their custom packaging process. Read on to learn more!

ABOUT KOPI THYME

The name Kopi Thyme plays on the word kopitiam , referring to a type of traditional coffee shop mostly found in Southeast Asia. Both Sara and Tao Yee’s grandparents owned kopitiams, so the word had a sentimental meaning which they wanted to incorporate into their business.

Sara and Tao Yee wanted to bring the flavours of Sara’s family’s Laksa paste into

everyone’s homes, and they realized how time consuming it was to create authentic Southeast Asian flavours from scratch. They developed recipes in their homes using no artificial preservatives and natural ingredients.

kopi thyme allows sara and tao yee to not only share their creations with everyone but also capture their hearts through food .

SOURCE: Kopi Thyme

THE ISSUE

Launching a business isn’t easy, but launching in the middle of a pandemic is an additional challenge! Kopi Thyme mainly sells their products online, with some appearances at popups and local markets. Their sauces are packaged in glass jars that are mailed to their customers, so their main concern was security in transit.

Thankfully, Sara and Tao Yee were introduced to LeKAC through Muskan

AKA FLAVOURS OF ART, a former LeKAC employee who they befriended through social media!

INITIAL CONCEPT

For the initial designs, Sara and Tao Yee didn’t have anything specific in mind, but wanted something “traditional yet nostalgic” to tie in their brand. In addition to the mailer boxes, they also asked us to design a cardboard paper bag for them to use at popups!

Using Kopi Thyme’s existing jar labels as inspiration, our graphic designer created an initial design to match. Though they liked this design, they wanted a slightly different tone. Sara and Tao Yee asked for more vibrant colours and traditional batik motifs to emulate traditional kopitiam culture.

DESIGN MODIFICATIONS

The brand’s slogan is “bringing flavours from our roots”. Reflecting this in their packaging was important for Sara and Tao Yee, since that’s what brought their brand to life! Our graphic designer researched batik designs and incorporated them in the design emphasize the traditional patterns Sara and Tao Yee were looking for.

THE RESULT

After a few iterations, they asked for one more version using a soft colour palette that ended up being the version that matched their vision for the brand best!

Once finalized, we moved on to the sample stage in which a couple of minor adjustments were made before mass production began.

EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH LEKAC

When asked about their favourite part about working with LeKAC, Sara and Tao Yee agreed that it was working with our design team! Though they didn’t have a clear idea of what design they were looking for, we were able to make suggestions to get them to the final product!

Interested in creating your own custom packaging with LeKAC? CONTACT US today to learn how we can help!

If you’d like to try Kopi Thyme’s flavours for yourself, you can check out their WEBSITE to order. If you want to visit them in person, check their INSTAGRAM to see where they’re popping up next!

OUR SUPPLIERS

Here at LeKAC, we work with a local supplier, and an international supplier. By working with two different suppliers, we’re able to give you more options for your packaging. While both can help make the packaging of your dreams, they have distinct differences.

INTERNATIONAL LOCAL

– 4 month turnaround time, express shipping available for additional cost

– Can make wide variety of finishes and structures

– Supply chain issues can cause packaging delays

– Higher MOQs

– Have to wait to communicate with supplier for price

– High degree of quality and accuracy

As a general rule of thumb, try to plan your packaging 6 months before you need it. This will ensure you have ample packaging in stock and any issues can be rectified without too much stress.

Check out our suggested order times on the next page for more information and reach out to our team to get a more specific timeline for you!

– Fast turnaround time, approximately 1 month; express shipping not available

– Can only make corrugated boxes

– Fewer supply chain issues

– Lower minimum order quantity (MOQ)

– Almost immediate pricing

– High degree of quality and accuracy

LEARN WITH LENNY!

PACKAGING DICTIONARY

Here are a few terms we’ve used these last few months when working with you to create your custom packaging!

FLAT PACK

Packaging that is flat when shipped to minimise transit costs and the space it takes up in storage.

HANGING TABS

Hook-shaped or diecut tabs on packaging for hanging display racks, often self-adhesive (clear) or a part of the box structure!

HEAT SEAL

A method of sealing two or more surfaces of the same material together with a heat press. Our reusable bags are available in a heat-sealed version!

PAPER INSERT

A packaging add-on that allows you to customize what will fit your boxes, typically made with a durable paper material. Inserts are fully customizable in shape, size and colour!

OFFSET PRINTING

The printing process in which ink is transferred from a printing plate to a rubber blanket or roller and then to the packaging being printed.

LINER

A component used in making corrugated cardboard. There is an inner and outer liner; the outer is usually of higher quality, due to being used for print finish. Either can be brown or white kraft based depending on your printing needs!

PERFORATIONS

Lines or small holes on a box/bag structure that allow the end customer of the packaging to open the product easily, often found in advent calendar packaging and corrugated display boxes.

ECO-FRIENDLY BRANDS AND HOW THEY DO IT

Being an eco-friendly brand is an important part of what LeKAC does. And it’s not just us! More and more brands are considering ways to become more eco-friendly in their packaging and with their products. In this post we’re going to be introdu cing you to some of other ecofriendly brands, and how they do it! Keep reading to learn more!

Lush

One of the first eco-friendly brands we’re featuring today, beauty and personal care brand Lush has always been a strong advocate for the environment.

However, Lush understands that eliminating plastic altogether isn’t easy. That’s why their signature black plastic pots come with an

incentive! If customers save five and return them to their nearest Lush, they can get a free fresh face mask! Many shower products they offer (like the shower bar!) come in “naked” forms, meaning they use no packaging!

Krave Beauty

Created by beauty content creator Liah Yoo, Krave Beauty focuses on simplifying skincare. There are an endless number of skincare

products hitting the markets every week, and it can become overwhelming for any consumer to keep up with the latest skincare trends. Krave is doing their part by using PCR materials, so all of their packaging is either partially or completely recyclable! They include QR codes on all of their folding cartons that customers can scan to get information on how to properly recycle their empty products.

Blueland

Blueland is a brand that creates refillable cleaning products. Their company goal is to eliminate singleuse plastics in our everyday lives, starting with our cleaning supplies. They do this by selling reusable glass bottles and tabs that dissolve in water to create different types of cleaners.

Blueland sells refill tabs packaged in compostable paper. They even have metal tins to hold tabs purchased in bulk! In addition to cleaning sprays and powders, they also sell dishcloths and sponges made of natural plant fibres.

Girlfriend Collective

Girlfriend Collective is an eco-conscious active wear brand that makes their clothing out of recycled materials like recycled polyester and post-consumer plastic bottles. Synthetic fabrics can shed small pieces of plastic called microfibres. These microfibres can enter our waterways, increasing the plastic levels in our oceans and rivers. Thankfully, there are filters that catch the fibres before they get released.

LeKAC

Finally, how could we talk about these eco-friendly companies without talking about LeKAC! We offer various products with the environment in mind. As our signature product, the reusable bag is the perfect example of this! Our reusable bags are made of a variety of materials that are made to last. We also offer paper bags made of 100% wood pulp, which can be recycled after you’re finished with them!

PACKAGING Q & A

Q: Why are shipping rates increasing so much?

A: There are actually a few reasons rates have been increasing lately. Due to the pandemic, global supply chains have been disrupted and there’s a shortage of freight containers! That, coupled with limited staff available to work and increasing fuel prices, lead to delayed shipments. While we’re optimistic that things will go back to normal in the near future, our team is dedicated to keeping costs down for clients. Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do since this is a global issue, but if you’re in need of packaging soon, you may want to opt for premium or expedited shipping!

Q: Can I get a sample without placing an order?

A: Yes, you can! However, there is a sample creation fee of $250 CAD for requesting samples without orders. Get in touch with one of our consultants to learn more!

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

LEARN MORE ON OUR WEBSITE:

Q: I don’t see what I’m looking for... Can you still help me?

A: Absolutely! We can source products that match your packaging such as stickers, business cards, POP displays, etc. Our designers will make sure the designs match your brand!

Q: What can I expect in terms of order lead times?

A: Due to constraints with the supply chain and delayed shipping, order lead times may potentially extend to 6 months from our regular 4 month lead time ! With that being said, it’s recommended you order ASAP especially for specific holidays (see page 21).

Q: What if I can’t decide on products and measurements?

A: Simply book a consultation with one of our Business Development Consultants (it’s free!) and based on a couple of questions regarding your establishment, we can suggest products and sizes! We can also calculate measurements for specific product packaging to ensure that everything will fit!