The Ultimate Packaging Zine - LeKAC Sourcing (Spring 2022)

THE PACKAGING ZINE SPRING 2022

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.

SPRING 2022 EDITION

TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the Team

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Pick Your Own Packaging: Farm Industry Products

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Featured Product: Cardboard Basket

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Printing on Kraft

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Client Spotlight: Kopi Thyme

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International vs Local Suppliers

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Seasonal Order Time Infographic

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Learn with Lenny: Packaging Dictionary

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Eco-Friendly Brands and How They Do It

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Packaging Q&A

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MESSAGE FROM THE TEAM

Happy Spring! We wanted to begin

their patience and understanding.

as always by thanking each and

If you’re worried about the status

every one of you for subscribing to

of your order, please let us know

our packaging zine. This edition of

and our Business Development

the zine is extra special because it

Consultants can provide an update.

marks one year of seasons zines!

As a final reminder, we remain open

We’re excited as always to share

by appointment only! For our Ontario

updates and packaging news with you.

office, while mask mandates have

However, for those new subscribers,

been lifted, our staff will continue to

let us introduce ourselves. We’re a

wear masks for our safety and yours.

Canadian-based company offering

Not comfortable meeting in person? No

custom packaging solutions across

worries! Our consultants are available via

North America. We’ve also expanded

video or phone call to assist you as well.

our services to include graphic design, branding, and social media management!

Sincerely,

With the world constantly changing

Everyone from LeKAC Sourcing Ltd.

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

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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 f ind Lenny teaching you about packaging terms you’ll f ind useful the next time you order custom packaging!

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View our fruit picking catalogue on our website!

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PICK YOUR OWN PACKAGING FARMING INDUSTRY PRODUCTS When you think of the farming industry,

pick-your-own farms, there is an

you may not immediately associate it

abundance of single-use plastic in the

with packaging, right?

form of baskets, handles and bags. It’s more important than ever to make the

I’ll be honest, I thought so too… but I

switch to something more sustainable,

was wrong. There are endless options

especially with the single-use plastic

for packaging when you consider the

ban approaching.

industry on a consumer level. After researching and studying these

More and more consumers are

businesses thoroughly, LeKAC was

becoming eco-conscious, and a

actually able to create new featured

shocking 8 of every 10 customers are

products with the help of various

actively interested in knowing whether

companies across the country.

or not a product is eco-friendly, packaging included. Consumers are

WHY CHANGE?

eager to make a contribution towards

Our main driving force for entering this

change, and farm owners should take a

industry was the sheer amount of

step in the right direction.

single-use plastic existing in it. At most 7

OUR PRODUCT SOLUTION

OUR ECO-FRIENDLY OPTIONS

The LeKAC Pack was able to come up

Last month, LeKAC Sourcing attended

with various packaging products that

the Ontario Fruit and Veggie Convention

are 100% recyclable and/or reusable.

(OFVC). We were there as exhibitors,

Not only will you be able to do your

showing off our custom packaging

part to reduce your plastic usage, but

solutions for farms, butcher shops, and

you’ll also be able to broaden your

other produce!

reach and create more awareness for

This year we are proud to showcase a

your company and brand. With custom

large variety of eco-friendly products

packaging, you’re guaranteed unique

from our agriculture clients from the last

items perfect for your produce and

few years!

longer lasting publicity.

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Our featured products from the OFVC

Want to see the products in person and

2022 show are:

didn’t catch us at OFVC? Fruit and veggies not your jam? No worries! We’ll be at two

•

PP Non-Woven Reusable Bags

•

Kraft Paper Bags

regarding the upcoming trade shows are

•

Kraft Woven Bags

available on page 11.

•

Corrugated Fruit Baskets

Hope to see you there!

other trade shows this year. More details

You can also give us a call at 1-866-996-6818,

Not what you’re looking for? No worries!

email us at info@lekac.com, or contact us on

Our packaging line is extensive and we

Instagram or Facebook! We can’t wait to hear

have so much more to offer for the farm

from you.

industry! The full catalogue is available to view on our website!

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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!

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MISSED US AT OFVC? COME 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

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FEATURED PRODUCT

CORRUGATED FRUIT BASKETS

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.

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• High Quality • Eco-Friendly • Affordable

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

What’s The Difference?

The first question to ask is: “What

The key difference between the brown Kraft and

kind of Kraft do I want?”. Depending

the white Kraft is… the print! So why do these

on the look you want for your

look so different from each other? Remember

packaging, your options are open!

brown Kraft’s natural

Brown Kraft is the most basic of our

fibre texture? It’s this

offerings. It has a more industrial look,

texture that makes

and has the texture from the natural

the print look slightly

fibres. White Kraft on the other hand,

different! The brown

has a smoother finish to it! Kraft can

Kraft is naturally more

be used for boxes, bags, and a number

absorbent, meaning

of other packaging materials!

the ink seeps into the

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material, resulting in a loss of vibrance!

Ho we ve r , this doesn’t mean t ha t yo u c a n’ 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,

Take this bag from Mary’s Brigadeiro

but trust the process! Most digital screens

as an example. Despite the brown

use the RGB colour mode, and can

Kraft, the colours in the side gusset still

display more saturated, vibrant colours.

come through. Many of the colours are

If you have a one-colour print in mind,

bright, cool tones, and the lighter, pastel

spot printing is your best bet for opaque

shades add dimension to the design!

coverage! This option is great for brown Want to print a colour design on a brown

Kraft, as CMYK printed white would have trouble showing

Kraft surface, but still aren’t sure if it

on the paper.

would look the way you want?

Our knowledgeable design specialists

Although colour

can help make custom mockups and 3D

gets absorbed

renders of your design so you can visualize

into the brown

the final product better. Contact us today

Kraft material,

for a free consultation!

you can use it to your advantage!

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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!

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ABOUT KOPI THYME

everyone’s homes, and they realized how time consuming it was to create authentic

The name Kopi Thyme plays on the word

Southeast Asian flavours from scratch.

kopitiam, referring to a type of traditional

They developed recipes in their homes

coffee shop mostly found in Southeast

using no artificial preservatives and

Asia. Both Sara and Tao Yee’s grandparents

natural ingredients.

owned kopitiams, so the word had a sentimental meaning which they wanted to

kopi thyme allows sara and tao yee to not

incorporate into their business.

only share their creations with everyone but

Sara and Tao Yee wanted to bring the

also capture their hearts through food.

flavours of Sara’s family’s Laksa paste into

SOURCE: Kopi Thyme

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THE ISSUE

INITIAL CONCEPT

Launching a business isn’t easy, but

For the initial designs, Sara and Tao Yee

launching in the middle of a pandemic

didn’t have anything specific in mind,

is an additional challenge! Kopi Thyme

but wanted something “traditional yet

mainly sells their products online, with

nostalgic” to tie in their brand. In addition

some appearances at popups and local

to the mailer boxes, they also asked us to

markets. Their sauces are packaged in

design a cardboard paper bag for them

glass jars that are mailed to their

to use at popups!

customers, so their main concern was

Using Kopi Thyme’s existing jar labels

security in transit.

as inspiration, our graphic designer created an initial design to match.

Thankfully, Sara and Tao Yee were

Though they liked this design, they

introduced to LeKAC through Muskan

wanted a slightly different tone. Sara

AKA FLAVOURS OF ART, a former

and Tao Yee asked for more vibrant

LeKAC employee who they befriended

colours and traditional batik motifs to

through social media!

emulate traditional kopitiam culture.

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DESIGN MODIFICATIONS

EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH LEKAC

The brand’s slogan is “bringing flavours

When asked about their favourite part

from our roots”. Reflecting this in their

about working with LeKAC, Sara and Tao

packaging was important for Sara and Tao

Yee agreed that it was working with our

Yee, since that’s what brought their brand

design team! Though they didn’t have a

to life! Our graphic designer researched

clear idea of what design they were looking

batik designs and incorporated them in the

for, we were able to make suggestions to

design emphasize the traditional patterns

get them to the final product!

Sara and Tao Yee were looking for.

Interested in creating your own custom

THE RESULT

packaging with LeKAC? CONTACT US today to learn how we can help!

After a few iterations, they asked for one more version using a soft colour palette that ended up being the version that

If you’d like to try Kopi Thyme’s flavours

matched their vision for the brand best!

for yourself, you can check out their WEBSITE to order. If you want to visit

Once finalized, we moved on to the

them in person, check their INSTAGRAM

sample stage in which a couple of minor

to see where they’re popping up next!

adjustments were made before mass production began.

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OUR SUPPLIERS INTERNATIONAL VERSUS LOCAL

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

– Fast turnaround time, approximately 1

shipping available for additional cost

month; express shipping not available

– Can make wide variety of finishes and

– Can only make corrugated boxes

structures – Supply chain issues can cause

– Fewer supply chain issues

packaging delays – Lower minimum order quantity (MOQ)

– Higher MOQs – Have to wait to communicate with

– Almost immediate pricing

supplier for price – High degree of quality and accuracy

– 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!

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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

PAPER INSERT

Packaging that is flat when shipped to

A packaging add-on that allows you to

minimise transit costs and the space it

customize what will fit your boxes, typically

takes up in storage.

made with a durable paper material.

Inserts are fully customizable in shape,

HANGING TABS

size and colour!

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

OFFSET PRINTING The printing process in which ink is transferred from a printing plate to a

HEAT SEAL

rubber blanket or roller and then to

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!

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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.

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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 introducing you to some of other ecofriendly brands, and how they do it! Keep reading to learn more!

incentive! If customers save five and return

Lush

them to their nearest Lush, they can get a free

One of the first eco-friendly brands we’re

fresh face mask! Many shower products they

featuring today, beauty and personal care

offer (like the shower bar!) come in “naked”

brand Lush has always been a strong advocate

forms, meaning they use no packaging!

for the environment.

Krave Beauty

However, Lush understands that eliminating plastic altogether isn’t easy. That’s why their

Created by beauty content creator Liah Yoo,

signature black plastic pots come with an

Krave Beauty focuses on simplifying skincare.

There are an endless number of skincare 24

Girlfriend Collective

products hitting the markets every week, and it can become overwhelming for any consumer

Girlfriend Collective is an eco-conscious active

to keep up with the latest skincare trends.

wear brand that makes their clothing out of

Krave is doing their part by using PCR

recycled materials like recycled polyester

materials, so all of their packaging is either

and post-consumer plastic bottles. Synthetic

partially or completely recyclable! They

fabrics can shed small pieces of plastic

include QR codes on all of

called microfibres. These

their folding cartons that

microfibres can enter our

customers can scan to

waterways, increasing the

get information on how

plastic levels in our oceans

to properly recycle their

and

empty products.

Thankfully,

there are filters that catch

Blueland

the fibres before they get released.

Blueland is a brand that

LeKAC

creates refillable cleaning products. Their company

Finally, how could we talk

goal is to eliminate single-

about these eco-friendly

use plastics in our everyday

companies without talking

lives, starting with our

about LeKAC! We offer

cleaning supplies. They do

various products with the

this by selling reusable

environment in mind. As

glass bottles and tabs that

our

dissolve in water to create

sells

refill

tabs

signature

product,

the reusable bag is the

different types of cleaners.

Blueland

rivers.

perfect example of this! packaged

in

Our reusable bags are made of a variety

compostable paper. They even have metal

of materials that are made to last. We also

tins to hold tabs purchased in bulk! In addition

offer paper bags made of 100% wood pulp,

to cleaning sprays and powders, they also sell

which can be recycled after you’re finished

dishcloths and sponges made of natural plant

with them!

fibres.

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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: WWW.LEKAC.COM

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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!

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www.lekac.com 1 (866) 996-6818 TORONTO

MONTREAL

207-590 Alden Road Markham, ON L3R 8N2

7645 Rue Cordner LaSalle, QC H8N 2X2

@lekacsourcing