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Buyer guidesOffset vs. Flexo vs. Kraft Screen: Decorating a Six-Pack Carrier
Once you’ve picked a format and a board, the next decision is how your artwork goes onto the carrier. The main methods — full-color offset, flexo, and kraft screen printing — produce different looks, suit different run sizes, and land at different price points.
Here’s how to match the print method to your artwork, your quantity, and your brand.
Full-color offset: the sharpest detail
Offset (litho) printing reproduces full CMYK with the crispest detail and the widest color range, which is the only way to carry a complex multi-color label, a gradient, a photo, or fine illustration edge to edge. It’s the go-to when your carrier needs to match a detailed label family exactly. Offset shines on smooth coated board and is most economical at mid-to-large runs where the plate setup spreads across the order.
Flexo: consistent color at volume
Flexographic printing lays down bold, consistent brand color across long runs at the friendliest per-unit cost. It’s crisp on simpler artwork — solid colors, clean logos, a few spot colors — and it holds up beautifully on both coated and kraft board. When your design is bold rather than photographic and your run is large, flexo is often the best value per carrier.
Kraft screen print: heritage and clean
Screen printing pushes ink directly onto natural, uncoated kraft board, one color at a time. It produces a warm, tactile, small-batch look that craft drinkers instinctively trust, and it keeps the board recyclable and compostable-friendly by skipping heavy coatings. It’s the natural choice for a one- or two-color mark on kraft, and it’s economical even at lower quantities.
Matching method to board and budget
The clean rules: offset for detailed, full-color artwork on coated board; flexo for bold color across large runs on any board; kraft screen print for a clean, heritage look on natural kraft. Tell us your artwork, board, and quantity and we’ll steer you to the method that gives the best look for your budget.
| Method | Best for | Look & cost |
|---|---|---|
| Full-color offset | Detailed, coated board | Widest color, best at mid/large runs |
| Flexo | Bold color, large runs | Consistent color, low cost at scale |
| Kraft screen print | Natural kraft board | Heritage, 1–2 color, low MOQ friendly |
| Soy-based full-color | Eco / recycled board | Full color while staying recyclable |
Send us your artwork and board preference and we’ll recommend the print method in your free mockup — and show you exactly how it’ll look before anything goes to production.