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It’s back to school…with paper tubes!

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Students across the country are gearing up to head back to school. The excitement of finding out who their new teacher is and if their friends are in their class is building.

And, like the year before, parents are accepting the task of hunting down everything on the new school supply list.

Parents and teachers alike use toilet paper tubes, paper towel tubes, and wrapping paper tubes to create inexpensive crafts, and keep goodies like pencils, markers, and glue sticks organized.

To celebrate a fresh, new school year, we’re highlighting our top 12 favorite tube-centered crafts! Click the image to learn more about the crafter, kid, or blogger!

We hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

11.cardboard_tube_candy_holder

10. cardboard_tube_executive_student

9. cardboard_tube_flower_holder

8. cardboard_tube_giant_pencils

7. cardboard_tube_giraffe

6. cardboard_tube_jelly_fish

5. cardboard_tube_pencil holder

4. cardboard_tube_pencil_holder

3. cardboard_tube_rocket

2. cardboard_tube_spooky_halloween_bats

1.cardboard_tube_superman

 

Think You Have Tube Knowledge?

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Paper Tubes. It’s what we do.

Last year, we set out to educate as many people as possible by launching our Knowledge Base.

We had noticed that many of our clients, packaging distributors, curious minds, builders, crafters, retail shop owners, tape and label makers, printers, freight companies, artists, architects, poster companies, etc. all seemed to be asking us the same questions.

Although paper tubes are structurally the same (they all look like a toilet paper tube, with a twirling seam), they’re used in a variety of applications. And depending on how the paper tube was being used, we were able to predict what questions might be asked by somebody in that field.

For that reason, we created our Knowledge Base – a collection of paper tube-specific articles, Q&As, and other helpful information.

For example, an artist who designs and ships custom posters on Etsy will have questions specifically related to packing and shipping poster tubes.

 

3 Common Mailing Tube Questions:

  1. When both plastic end plugs are inserted, how much does each Mailing Tube weigh?
  2. What size Mailing Tube should I use for my poster?
  3. What’s the difference between “overall length” and “outside diameter” and “inside length” and “inside diameter?”

 

Another example is a tape or label manufacturer. Instead of using a plain kraft brown paper core, they may want their company logo printed on the inside. Their product will be wrapped around the outside of the paper core, leaving valuable real estate on the inside. Their questions about printing will be completely different than the artist selling posters on Etsy.

 

4 Common Printing Questions:

  1. Can you print our logo in a specific color?
  2. What’s the difference between Pantone colors and GCMI colors?
  3. Will our ink color look best on kraft brown paper or flat white paper?
  4. What file type and size do we need to send?

 

These questions are just two examples of the types of questions we regularly receive. If you’d like to learn more about paper tubes, take a stroll around our Knowledge Base.

You may already be familiar with many of the Knowledge Base topics. But then again, you may walk away with a greater understanding of paper tubes.

Explore our Knowledge Base and increase your tube knowledge today!

See our Edge Protectors in action!

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We toured a major retailer on a recent visit to Washington state. We spotted our Edge Protectors in action and wanted to show you a few different ways they’re used.

The Edge Protectors in these photos have white paper on the outside (top) and kraft paper on the inside (less visible side).

If you look closely, you can see that some pieces seem to have multiple layers – this is an indication of a thicker piece.

In some photos, the Edge Protectors are being used to protect the product and primary packaging. In others, they’re being used to increase column strength.

Can you tell the difference?

clamato_spiral_paper_tube  every_day_napkins_edge_protectors_spiral_paper_tube lifesavers_edge_protectors_spiral_paper_tube protein_bar_edge_protectors_spiral_paper_tube pub_mix_edge_protectors_spiral_paper_tube san_francicoso_bay_edge_protectors_spiral_paper_tube ziploc_edge_protectors_spiral_paper_tube

 

Have a question about Edge Protectors? We’d love to hear from you! Contact us anytime.

Paper Caps: The Teenager of All End Closures

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They’re so cute when they’re babies. Then we get to dress them up like dolls when they first start school. But then they become teenagers, and the cuteness we once knew somehow disappears.

We still love them, but they’re challenging, in ways we probably never really expected. Over time though, we discover new gems in these young adults and we learn to love and care for them in ways we never imagined.

Paper caps are like teenagers.

Read more…

Paper Tubes and Plastic Plugs Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

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Some things are just meant to be together…

What would peanut butter be without jelly? Who would Batman be without Robin? How lonely would salt feel without pepper?

Paper tubes are no different. Without friction-fit plastic plugs, banners, posters and prints would simply slide right out of our mailing and shipping tubes. An end closure is needed, and there are a few different ways to secure the ends of paper tubes. White plastic plugs are the go-to option.

Friction-fit plastic plugs are made with virgin plastic.

This is important because plastic plugs made with virgin content are stronger and more durable than plugs made with recycled material. It also ensures a clean, white looking plug. White plastic plugs made with highly recycled content are easily noticed because they appear spotted and “dirty.”

Plastic plugs have 2 prominent features:

  • pull tab
  • ribbed-sides

The pull tab allows the plastic plug to be easily removed while the ribbed sides push against the paper tube’s inside walls and help keep it in place. These two features, and economical pricing, make it the most commonly used end closure.

The Future of Packaging 2016

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According to Hannu Alalauri, SVP at The Global Pack Summit, the packaging industry is seeing the following 5 major trends:

  1. Increasing importance of brand building and “shelf standout”
  2. Increasing competitive intensity in the value chain drives cost focus
  3. Sustainability and environmental friendliness is growing in importance
  4. Intelligent packaging will grow stronger in the future
  5. E-tailing volumes will continue to increase

Read more…

California is a great place to make tubes and edge protectors!

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Back in 1949, George Hibard Sr. founded Spiral Paper Tube & Core in Los Angeles. Today, we’re still in Los Angeles.

With our many freeways, rail yards, and proximity to the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, it makes shipping and receiving pretty easy…a must for any mid-sized packaging manufacturer! Read more…

Expand Your Packaging Knowledge!

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Introducing the first Knowledge Base dedicated entirely to paper tubes and edge protectors!

We’ve been serving the packaging community since 1949 and have learned a few things along the way. Now, we want to share everything we’ve learned with you!

Whether you’re just starting out or are an industry pro, you’ll find these articles helpful and informative!

Our Knowledge Base is an online library of articles, addressing just about everything having to do with cardboard tubes and edge protectors. Articles discuss topics such as raw materials, the manufacturing process, printing options, packaging, and shipping. Read more…

Litho Display Poles – Temporary Floor Displays

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Some of the most common floor displays are temporary floor displays. Temporary floor displays are seasonal and used to promote products for a short period of time. To help keep costs down on temporary floor displays, they are often made with cardboard or paper.

Floor displays are often seen in the lobbies and halls of movie theaters as well as retail stores. The type of floor displays we specialize in utilize what is referred to as a litho display pole. Litho display poles are cardboard tubes with a .125 inch wall thickness – this is the standard wall thickness for paper tubes used as display poles.

Read more…

Los Angeles Tape Cores and Label Cores

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We’re offering a variety of tape and label cores online!

After receiving requests from customers who needed cores faster, we launched our store in October 2013 to do just that. A year and a half later, we’re offering ninety different length options. All cores available through our online store have a 3 inch inside diameter and a .125 inch wall thickness — the most common inside diameter and wall thickness for tape and label cores.

Read more…