Glossary of Packaging Terms
Amber Glass - A tinted glass made by using different mixtures of sulfur and iron oxide; the color can vary from pale yellow to ruby amber.
4/1 RS - Packaging that is 4 containers in a plain box suitable for reshipping.
6/1 RS - Packaging that is 6 containers in a plain box suitable for reshipping.
Blow Molding - A method of fabricating hollow plastic objects, such as bottles, by forcing a parison into a mold cavity and shaping by internal air pressure.
Boston Round - or Winchester bottle, is a strong and heavy bottle commonly used in the drug and chemical industries. It is often made of amber (brown) glass (to filter out UV light) but can also be made of plastics
Child Resistant Closure – Are types of closures that are difficult for children below the age of 5 years to open and require the assistance of an adult. Such closures are specifically designed to prevent any hazard to children's health from the accidental consumption of intoxicating substances or pharmaceutical products.
Closed Head - This is a pail or container that has a small opening. An open head pail uses a cover, a closed head uses a cap or a spout.
Cobalt Blue Glass - Is a deep blue colored glass prepared by including a cobalt compound, typically cobalt oxide or cobalt carbonate, in a glass melt. Cobalt is a very intense glass colorant and very little is required to show a noticeable amount of color. Bottles produced in Cobalt Blue have a very distinctive color.
Disk Top Cap – Or press top caps, typically used to dispense thicker liquids such as shampoos, lotions etc. They have a wider orifice opening and are useful in dispensing soaps, sunscreens, etc.
Dome – An enclosure that is rounded and most commonly used with plastic cosmetic jars with round bottom jars.
Emboss - to mold or carve (a decoration or design) on (a surface) so that it is raised above the surface in low relief, typically for a logo or branding purpose.
Extrusion Blow Molding – A process where plastic is melted and extruded into a hollow tube (a parison). This parison is then captured by closing it into a cooled metal mold. Air is then blown into the parison, inflating it into the shape of the hollow bottle, container, or part.
EZ Tear Lid – A lid that has one solid tear tab with scalloped edges.
Fine Mister Sprayer – A container sprayer that turns thin liquids into a large cloud, making them perfect for perfumes, body sprays, and room sprays.
Finish – Refers to the neck of a container opening and describes the type of closing mechanism (screw, or continuous or twist off). An accompanying cap, for example, must match the neck finish.
Fitment – Used to regulate the smooth rate of flow as it is dispensed from a container.
Flame Treating – Is a method of applying heat to the surface of polymer-based plastic containers. Flaming removes manufacturing surface chemicals that then allow for ink to more reliably be applied to the container and resist removal through friction (rubbing off for example).
Flint - Heavy, colorless, brilliant glass that contains lead oxide. It is generally considered a high-quality glass product.
Fluorination - A chemical reaction in which fluorine is introduced into a chemical compound. After fluorination, a plastic bottle resists ‘paneling’ (a bottle collapsing), discoloration, odor emission.
Foil Liner – A type of cap liner used to provide protection against a product leaking out of the bottle or container. Foil liners are typically used with a heat induction seal.
Full Truck Load (FTL) and Less than Truck Load (LTL) - Terms used to define the shipping trailer’s filled capacity. Full Truck Load is a trailer filled to its safe capacity. It is otherwise, less than it’s capacity and consider ‘Less than Truck Load’.
Glass Dropper - A dropper with a bulb that when squeezed allows for controlled dispensing of medications, flavorings, dyes, oils, etc. When made of glass, it won’t interact with oils or chemicals.
HDPE - High-density polyethylene or polyethylene high-density is a polyethylene thermoplastic. It is lightweight, yet strong, impact resistant and resists mold, mildew, etc. It is translucent and used for a variety of bottles and containers including milk jugs, food products, beverages, and shampoos, to name a few. HDPE is commonly recycled and has the number "2" as its resin identification code.
Hermetic Seal - Is any type of sealing that makes a container airtight (excludes the passage of air, oxygen, or other gases). The term originally applied to airtight glass containers, but as technology advanced it applied to a larger category of materials, including rubber and plastics.
Induction Sealing (liner) - In induction sealing, the inner seal on a cap is heated without making physical contact, and the top of the plastic container is hermetically sealed.
Label Panel – The area on the container or bottle that will contain the main (or front) portion of a products logo, title or product description. In design terms, the main label panel shouldn’t exceed (approx.) one-third of the total label width.
LDPE – An acronym for low-density polyethylene. LDPE is also used to produce some flexible lids and bottles where containers are used to squeeze out product (such as ketchup)
Liner-less Closure - A type of closure where the liner is incorporated directly in the cap and when it makes contact with the bottle or container to seals in the containing product.
Lined/Unlined – Containers are designed and used in a number of applications, and in a form where the interior of the container is coated (lined) or not (unlined). Depending on the container type different coatings are used, for example, rust inhibitors.
Neck - A container features a threaded neck found above the shoulder of a bottle. The neck of a bottle is where a metal or plastic closure is affixed by rotating until the bottle is sealed against the neck bead.
Opaque – When describing a package, container, or bottle, refers to blocking the passage of light. Opaque bottles are do not let light pass through, and are not clear.
Orifice (reducer) – Inserted into the opening of a bottle, reduces the amount of liquid that can flow out. The orifice allows only a small amount of product to pass through.
Pail Lid – A plastic leakproof lid has a special design for leak resistance and contains a gasket to seal the contents within a pail.
Paneling – Paneling is the deterioration and collapse of the walls on a plastic bottle or jar. It will normally occur when a plastic bottle has been stored with specific contents for a long period of time. This distortion is caused by a reduction in pressure inside the bottle. Paneling occurs with plastics that are flexible such as LDPE, and causes the bottle to collapse or appear ‘sucked in’.
PET - An acronym for Polyethylene terephthalate. Bottles and containers produced from PET exhibit near glass transparency. They are very rigid and impact resistant and are suited to packaging oils, food products, beverages, cosmetics to name a few.
Polypropylene - a type of thermoplastic polymer resin. Bottles and containers made from polypropylene have a high melting point compared to other plastic so work well as food container used in microwaves or dishwashers. They do not absorb water (providing a good vapor barrier) and can be used in acid or alcohol applications.
Polystyrene - a hard, stiff, transparent synthetic resin produced by the polymerization of styrene. It is widely employed in the food-service industry as rigid trays and containers, disposable eating utensils, and foamed cups, plates, and bowls. But is is brittle, and flammable and also softens in boiling water.
Polyvinyl and PVC - a synthetic resin made from the polymerization of vinyl chloride. PVC is used in a range of domestic and industrial products. A lightweight, rigid plastic in its pure form, it is also manufactured in a flexible “plasticized” form.
Pressure Sensitive Liner – A container top liner designed with an adhesive coated and a release coating on the back that does not come in contact with the product. It adheres to either glass or plastic bottles when applied and sticks to the bottle when the cap is removed.
Recessed Panel – With respect to labeling, a recessed panel is an area on a bottle or container where a label or logo would be affixed.
Reike – A type of fitment in the top of a cover. It has a pull out type pour spout.
Shrink Band - Flat PVC shrink bands are used to securely seal and protect jars, bottles and other containers. They are affixed by sliding the band over the top and neck of a bottle then applying gentle heat to shrink the material thus providing a tamper evident seal.
Snap Top Cap – Snap Top Caps can be snapped on and off by hand which eliminates the need for metal crimping and de-capping tools. A polypropylene snap top cap allows small volumes of product to be dispensed. These snap top caps can be used for liquid cosmetics, lotions or other bath and body care products.
Spice Cap – A cap with holes for more easily dispensing as shaken or spooned spice products
Tear Tab Lid - A lid with several tabs that need to be opened (slots that need to be broken) in order to open the pail.
Tamper Resistant Seal - A package sealing technique that seals the contents and where bottles or containers are difficult to open without affecting the integrity of the package and contents.
Tamper Evident Band – Provides for evidence that the integrity of the contents has been potentially violated. Typically, a band or label is utilized to indicate the container has been previously opened. The band can be integral with the cap or can be a separate package component. It is a plastic or metal structure around the circumference (usually) of the closure that is often found attached below a closure in bottles, jars, and tubs.
Translucent – A translucent bottle or container permits light to pass through, but diffuses it to make it less clearly visible
Transparent – A transparent container is clear and contents inside the bottle or package are clearly seen.
Trigger Sprayer – A closure type that accurately dispenses liquids directly to surfaces. An adjustable nozzle allows it to quickly control the amount of liquid to be dispensed. A trigger allows fast, repeatable use for efficient performance.
Tub Lid – A type of closure specifically designed to mate with a plastic tub or pail. The lid can provide for a leak-proof seal.
Tumble Packed – A shipping logistic product packaging method for shipping bottles, containers, jars, etc. When less than a manufacturer’s case requires shipping, the needed quantity is counted and then carefully wrapped and placed (or tumbled) inside a shipping box for shipment.
Turret Cap – A type of enclosure that typically has ribbed sides and has a spout that is the dispenser that can be flipped up for dispensing and down to close and seal the container.
Twist Top Caps – A type of enclosure where the product can be dispensed (such as glue) after twisting one way to open and the other way to close.
UN Rating – A package rating that defines how packaging is constructed and tested to meet hazardous shipping standards. This packaging is often referred to as UN packaging, UN-approved, UN certified or “POP” (performance-oriented packaging). Packages must be marked or embossed or printed on a package and indicate that it has met all the testing and construction requirements to meet these standards.
Woozy – A type of bottle that has straight sides, and a long neck. They are typically filled with sauces, marinades, syrups etc.
References: www.sbwire.com, encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com, delta-engineering.be, www.britannica.com