Instruction manuals are a part of life. From the toys we buy our kids to the “some assembly required” furniture we buy, almost every product requires instructions of some sort. With many of these products, the instructions can simply be printed on the packaging or slipped into the box as a booklet. But for some products, making an instruction manual easy to find and access can pose a problem. This is the story of how PrintFlex Graphics’ creativity helped one of our clients with an “outside the box” instruction manual idea.
THE CHALLENGE – Where to Put the Instruction Manual?
Our client approached us with a challenge. They were a major window manufacturer, looking to revise the packaging for their products to use less cardboard. The only problem was the new packaging would not be able to hold the instructions in like a traditional box. They needed a new way to affix the instruction manual to the packaging or product without damaging the windows or running the risk of the manual being lost in transit or damaged by adverse weather.
Our team put our heads together and came up with a plan. We decided the best way to pull this off would be a removable pouch affixed directly to the window itself. But that posed a whole set of additional problems. First of all, the instruction booklet was quite large. We needed to develop a pouch that would be large enough to not damage the integrity of the manual. And at that size, the correct type and amount of adhesive used would be important. It needed to be strong enough to ensure the instructions arrived intact with the product. But it also needed to be easily removed on the construction site, without damaging the window.
THE SOLUTION – An Instruction Manual Idea that Really Stuck
The PrintFlex Graphics team was able to design a see through sealed pouch to house and protect the instructions. Through a series of tests, we were able to arrive at an adhesive that would prevent damage and loss to the booklet, while also being easy to remove and safe for the window. This solution made the instruction manual easy to access with no need to tear open any plastic. The pouch featured laminate around the outside to encapsulate the booklets and protect from weather, as well as black text to make it clear to the user how to remove and use the instruction manual.
RESULTS – Instruction Manual-Friendly Streamlined Packaging
This solution eliminated the need for large, expensive cardboard boxes whose only real purpose was enclosing the manual with the product. The clients was now able to reliably affix the instruction manual directly to the product and ship their windows with cardboard at the top and bottom to protect the edges only. And their customers no longer had to sort through packaging to find the instruction manuals they needed. Our idea solved for all their issues and is a solution they continue to use today.
This is just one example of the many ways PrintFlex Graphics has worked with our clients to overcome issues with creativity. We’re at our best when clients lean on our problem-solving expertise to get over hurdles. What challenge can we help you take on?