One of our favorite new materials isn’t really new at all – it’s just paper! But it’s what the paper-based packaging firm Ranpak has done with that paper that has us so excited! These cats have gone in and die-cut brown kraft paper, giving it a three-dimensional texture, making it the paper equivalent of plastic bubblewrap without all those pesky hydrocarbons! So let’s get on with our review of WrapPak EX Mini before you rush off to buy some from Amazon.com!
As you can see from the following photos, this material is highly flexible, like fabric – able to make bends and flexes that traditional rigid-style boxplay materials could never achieve.
Design Team on RanPak WrapPak
We spoke with our 2020 in-residency design team about what they envision boxplayers using this material for in 2021.
Sven Mjorgenson: “I can totally see boxplay nerds making this into a Scarecrow mask, like the one in the ‘Batsman’ [sic] funny books. The material really looks like burlap from a distance, but it’s lighter, less likely to cause dermatitis or respiratory issues, and there are plenty of air holes.”
Anji Mugambo-Stiles: “Honeycat, this is revolutionary. It’s going to bring boxtuming into the 21st century! For the first time I can craft costumes that cling to the human form and accentuate the body underneath without resorting to plastic or fabric underlayers or internal string mesh connections. I’m talking to all you pro-level boxplayers out there right now: you must acquire some of this material today to see what you can do with it. DON’T. GET. LEFT. BEHIND!”
Pat Murphy: “While I think that it’s a natural instinct to use WrapPak as a substitute for cloth, that’s really thinking too small. Just look at the nature of this material. This stuff is so flexible, so structural, that you could use it to simulate smoke or clouds or… I don’t know what!! Boxplayers who specialize in video game costumes could create three-dimensional particle effects for their costumes. I want stock in this company now.”
Ranpak Marketing Collateral for WrapPak
The marketing video for Geami WrapPak EX Mini demonstrates how easily the material clings to itself, without the need for tapes or glues:
From the Ranpak page on the material:
Wrapping is essential when pack contents need protection against scratching, surface abrasion and minor handling incidents. WrapPak systems use patented processes to convert environmentally friendly paper into packaging that prevents damage, including problems caused by internal impacts when multiple items are packed together. Geami WrapPak is the combination of a die cut kraft paper with a tissue interleaf paper. The Geami WrapPak EX Mini expands the die cut paper to a 3D honeycomb structure providing a unique wrapping product. By locking angled paper cells together, items can be wrapped securely without the need for adhesive tape or cutting. The converter can be placed at any packing station where individual items require a protective wrap.
Your Turn
Hope you enjoyed our review of WrapPak EX Mini – now what about you? What could you accomplish with this new material?