Corrugated Boxes

What Makes a Box Corrugated?

Corrugated board is a sandwich: two flat liners glued to a wavy layer called the flute. Those arches carry load the way a bridge does, which is why a light sheet of board can stand up to stacking and knocks. Change the flute and you change the thickness, the cushioning and how well the surface prints.

Which Flute Is Right for Your Box?

There is no single best flute, only the right one for the contents and the journey. The table below is how we think about it when we recommend a grade on a quote.

The guide to flute types goes into each one in more detail, including why the letters are not in size order.

Box Styles in Corrugated Board

Most corrugated boxes are regular slotted cartons, but the same board can be cut into other shapes. A half slotted container has no top flaps and is often used as a tray or with a separate lid. A full overlap carton doubles the board on the top and bottom. A tuck lid box closes without tape and opens like a mailer.

• Regular slotted carton for everyday shipping
• Half slotted container as a tray or with a lid
• Full overlap carton for heavy or long loads
• Box with lid for storage and repeated use

Are Corrugated Boxes Good for Printing?

Yes, with a little planning. Plain brown board takes dark inks well, and a 1 or 2 colour logo looks clean on every flute. Full colour artwork is sharpest on E flute or on board with a white outer liner, because the smoother surface holds fine detail. On thicker flutes, bold shapes and solid colours work better than thin lines.

How Do You Work Out the Right Size?

Start from the packed product and work outwards. Every corrugated box we quote is sized from the inside, so the figure you send is the space your product gets.

1. Measure the packed item at its widest points.
2. Add room for wrapping or void fill on each side.
3. Write the size as length, width, then height.
4. Tell us the weight and whether boxes will be stacked.
5. We confirm the board and send the price.

Where Do Corrugated Boxes Get Used?

Everywhere goods move. Online shops post orders in them, wholesalers send them to retailers, workshops pack spare parts, offices archive files and families move house. The same basic carton, made to a different size and grade, handles all of those jobs.

What Changes the Price?

Board area and grade first, then print and quantity. A double wall box uses roughly twice the paper of a single wall box of the same size, so it costs more. Print adds set-up per colour. The quote always shows the exact price, starting from £0.20 a box for compact plain cartons.

Keeping a Range of Sizes Tidy

If you send many products, try to settle on a small set of sizes rather than a different box for everything. Fewer sizes mean simpler storage, faster packing and better prices, because each size is ordered in larger numbers.