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Sara Greasley

Sara has been in the packaging industry for over 15 years, not only on the design and manufacturing side, but also as a packaging buyer. She has intimate knowledge of all facets and perspectives of the custom packaging industry.

3 Common Types of Boxes in the World of Packaging

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In the world of packaging, many people are confused about all the different types of boxes and the interchangeable terms used to describe them – Folding Cartons, Rigid Boxes, Set-up Boxes, Cardboard Boxes, Corrugated Boxes, Paperboard Boxes etc.

Exhaustive articles could be written about this subject, but here I will try to simplify things for you.

There are basically three common types of boxes in packaging. All are made of paper pulp of varying thickness.

3 Common Types of Boxes

1. Folding Cartons

Folding cartons (also called paperboard cartons, or paperboard boxes) are some of the most common types of boxes that you will see at retail stores. Think of a typical cereal box – this is a folding carton.

Here is a basic example of a plain folding carton with no print.

Here are examples of a folding carton with full print on the outside.

2. Rigid Boxes

Rigid boxes (also called set-up boxes) are sturdier and do not fold or collapse as folding cartons do. They are often, but not always, used for higher-end products where perceived value is important. They are also used when the product within is heavy and in need of extra support. An iPhone box, is an example of a rigid box.

This is an example of a classic shoe box style of rigid box. A high-end shoe store would use rigid boxes like this.

Here is a lovely rigid box example with foil stamping on the inside and outside of the box. This is the type of box a piece of jewelry, for example, might be housed in – in other words – for more expensive products.

3. Corrugated Boxes

Corrugated boxes (also called corrugated board, corrugated fiberboard or combined board) are what you would commonly refer to as brown cardboard boxes that you would, for example, use to pack your belongings in when you move to a new house.

Corrugated fiberboard typically has three layers. A wavy or fluted layer sandwiched between two outer flat layers. The fluted layer is where the strength of this paper product lies.

In packaging, corrugated boxes are often referred to as “shipper boxes” or “master packs” and are mostly used to ship a company’s retail-ready products to stores all over the country/world.

Corrugated is also commonly used as primary retail packaging the same way a folding carton is used. Here is an example of a plain corrugated retail box with no printing.

Below is an example of a product that uses a litho-label corrugated box (that’s a corrugated box with a printed label glued to the box)

Litho Label Corrugated Retail Box Example Close Up

In this close up you can see the corrugated flute material on the box edge.

This corrugated retail box uses a printing method called Flexography; perfect for single color applications. Unlike Litho-Label printing, “Flexo” printing prints directly on the box.

Here you can see the fluting on the surface of the box.

Corrugated fiberboard is also commonly used in Stand-Up or POP (POS) Displays.

(POP = Point of Purchase)

(POS) = Point of Service)

To sum it all up:

The majority of consumer products will use all or most of the above mentioned types of boxes for a single product as it travels from manufacturer to store shelves.

These 3 common types of boxes are all made of paper pulp of varying thicknesses.

1. Folding Cartons (also called Paperboard Boxes, Paperboard Cartons ) (example: cereal box)

2. Rigid Boxes (also called Set-Up Boxes) (example: iPhone Box, Jewelry Box)

3. Corrugated Boxes (also called Corrugated Fiberboard, Shipper Boxes, Cardboard Boxes) Used in both shipping and retail environments.

This has been a part of my tutorial series called How to Buy Packaging 101. So click the link below to head back if you haven’t finished reading it yet. 🙂

How to Buy Packaging 101 Part 2 – Determining Your Packaging Needs

8 Responses

  1. Dan Stickney says:

    Hello, very informative article. I believe I need “rigid boxes” to deliver my high quality sunglasses and swimming goggles via the U.S. postal service. Ideally, the boxes would have my company logo printed on them. I have checked overseas markets, however, their minimum order quantity is too high (5,000) and shipping fee is substantial. Appreciate any suggestions you may have.

    The sunglasses, in their case, are 7 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches tall and about an inch in depth.

    Thank you.

    1. Sara - How to Buy Packaging Sara Greasley says:

      Hello Dan. Rigid boxes are expensive and 5000 units is the starting point for what I would consider to be “reasonably” priced rigid boxes. Startup fees can be anywhere from $3000 to $5000, so if you only want 1000 boxes, your starting budget per piece will be between $3 to $5 per box. Are your glasses “premium’ to justify the cost? Otherwise I would suggest finding a standard rigid box to fit your needs and applying a label on them. Contact me via contact page and I’ll email you some company information.

  2. Hi, Packaging is pretty important for my product, I would consider the presentation of the packaging as part of the product as it is being presented as a gift, so I believe I will be needing customized rigid boxes. Before mass production, I am interested in producing a very small sample amount of about 10 units which I plan to use specifically for user testing purposes. How would I go about this if it seems like most vendors would require a high volume request, are there vendors that would produce a such a small sample volume for me for now?

    1. Sara - How to Buy Packaging Sara Greasley says:

      Hi Alex,

      You can start by working with a prototype company for custom packaging. These companies can engineer and make the custom packaging by hand, and will only accept small orders. Some of them can broker the mass production for you as well.

      Or a brand design firm can create the custom packaging and broker the prototype for you. This would be an all-in-one solution.

      When you call a company, ask upfront if they will make 10 rigid box prototypes for you. Rigid box prototypes can cost between $150 – $500 a piece or more depending on how complex and luxurious. This is mainly because of the hand assembly involved in creating one piece, not to mention, the possibly, expensive materials that can be used.

      If you’re in California or in the Western Sates, contact me as I can supply rigid box samples at a reasonable rate and relatively quickly. If you are in another part of the USA, I can refer you to a company closer to you.

  3. We are in a similar situation to the comment above and want to have a nice presentation but really don’t have the money to invest in that many rigid boxes initially. What type of box would you suggest to still give a nice presentation but not such a big investment upfront?

    1. Sara - How to Buy Packaging Sara Greasley says:

      Hi Kerri,

      I would suggest a two piece rigid box which consist of a base “tray” with a lid top. Also known as a telescope box. These are machinable and if you ask for their standard sizes, printing the wraps shouldn’t be that costly. For an interior color, I would also suggest sticking to the common board colors, which are grey, white, or black. Any other colors will require a wrap liner which adds cost.

  4. Victoria Van Rosebrook says:

    Hello – hope this comment finds you well.
    I’m thrilled to have discovered your site! It has taught me so much, Thank you!
    I’m stuck and could really use some help…
    I sell tea in plastic jars, in varying multiples plus tea accessories so I require multiple custom sized shipping boxes measuring 4x4x4″, 4x4x8′, 4x4x12′ & 6.5×6.5×13″in any style I can get.
    I’m also picky and would like the boxes to be black and printed with a white logo.
    Plus, I’m a new company so I have to stay low on costs and I don’t need thousands of pieces.. Sheesh!
    Any suggestions on where to even begin with this tall order? Or am I crazy?
    Your time is greatly appreciated – I can’t wait to hear back from you.
    Thanks again.

    1. Sara - How to Buy Packaging Sara Greasley says:

      Hi Victoria, I suggest you use an online company for custom corrugated shippers who are digitally printing these boxes. The unit cost will be a bit higher than normal, but you can order at the right volume at a comfortable price range. Please use the search filter https://www.howtobuypackaging.comfind-a-packaging-company-search-filter/ – companies are added on a weekly basis.

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