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Are you stepping into the packaging industry and confused like many people about different types of boxes? If yes, you are not alone because many people don’t know how to choose the right box in the presence of different packaging boxes. Paperboard boxes, cardboard boxes, rigid boxes, corrugated boxes, set-up boxes, and folding cartons are the most popular box categories. 

These boxes are basically created from paper pulp with different thickness levels aligning with different preferences and requirements. Custom boxes offering a memorable unboxing experience. Durable boxes are ideal for shipping hefty products due to their exceptional strength, whereas lightweight boxes are ideal for presenting products on retail shelves due to their ideal versatility.

Common Types of Boxes

It is important to understand the different box types that help you to decide the ideal packaging for your products depending on their advantages and disadvantages. The main three types of packaging boxes are available here allowing you to choose an ideal container. 

Folding Cartons

A paperboard packaging box is a versatile packaging solution. These paperboard boxes or paperboard cartons are commonly available on retail shelves. Folding cartons are created to fold flat these boxes for easy storage and pop into ideal shape depending on requirements. The folding carton can act like a brand identity packaging with the incorporation of branding elements. 

A paper folding box is available in different thicknesses and can be printed using desired color schemes and branding details to align with your brand values. You can also learn how to fold a carton box to pack and ship different products. 

Paperboard for folding cartons is available in different material options. Solid Bleached Sulfate (SBS) is a combination of hardwood and softwood fiber or different layers of bleached virgin softwood that have a top clay-coated surface. Coated Unbleached Kraft (CUK) is a blend of various species of southern pine and unbleached virgin kraft fiber in the presence of hardwood fiber. Coated Recycled Paperboard utilizes recyclable fiber to construct durable brown kraft boxes.

Popular Types of Carton Boxes

Popular Types of Carton Boxes

There are different box sizes to display products in retail stores. These customizable boxes can attract potential customers. Let’s  take a look at various carton box types:

  1. Frozen food boxes
  2. Gift boxes
  3. Retail product boxes
  4. Cereal Boxes

Folding Carton Styles

Styles of boxes in the carton packaging category are mentioned below:

  • Straight Tuck End
  • Reverse Tuck End
  • Full Overlap
  • Snap Lock Bottom
  • Auto-Lock Bottom

Benefits of Folding Cartons

The efficient and sleek design of cartoons allows you to enhance the retail presentation of products. Lightweight packaging solutions reduce shipping expenses. That’s why packaging matters in improving product presentation to engage potential customers.

Drawbacks of Folding Cartons

These cartons are not ideal for fragile or heavy products. Folding cartons can be affected by moisture and crushed easily. 

Rigid Boxes

Rigid or setup boxes are crafted to ensure durability and maintain their shapes without any collapsing. The incorporation of high-quality finishing can make a folding rigid box more appealing while offering a luxurious experience to customers.

Popular Types of Rigid Boxes

Rigid

The sturdy construction makes rigid packaging boxes the perfect option for luxury or premium products. The following different rigid packaging types offer a premium look:

  1. Apparel Boxes
  2. Cosmetic Boxes
  3. Electronic Boxes

Rigid Box Styles

  • Book style
  • Collapsible 
  • Hinged style 
  • Lift-off lid
  • Magnetic closure 

Benefits of Rigid Boxes

Rigid packaging boxes are best for the product presentation and premium branding. These luxurious packaging solutions convey a premium feel to customers. This branded packaging for small business​ and large corporations is durable to keep products safe during storage and transportation. Resealability offers exceptional convenience to customers.

Drawbacks of Rigid Boxes

Rigid boxes are more expensive due to the complex construction and costly materials. A few packaging styles usually require assembly contributing to more production cost and time while taking more space.

Corrugated Boxes

Corrugated packaging boxes are crafted from fluted corrugated layers and cardboard to ensure durability. Cardboard boxes for packing come in different thicknesses, which can be personalized to meet the packaging requirements. 

These are different kinds of corrugated boxes, such as double-walled boxes for heavier products or single-walled boxes for lighter items meeting diverse requirements during shipping.

You can make corrugated boxes more appealing by gluing a printed label to a corrugated box in the litho-label process. Moreover, a single color is directly printed in the flexography procedure to align with the corrugated packaging box.

Litho Label & Flexography

Kraft boxes are crafted from recyclable material, offering a natural appearance appealing to eco-conscious customers. These corrugated boxes ensure a brown tone due to the use of recyclable and inexpensive packing material.

Popular Types of Corrugated Boxes

Popular Types of Corrugated Boxes

You can design different types of boxes made of corrugated cardboard to ship products safely. The types of cardboard boxes are mentioned below:

  1. Industrial boxes
  2. Retail boxes
  3. Shipping boxes

Corrugated Box Styles

Corrugated box design styles are mentioned below:

  • Die-Cut Boxes
  • Full Overlap Slotted Container (FOL)
  • Half-Slotted Container (HSC)
  • Regular Slotted Container (RSC)
  • Tuck Top Box

Benefits of Corrugated Boxes

Sturdy boxes ensure product protection during storage and transportation. Bulk purchasing of corrugated boxes, such as custom business packaging, can save money while ensuring environmental sustainability through recyclability. Therefore, you can consider these cost-effective packaging solutions which offer the ultimate safety to your valuable products.

Drawbacks of Corrugated Boxes

These boxes do not provide the ideal visual appeal for retail display due to the plain brown. Moreover, corrugated boxes can deform easily due to moisture.

Budget: A Key Factor to Consider

When selecting the right type of boxes for your needs, your budget plays a crucial role in decision-making. It’s essential to balance cost and functionality, ensuring that the chosen material, structure, and services meet your requirements without compromising on quality. Opting for custom packaging might seem expensive initially, but it allows for innovative designs and structural integrity that protect your products during shipping. I’ve learned that prioritizing safety and durable solutions, even within a tight budget, prevents potential losses caused by breaking or reproduction costs.

Affordable options like standardized structures can save money while maintaining product safety, but don’t shy away from exploring unique shapes or innovative solutions if your branding demands it. Incorporating customization into your plan can elevate your product’s appeal and customer satisfaction, as a well-packaged product reflects professionalism and care. Remember, striking the right balance between costing, reliability, and branding is key to ensuring long-term success for your business.

You can also Read this for cost-effective packaging : How much does packaging cost?

What is Ideal Box Sizing for Your Products?

What does packaging mean? Packaging means art and science used to pack and present different products. Basically, packaging is a container used to safeguard products during storage and transportation. It is important to choose an ideal box which is not too small or too large to ensure perfect product protection with your specifications and requirements. The most important factor about the packaging size is deciding the essential dimensions to fit products easily.

You can choose any packaging option for small products, ensuring ideal safety. However, you have to be very careful when choosing packaging boxes with the right measurements for larger items. It’s a great approach to use cardboard tape on each side of the box to ensure excellent protection while ensuring no one can open the box or see the product except the sender and recipient.

You can ensure the ideal size for different types of boxes and cartons by considering the length, width, and depth of products. It is necessary to consider the weight of your products to craft packaging that is ideal for your needs. Moreover, you can consider the purpose of choosing the packaging box, whether it’s shipping, protection, or presentation. 

Think About What Your Customers Want

The most important commandment of any business is knowing what exactly your customers want. Well, this applies even further when choosing and designing your packaging. This means that you should look at your packaging boxes through the lens of your customers. How?

What colors of packaging will convince them to purchase?

Do they like any specific packaging style?

Will they prefer products in eco-friendly packaging?

Once you figure it all out, you also need to imagine the ideal packaging experience for your customers. Plus, it will be a good idea to see what other brands have done and search for the packaging trends. By having proper planning, you will have a clear vision for your packaging boxes.

Conclusion

Folding cartons, rigid boxes, and corrugated boxes are the primary types of boxes. These boxes are ideal for luxury, lightweight, and heavier product packaging. There are different types and styles of these boxes meeting diverse requirements while offering unique advantages and disadvantages. Let’s create elegant and durable packaging boxes by collaborating with the packaging experts of The Box Zilla.