Throughout history, paperboard folding cartons have been the most widely used packaging material, and they continue to do so today.
Many companies have decided to use paper packaging in response to customer requests for more environmentally friendly solutions as a result of growing eco-awareness.
In addition to being affordable and adaptable, folding cartons are an excellent substitute for plastic in packing.
Paperboard boxes are widely utilized for almost any kind of goods since they are very flexible and lightweight.
Ecommerce Boxes play a mandatory role in ensuring products reach customers safely, designed for durability and customizable for branding, while also benefaction sustainable packaging options to meet eco-conscious consumer demands.
An Overview of Paperboard’s
History
Since the folding carton box was among the first packing styles to become widespread, it represents a significant historical moment.
Due to its rapid manufacture and simplicity of obtaining raw materials, it has been in use since the 1800s and has gradually grown in popularity.
In the past, the packaging was made of paperboard that was adhered together by tacks and threads.
The production process for folding cartons has changed significantly since it was first done by hand.
Let’s take a closer look at the steps involved in making folding carton boxes today!
Procedure
Paperboard, or pulp made from discarded paper, is often used to make folding carton boxes. The packaging is then recycled.
After being cut, folded, and laminated, the paperboard is supplied flat, ready for packing and building.
More precisely, dielines will be created by folding carton producers who process the paperboard so that artwork designs may be added and printed onto huge paperboard sheets that will then be cut and scored.
In essence, this entails slicing the paperboard rolls into flat sheets so they can be fed into a printing machine. At this stage, any pictures or artwork are printed onto the sheets.
The paperboard sheets are cut, folded, and glued together to produce your ideal package after printing and any further post-press procedures.
To guarantee that the product is kept securely inside the packaging, folding cartons will undergo additional structural engineering and quality control procedures based on the items being packed.
The Advantages of Carton Folding
Because of its various advantages, folding carton boxes have been used for packing for many years.
Friendly to Retailers
The fact that folding carton boxes work well on store shelves is one of its key benefits.
Custom folding carton boxes allow you to design high-end packaging that will really grab the attention of customers.
Compared to other packing styles, folding carton boxes are less likely to be damaged during transit, which makes them appropriate for retail settings.
Furthermore, folding cartons look fantastic on display and provide a high-end feel and excellent brand distinctiveness due to their variety in printing, finishing, and design process possibilities.
Eco-Friendly
Folding cartons are a great choice if you’re looking for reasonably priced, aesthetically pleasing, and ecologically responsible packaging solutions because of the materials used to construct them, including Kraft.
Kraft is an excellent ecological packaging option because of its manufacturing process and the recyclable nature of folding carton boxes.
Using environmentally friendly inks and coatings, such aqueous coating, enables completely sustainable product packaging that appeals to your eco-aware customers.
Flat Boxes offer a practical packaging solution for slim or stackable items, designed to save storage space and reduce shipping costs, while providing sturdy protection and easy customization for branding purposes.
Flexibility in Finishing and Printing
Folding carton boxes are a great way to add flair to your goods without sacrificing quality.
Compared to other package kinds, they are somewhat less bulky, and you have many possibilities for superior printing and finishing.
To guarantee that your folding carton box stands out and provides a luxurious consumer experience, custom packaging suppliers can assist you in identifying and selecting the ideal design and finishing.
Cost-Effectiveness
Folding cartons’ affordability while maintaining a posh appearance is another factor contributing to their popularity.
When weighed against all the advantages they provide, they are a highly cost-effective packaging choice.
If you’re searching for premium, environmentally friendly packaging options, folding cartons are a reasonably priced choice.
Many companies employ folding carton boxes for packing because of these advantages, among many more.
Grades of Folding Carton Paper
There are several paper grades available for folding carton boxes, and each has unique properties.
You could be asking yourself, “How hard can it be? It’s just paper.”
In order to adapt your product and branding, each paper grade undergoes several procedures and has varying printing and finishing capabilities.
It’s crucial to know what your paperboard box needs in order to make the perfect packing.
SBS, or solid bleached sulfate
A high-end paperboard alternative that is very resilient to tearing is solid bleached sulfate (SBS).
It is made up of 80% newly collected wood chips that have been bleached and chemically treated, and 20% recycled materials.
A thin coating of naturally occurring clay is applied to SBS paperboard, which has a beautiful white hue and is smoothed out for printing and unique finishing.
These paper grades provide the best surface for
· Design components
· Superior printing quality
· Coatings
· Finishes
Paperboard with Solid Unbleached Sulfate (SUS)
Paperboard made of solid unbleached sulfate (SUS) undergoes the same procedure as SBS, but since SUS is not bleached, it has a different hue.
SUS paperboard is coated to provide a smoother printing surface and comes in brown.
The material’s brown hue might make the printing result seem more subdued or faded.
This paper grade’s color and recyclability make it very effective in communicating sustainable brand goals.
Options for Printing and Coating Paperboard
At this point, branding becomes relevant.
As was mentioned in passing, the paper quality and coating have a significant impact on how your package design prints.
Because colors may be readily matched throughout the design phase utilizing the Pantone color matching method, white paper grades will provide the best surface for accurate color output.
However, printing on natural brown kraft paper might be more challenging since the paper grade’s color can drastically change the printing results.
Colors could seem more subdued and faded, as was briefly mentioned. Therefore, if there is any writing, the final product could be hard to view or read.
Layouting your design in white ink before printing your final design ensures the optimum color output when printed on kraft folding cartons.
Because paperboard is so adaptable, it may be used for both offset and digital printing.
Because offset printing produces high-quality results, it is advised. This is particularly crucial for elaborate designs that need clean lines.
Simple designs that don’t need much clarity to be remembered are best suited for digital printing.
Apparel boxes are the stylish vessels that carry your fashion finds from the online store to your closet.
Additionally, folding cartons may be coated to better suit certain industries.
For instance, wax coating is often used in the food and restaurant industries to prevent leaks and grease stains on their finished packaging.
Additionally, aqueous coatings may be applied to the inside of food packaging without the use of any poisonous or hazardous chemicals, in addition to establishing ecologically friendly efforts.
Because folding cartons are so adaptable, they can also withstand distinctive and unusual treatments that enhance your branding, such as:
· Debossing and embossing
· UV printing on-site
· Stamping with foil
Considerations for Design Elements
Paperboard’s cost-effectiveness allows you to invest in design components that surpass your initial expectations and enhance your brand identity.
Although this packaging material’s printing capabilities are quite flexible, it’s also important to note the many design features that paperboard may take on.
Both Debossing and Embossing
The technique of embossing and debossing involves pressing words, patterns, and pictures into materials to produce a raised or lowered image of your artwork.
This has a particularly significant effect on items like
· Certifications
· Logos
· Artwork
UV Spot Printing
UV printing uses ultraviolet (UV) light to cure a varnish that has been applied to the material.
By focusing on certain regions of the printed product, this coating preserves its color, adds a pleasing shine, and shields the surface from moisture and other wear and tear.
For a striking, eye-catching look, a spot finish also produces a variety of textures on a printed surface.
One of the several specialized printing methods used to create packaging that effectively sets companies and goods apart from one another is spot UV.
It raises the apparent quality of printed materials, just as laminating does. Keep in mind that the term “spot UV printing” is misleading since it refers to a coating process rather than a printing one.
Paperboard in a variety of industries
Paperboard packaging is probably used in about every sector you can imagine.
Among the sectors that use paperboard packaging are
· Cosmetics business for skincare and makeup
· Food and drink containers, including cereal boxes
· CBD oils in the cannabis business
· Secondary packaging for pharmaceuticals
To get a better understanding of how paperboard packaging manufacturers respond to demands, we will examine a few of these sectors in further detail:
Paperboard boxes used in pharmaceuticals
In this case study, shipping medicine to Africa required a large number of folding boxes.
It was necessary to include the folding carton kinds into the business’s automated folding procedure.
By carefully examining the engineering behind the company’s automated process and designing packaging that would allow it to be packed at the required speed, the manufacturer was able to complete the order.
Overall, this folding carton packaging was a terrific way to package medications for a worthy cause!
Sensitiva: The Influence of Alternative Medicine and Wellbeing
Sensitiva wanted to use eco-friendly packaging materials that conveyed their brand values to a range of product sizes.
To do this, packaging for a range of items was made using folding carton boxes with matte anti-scratch coatings.
To save time and money, many artwork types were printed combined in a single production using folding cartons.
Corporate boxes are customized packaging solutions used by businesses to deliver branded merchandise, gifts, or promotional items to clients, employees, or partners.
Windows on paperboard
The goal of this project was to create window patching, or folding carton packing, so that a buyer may see the item before making a purchase!
Additionally, the box required to include high-quality printing that described its features and advantages.
The plan was to employ windows in the package design that were further reinforced.
This kept the goods safe within the package while enabling buyers to see it.
Additionally, the product took center stage, which was advantageous in this instance!
For a wide variety of sectors, folding cartons are an excellent packaging choice.
Its limitless printing and finishing capabilities allow for the creation of a premium consumer experience while maintaining a compelling brand story.
