Comprehensive Guide & Technical Breakdown
A folding carton is a lightweight paperboard box that is manufactured flat and then folded into its final box shape when filled. It's the most common type of packaging you'll see in retail — cereal boxes, cosmetics packaging, medicine boxes, and food packaging are almost always folding cartons.
Board types for folding cartons:
- Solid Bleached Sulphate (SBS) — premium white board, ideal for cosmetics and food
- Coated Unbleached Kraft (CUK) — natural brown back, commonly used for food and beverages
- Folding Boxboard (FBB) — multi-ply board, excellent printability and stiffness
- Recycled Board (WLC/GC) — lower cost, greyish back, used for general retail
- Tuck end (straight and reverse) — classic retail box
- Seal end — glued bottom for heavy items
- Gable top — cartons for liquids (milk cartons)
- Sleeve — wraps around a tray or product
- Auto-bottom — pops open automatically
Common folding carton styles:
Folding cartons ship flat and are assembled at your facility, saving significant storage space compared to pre-erected rigid boxes.