What is Corrugated Packaging: Styles, Types, Benefits, and Manufacturing Companies

Thursday, 22 August 2024
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The importance of custom packaging for small businesses cannot be put behind in the retail sector. It is one of the leading factors to attract customers and drive sales.

In fact, several types of custom packaging boxes have been seen due to the nature of the product and the target audience.

For instance, custom bakery boxes are specifically made for preserving and packaging cakes. In comparison, custom cosmetic boxes are manufactured to protect beauty products and enhance the appeal of the cosmetic items.

When it comes to popular types of custom packaging, corrugated packaging boxes are widely popular among different businesses. If you are new to corrugated packaging, you might be interested in knowing more about it.

In this post, we are going to give you detailed information about:

  • What is custom corrugated packaging boxes?
  • Types of Corrugated Packaging
  • What are corrugated boxes used for?

Without further ado, let’s get started.

What are Custom Corrugated Packaging Boxes?


Custom corrugated packaging boxes are a type of packaging boxes made from corrugated cardboard material. These packaging boxes are designed and manufactured to fit the product rightly according to the size and dimension. Moreover, custom corrugated boxes are beneficial to help brands stand out on shelves by integrating brand elements such as unique colors, captivating designs, custom sizes, and a business logo.

In recent years, many corrugated box manufacturers in USA have emerged to help businesses elevate their brands, ship products safely to customers, and provide a seamless unboxing experience.

Also Read: Top 10 Corrugated Box Manufacturers in USA

Difference Between Corrugated Packaging Boxes vs. Cardboard Packaging Boxes

The emergence of online stores has given rise to custom packaging boxes offering a safe and pleasant experience for customers. Especially when it comes to fragile items such as electronics and glass products, the better the packaging, the safer the product is.

A package that is delivered broken or crushed can leave a bad impression on customers, leaving behind a bad review. That is why choosing the right type of packaging boxes is the key to customer satisfaction.

Cardboard and corrugated packaging boxes are widely used due to their strength, sturdiness, and customization. However, there is a slight difference between the two types of packaging boxes. Here’s a side-by-side difference between corrugated and cardboard boxes.

Corrugated Vs Cardboard Packaging Boxes: The Differences

Cardboard Packaging Boxes

Cardboard packaging boxes are also called carton packaging. These types of boxes are made from paper pulp or thick paper, which is then further customized to small packages. Cardboard boxes are cost-effective and can be used to ship products without worrying about breaking the items packed. However, cardboard boxes need additional materials to protect the product from breaking.

Corrugated Packaging Boxes

Corrugated packaging boxes comprise different layers that are strong enough when together. The inside and outside liner are filled in the middle with a fluted material to maintain strength. Corrugated packaging boxes have a strong build, yet they are lightweight and easy to carry. Moreover, they are also moisture resistant and can withstand temperature changes.


Industries that Use Corrugated Boxes

Corrugated boxes are known for their strength and rigidity. As we have mentioned earlier, different custom packaging boxes are made for different products. Some of them are used only to package the same type of product. While others can be used for multiple purposes. When it comes to corrugated box packaging, they are used across various industries, such as:

  • Food: Corrugated boxes are widely used to package food to prevent bacterial infections and deliver them to customers without harming the content.
  • Electronics: Electronics are fragile and vulnerable to easy breakage during shipping and handling. Corrugated packaging boxes are helpful in delivering and protecting the electronics within.
  • Apparel: Due to customization and availability in various sizes and shapes, corrugated boxes are popularly used for delivering and packaging apparel.
  • Office Supplies: Corrugated packaging boxes are ideal for packaging office supplies, which prevent them from any harm or damage while transporting from one place to another.
  • Moving to a New House: If you wish to move to your new place, whether a house or an office, corrugated boxes are ideal for transporting and keeping your belongings safe.
  • E-commerce: E-commerce has been evolving over the past few years since the evolution of digital marketing and online shopping. The competition is growing furious, and brands are devising strategies to lead the competition. Corrugated boxes are highly popular among e-commerce businesses. The reasons are plenty, but the most prominent one is to be in the eyes of customers whenever they look at the packaging. For instance, high-quality graphics, stunning design, creative artwork, and a business logo all contribute to better marketing of your product.
  • Luxury Items: When shopping offline or online, customers expect something extraordinary in terms of product presentation, safety, and branding. Luxury items such as expensive perfumes, clothing, and jewelry are also ideal to package in a custom-printed corrugated boxes.
  • Heavy-Duty Items: Heavy-duty items need sturdy and durable packaging boxes to protect them from any damage. Double-walled corrugated boxes are great for packaging heavy-duty items to add an extra layer of protection and ensure product delivery safely.

Different Styles of Corrugated Boxes

If you are new to corrugated boxes, you may not be aware of the different styles and types you can use for packaging your product. Here are some of the types and styles of corrugated boxes.

Slotted Box Style

The style is quite popular and made from a single corrugated or fiberboard known as a blank. The corrugated boxes with a slotted style can be easily laid flat and can sit upright with the help of staples and tape.

Regular Slotted Container

It is the most common type of corrugated box style, with outer flaps having one-half of the box’s width. The outer flaps can be easily joined in the middle when folded into a box. The regular slotted container styles are eco-friendly as they produce little to no waste.

Half Slotted Container

Half-slotted container style is similar to a regular-slotted container. The only difference is that one set of flaps is missing.

Overlap Slotted Container

Just like the regular slotted container, the overlap slotted container style has the same length of flaps. However, the outer flaps overlap by at least one inch when folded rather than meeting in the middle.

Full Overlap Slotted Container

It is similar to an overlap-slotted container where the outer flaps completely overlap when closed. The benefit of using a full overlap slotted container style is that it provides more protection and stacking compared to others.

What are the types of Corrugated Packaging?


Corrugated packaging comes in various types. Each type of custom corrugated box is used for packaging different types of materials, including retail and heavy industrial equipment. Here are some of the types of corrugated packaging you can use according to your specific requirements.

Single Face Corrugated Packaging

Single-face corrugated packaging comprises two layers of paper. These types of corrugated packaging are ideal for protecting irregular, small, and large products. They can also be molded according to the product’s requirements, offering more protection.

Single-face corrugated packaging is eco-friendly and made from recyclable material. Instead of using bubble wrap or polyester, single-face corrugated packaging is environmentally friendly.

Single-wall corrugated Boxes

A single-wall corrugated box is a type of cardboard box made of two liners with a fluted sheet in between. They are also known as light-duty corrugated cartons and are the most common type of corrugated box used for shipping and e-commerce.

Double-wall corrugated Boxes

Double-wall corrugated boxes are made from two layers of corrugated cardboard, giving it more strength to carry heavy items such as industrial equipment.

Triple-wall Corrugated Boxes

Triple-wall corrugated boxes as the name suggests, have three layers of corrugated material. They are even sturdier than double-wall corrugated boxes, offering more stacking options and less occupying space.

What are the benefits/purposes of Custom Corrugated Packaging Boxes?

The benefits of custom corrugated boxes are numerous. They are widely used and popular among different industries for many reasons. Let`s take an overview of the benefits of corrugated boxes wholesale.

Affordability

Custom corrugated boxes are highly popular among brick-and-mortar businesses and online stores. As we have discussed earlier, corrugated boxes are made from cardboard, which is quite inexpensive.

As the packaging box supplies are needed in bulk, you don’t have to worry about wasting money on anything unnecessary. In fact, corrugated packaging boxes will help you save your products while shipping and delivering them to the customers without breaking them and providing a seamless experience. Moreover, these packaging boxes offer more luxurious looks when customized correctly.

Increase Brand Awareness

The core of competing in the tough competition and saturated market is brand awareness. As corrugated packaging boxes are reusable, they may get into the hands of other people. With the right customization, brand logo, and colors, the chances of gaining traction among other people will increase double-fold.

Provide a Better Customer Experience

When it comes to custom corrugated boxes, the design and color matter a lot in attracting the target audience. Walking through aisles and picking the product firsthand from the shelf is the first step toward your branding success. The moment the customer leaves the checkout counter with your product, your purpose of packaging has been fulfilled.

However, the real success is when you provide a seamless customer experience while unboxing corrugated boxes. Unboxing is a new trend that instantly grabs the attention of people on social media. The better it is, the more the customers will visit your store and buy products.

Wide Range of Customization Options

Custom corrugated boxes are highly customizable and can be used to promote and market your products in a better way. However, on the contrary, if the customization is not done correctly, the probability of failing is quite high.

Customizing corrugated packaging boxes should be done with customers in mind. The age, the demographic, and their needs should be considered while designing custom-printed corrugated boxes wholesale.

Increase Sales and Revenue

Providing high-quality products packaged in enticing corrugated boxes leads to customer attraction. Custom corrugated packaging boxes can help you stand out from your competitors. Especially when it comes to luxury goods such as jewelry, perfumes, and apparel, you can use custom corrugated boxes to increase the value of your products, sell them more, and generate revenue better than ever.

How to Measure a Corrugated Box Size and Dimension?


Calculating the size and dimension of a corrugated box is important to fit the product. The size and dimension of the corrugated box are measured by opening the box, which constitutes 

Length: the Longest side of the box

Width: shorter than the length of the box and has a flip

Depth: Depth is measured from the top of the corrugated box to the bottom opening.

Placing your order for custom corrugated boxes requires you to correctly measure the box from inside out. However, keep in mind that the dimensions of a corrugated box are measured both from the inside and outside.

The measurement of the box from inside will be much different than the measurement from the outside. So before placing the order, make sure which is which, as it may lead to a hefty loss if not communicated correctly.

How to Measure Corrugated Box Exterior?

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to measure a corrugated box from outside:

  • Measuring the Length: Find the open side of the corrugated box and, with the help of a ruler, measure the longest side from the opening.
  • Measuring the Width: Calculate the shorter dimensions of the opening with the help of a ruler or tape.
  • Measure the Depth: The height of a corrugated box is determined from the distance from the bottom to the top of the opening.

How to Measure Corrugated Box Exterior?

The exterior of the corrugated box measurement is the deciding factor in calculating the cost of shipping. It can vary from one shipping company to another, but there won’t be much of a difference.

To measure the box from outside, make sure to tape it up and measure the inside dimension against the exterior. This will help you determine the volume and area of the box it will take up on the truck. The volume of a square box is the cube of the length of the side of the square box.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to measure the outside of the corrugated box.

When measuring the exterior of the corrugated box, make sure not to include the inner space.

  1. Place the corrugated box flat on the table with the opening facing up.
  2. The length of the corrugated box is measured from one edge of the box opening to the opposite edge.
  3. The width of the corrugated box is measured using a tape from the center of the score line on the side flaps.
  4. The depth of the corrugated box is measured from the bottom of the opening to the top. Make sure to measure from the center of the scoreline on the flaps.

Also Read: Art of Measuring Box Dimensions for Shipping

What is Flute in Corrugated Box Used For?

Corrugated boxes are available in a wide range of sizes and can vary in strength. The strength of the packaging box is determined by the flute, which is classified into different categories. Before discussing the classifications and types of flutes, we would like to shed some light on what a flue in the corrugated box is.

Also Read: How to Choose the Right Corrugated Flute for Packaging?

What is a Flute in a Corrugated Box | Corrugated Box Styles

The term "flute" refers to the wavy, accordion-like structure that is sandwiched between the two outer layers of the box. It is the central component of the corrugated material, providing strength, cushioning, and protection to the box.

Some of the common types of flutes for corrugated box styles include:

A Flute Corrugated Box: A flute corrugated box is large in size and provides extra strength and durability to heavy-duty items.

B Flute Corrugated Box: B flute corrugated box is a bit smaller than an A flute, offering resistance against crushing and widely used for retail packaging.

C Flute Corrugated Box: C flute is a medium-sized flute and offers a balance between cushioning and strength. These flutes are commonly used for general purpose packaging.

E Flute Corrugated Box: E flute offers a smooth surface for high-quality printing and is lightweight, commonly used for high-end packaging.

F Flute Corrugated Box: F Flute is the smallest of all, having thin walls, being lightweight in nature, and having a high-quality printing option.

Just like any other packaging box, corrugated boxes are available in a wide variety of styles. Some of the types of corrugated box styles include.

Single Face: One of the styles of corrugated box includes a single face in which a sole sheet of fiberboard is glued to the single fluted corrugated box. It is made from heavy-duty packaging material to support rigidness and cushioning.

SIngle Wall: Single wall is a common type of corrugated box used in everyday chores. It usually comprises two layers of fiberboard glued on one of the sides of the corrugated medium. Single-wall corrugated box style is commonly used for shipping materials, ensuring that they are shipped to the destination without damaging the goods packed inside.

Double Wall: A Double wall corrugated box comes with an additional layer of protection, comprising three sheets of fiberboard alternated with two fluted corrugated mediums.

Triple Wall: The Triple wall corrugated box style is the strongest of all types and is used for shipping heavy duty equipment. It adds an additional layer of fiberboard and a corrugated material in contrast to double wall. They are ideal for shipping appliances and fragile items such as heavy glass, etc.

Summing Up

The retail sector is driven by tough competition. With the rise in online shopping, the competition is becoming even tougher. However, with numerous options available for brands in the form of custom packaging boxes wholesale, competing in the market becomes easier.

Whatever custom-printed boxes you need for your product, IMH Packaging, one of the leading custom packaging box manufacturers in USA, offers premium boxes for all products. Whether it be custom rigid boxes, corrugated boxes, or kraft boxes, we have got you covered.

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