Corrugated and Shipping Boxes Built for the Journey

What are corrugated shipping boxes?

A corrugated box has a wavy layer of paper, called the flute, glued between flat liners. That fluted core gives the board its spring, so it absorbs knocks that would crease plain card.

This range holds the boxes that travel: slotted cartons for warehouses, double wall cases for heavy goods, and product-shaped boxes for books, mugs, prints and records. All of them are cut to the inside dimensions you ask for.

The board, the flute and the box style are all chosen per order. Two cartons with the same outside size can behave very differently on the road, so we ask about the load before we quote.

If you are not sure where to start, our custom corrugated boxes in any size page covers the general-purpose carton that most other styles grow from.

Every shipping box in the range, side by side

Read across a row to see what each style does well. The last column gives the detail that sets it apart from its neighbours.

Slotted, overlap or folding: which style do I need?

The slotted carton is the workhorse. On a regular slotted container, all four flaps are the same depth and the long ones meet in the middle. It wastes very little board, which keeps the unit cost down.

Take the top flaps away and you have a half slotted container, which stays open and is ideal for picking or for use with a separate lid. On a full overlap container the long flaps reach right across the top, giving a double layer for heavy or awkward goods.

Folding styles, such as the tuck front, need no tape and open like a gift. For bulk stock, though, a regular slotted container made to size is usually the cheapest box per cubic metre.

When should I choose double wall board?

Single wall board covers most parcels under a medium weight. Move up to BC double wall, about 7 mm thick, in three cases. The box is heavy, it sits low in a stack, or the contents can break.

Double wall also helps on long journeys with several handling points. Each drop and transfer is another chance for a corner to give way. Our heavy duty double wall boxes page compares common sizes.

Be aware that double wall adds weight and outside size. Check whether the extra millimetres push the parcel into a dearer postage band before you commit.

What inside size should a shipping box be?

Take the measurements at the widest points, including any bubble wrap or tissue. Write the figures as inside length, width and height in millimetres if you can.

For fragile goods, leave 30 to 50 mm on every side for cushioning. For books, clothing and other sturdy items, 5 to 10 mm is usually enough.

Write the sizes in the order length, width, height. The height runs from the opening down to the base. A box that opens on the long side therefore has a different height from one that opens on the end.

Our guide to measuring a box's inside size explains which side counts as length and why outside sizes cause trouble.

Printing on corrugated shipping boxes

Corrugated board takes print well. Many shipping boxes go out with a one colour logo on brown kraft, which is quick to set up and reads clearly on a doorstep.

For more colour, full CMYK printing works on white or kraft liners. Inside print is a good way to add a thank-you message without changing the plain look outside. See our printed ecommerce shipping boxes for examples.

Our designers will set out the artwork for nothing, and a digital proof lands in your inbox before a single sheet is printed.

Mistakes that damage shipping boxes in transit

Most transit damage comes from three things: a box that is too big, board that is too thin, and goods that can move. Fix those and breakage rates fall sharply.

Oversized boxes are the hidden cost. Empty space needs filler, and the box can collapse when something heavy lands on it. For high-value goods, a retention box that holds the product keeps it suspended away from all six walls.

Weak taping is the other common fault. Run tape along the centre seam and over both edges of the base, and do not rely on a single strip.

Finally, check the box before a busy period. Pack one with your real goods, drop it from waist height onto a hard floor on a corner, and open it. If anything moved or cracked, change the fit or the board.

Storing and packing flat-packed cartons

All of these boxes arrive flat to save space. Keep them somewhere dry and off a cold floor, because damp board loses stiffness quickly.

Fold each box along the creases rather than across them. Square the box up before you tape it, since a skewed carton stacks badly and is weaker at the corners.

Busy book sellers should keep book shipping boxes in common sizes next to the bench. Then the right box is always to hand.

Stack flat bundles on their sides rather than face down under weight. Heavy loads on top can crush the flutes before the boxes are ever folded.