Packaging guides
The questions we answer on the phone most often, written down properly. Each one is the answer we would give you, not a longer version of it.
What is corrugated cardboard, and which flute do you need?
Corrugated cardboard is a sandwich: a wavy fluted layer of paper glued between two flat liners. The flutes act as columns, which is where the strength comes from. Flute size is graded A, B, C, E and F, from roughly 5mm down to under 1mm, and the grade you pick decides whether the board cushions, stacks or prints well.
/ 7 minHow to choose the right shipping box size
Choose the smallest box that fits your product plus its protective material, usually 5 to 10mm of clearance per side for a rigid item. Oversizing is expensive because carriers bill on dimensional weight, which is calculated from the box's outer dimensions, so empty space is charged as though it weighed something.
/ 7 minECT vs Mullen: which box strength rating do you need?
ECT (Edge Crush Test) measures how much top-to-bottom load a box edge carries before crushing, reported in pounds per inch. Mullen (Burst Test) measures how much pressure the board resists before rupturing, reported in pounds per square inch. ECT predicts stacking performance, Mullen predicts puncture resistance, and they are not interchangeable.
/ 6 minWhat is a dieline, and how do you read one?
A dieline is a flat, full-size 2D template showing every cut, crease, glue area and panel of a package before it is printed. Solid lines mark cuts, dashed lines mark creases. Artwork is laid onto the dieline so the printer knows exactly where the design falls once the box is folded.
/ 6 minHow to measure a box correctly
Boxes are measured length x width x depth, always in that order, and always as interior dimensions unless stated otherwise. Length is the longer of the two open-face sides, width the shorter, and depth the distance from the opening to the base.
/ 5 minWhat is kraft paper, and why is it strong?
Kraft paper is paper produced by the kraft process, a chemical pulping method that dissolves the lignin binding wood fibres together while leaving the cellulose fibres long and intact. Those long fibres are what make kraft noticeably stronger than paper made by mechanical pulping.
/ 7 min
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