Custom kraft folding cartons
Folding cartons are the cheapest way to put a printed box around a product. Paperboard rather than corrugated, so the surface is smooth, the print is sharper and the unit cost drops well below a mailer.
- Indicative price
- $0.40/unit
- Construction
- Tuck-end or auto-bottom, kraft paperboard
- Minimum order
- 50 units
Indicative only. Final price depends on dieline, board grade, print count and volume. See volume tiers
A kraft folding carton is a paperboard box, typically 12pt to 24pt, that ships flat and folds into a tuck-end or auto-bottom structure. It is the standard retail carton for cosmetics, supplements, confectionery and small consumer goods.
Picking a tuck style
Straight tuck-end has both flaps folding from the back, so the front panel stays clean. Reverse tuck-end alternates them, which is cheaper to run because it nests better on the press sheet but leaves a visible flap edge on the front.
Auto-bottom costs more per unit but the base pops into shape in one motion, which cuts packing labour substantially on any product you hand-assemble in volume. Above roughly 2,000 units a month the labour saving usually exceeds the unit cost difference.
Board weight and what it holds
12pt suits light contents such as sachets, tea and cosmetics. 18pt is the general-purpose weight for supplement bottles and small glass. 24pt is for heavier retail goods or where the carton needs to survive shelf handling without softening at the corners.
Kraft paperboard has a natural brown face and a lighter reverse. If you want the inside of the carton to read as kraft too, specify a kraft-back board rather than the standard white-back.
Specification
What we can build, and the numbers you will be asked for by anyone comparing quotes.
- Construction
- Straight tuck-end, reverse tuck-end, auto-bottom, seal-end
- Board
- 12pt, 18pt, 24pt kraft paperboard (SUS / CUK)
- Size range
- 1" x 1" x 1" up to 14" x 10" x 10"
- Minimum order
- 50 units
- Offset and digital, up to 6 colours plus spot finishes
- Windows
- Die-cut window with PLA or acetate patch
- Production
- 14 business days after artwork approval
- Dieline
- Free, returned within 24 hours
What brands use these for
Supplement and vitamin cartons
Cartons sized around a standard bottle, with panel space for supplement facts and regulatory copy.
Cosmetics and skincare
Slim tuck-end cartons for tubes, droppers and jars, usually with spot gloss or foil on the brand mark.
Confectionery and dry goods
Seal-end cartons for bars, tea and dry snacks where the carton is the primary retail unit.
Retail display
Window cartons that show the product while keeping printable panels for shelf messaging.
Print and finishing
Available on this format. Each addition changes unit price, and we quote them line by line rather than as a bundle.
- Offset print up to 6 colours
- Spot UV gloss
- Soft-touch matte lamination
- Foil stamping, gold, silver, copper
- Emboss and deboss
- Die-cut windows with compostable PLA film
- Braille embossing
Category-specific guidance
Folding cartons questions
What is the difference between a folding carton and a corrugated box?
A folding carton is single-ply paperboard, smooth and thin, made for retail presentation. Corrugated has a fluted layer between two liners, is much thicker, and is made for shipping. Cartons cost less per unit and print better. Corrugated protects better.
Can kraft folding cartons hold a glass bottle?
Yes, at 18pt or 24pt. For shipping a glass bottle on its own we would pair the carton with a corrugated shipper or a moulded pulp insert rather than relying on the carton alone.
Are windowed cartons still recyclable?
With a PLA window patch the carton goes into paper recycling in most municipal streams, though the film itself is not compostable in a home bin. Acetate windows should be removed before recycling. We default to PLA unless you ask otherwise.
Get pricing on folding cartons
Send your dimensions and volume. Pricing and a free structural dieline back within one business day.