A custom corrugated shipping box comes down to three decisions: interior dimensions that fit the product with a little clearance, a flute and wall build that survives the carrier network, and a print method matched to how much ink you actually need. Get those right and the box costs less to make and less to ship. iBox Factory runs shipping boxes to your dimensions out of two plants, West Chicago in the US and Guangzhou in China, from a 100 box minimum.
Flute and wall: what the board is doing
The fluted middle layer is the structural part of corrugated board. Thicker flutes add cushioning and stacking strength. Thinner flutes give a flatter print surface and a smaller folded footprint. Most shipping boxes land on B flute, C flute, or a double wall.
| Flute | Approximate thickness | Where it earns its place |
|---|---|---|
| E | About 1/16 in (1.6 mm) | Retail ready mailers and printed shippers where the graphics carry the box |
| B | About 1/8 in (3.2 mm) | Everyday shippers and mailers, good crush resistance, prints cleanly |
| C | About 5/32 in (4 mm) | The common shipping carton flute, more cushioning and stacking strength |
| BC double wall | About 1/4 in (6 to 7 mm) | Heavy, fragile, or palletized freight and long transit lanes |
Single wall is not a single strength
Board is specified beyond flute by an edge crush value or a burst rating. Heavier contents need a higher rating, not simply a thicker flute, and a box that stacks four high on a pallet is a different spec from one that ships alone in a parcel network. Tell us the packed weight and how the freight moves, and the board spec goes on your quote in writing before anything is cut. If flute terminology is new, our plain explainer at what flute means in corrugated board covers it in one page.
Size it so you do not pay twice
Parcel carriers bill on dimensional weight as well as actual weight, so an oversized box is charged for the air inside it. Three habits keep that under control:
- Measure the product at its widest points, then add clearance only for the inner protection you will really use.
- Give us interior dimensions. Outside dimensions vary with board thickness, and on double wall that difference is enough to jam a snug product.
- Write dimensions in the standard order: length is the longer opening edge, width the shorter one, depth the height with the box closed.
If you are working from a product that already ships in something, our corrugated box dimensions reference is a faster starting point than measuring from scratch.
Printing on kraft or on a white liner
One or two spot colors direct on a kraft liner is the least expensive way to put a brand on a shipper. A white top liner costs more per sheet and pays for itself when the box is photographed, opened by a customer, or sits on a shelf. Full coverage artwork on E flute is the usual choice when a shipping box doubles as retail packaging. The die and the plates are included, as is design support, and nothing prints until you approve a digital proof.
Minimum, price and turnaround
The minimum is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, since board grade, size, print coverage and finishing all move the number. Turnaround is quoted per product across three lanes: rush combines expedited production with air freight and carries a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job, standard moves by air from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 days for delivery, and cost saver moves by sea and takes the longest of the three. Specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks, so ask early if your launch date is fixed.
Send dimensions, packed weight and artwork (or a rough sketch) through our quote form and we will come back with board spec, unit price at your quantity, and the turnaround lane that fits your date.
