A full overlap box, usually written FOL, is a slotted container whose outer flaps run the full width of the box instead of stopping halfway. You order it the way you order any corrugated shipper: internal length x width x depth, measured to fit the product. There is no published full overlap size chart to pick from, and any supplier who hands you one is selling you their tooling rather than your box.
What the full overlap style actually changes
In a regular slotted container (RSC), each outer flap is half the box width, so the two flaps butt together on the center line. In a full overlap, each outer flap is the full box width, so one flap lies completely over the other. Top and bottom end up with two layers of board instead of one. That is why the style shows up on heavy contents, on goods that get stacked, and on anything moving through a rough freight lane.
The trade is material. Same internal size, wider blank, more board per box.
Check a quote against the blank formula
These are standard corrugated blank formulas, not iBox stock sizes. If you know your internal dimensions you can work out roughly how much board each style consumes and see why the FOL price sits higher.
| Measurement | Regular slotted container | Full overlap |
|---|---|---|
| Blank length, around the four panels | 2 x (L + W) plus a glue or stitch tab | 2 x (L + W) plus a glue or stitch tab |
| Blank width, across the flaps | D + W | D + 2W |
| Board layers on the top and bottom panel | One | Two |
Read the second row again before you design a wide, shallow box. When W is large relative to D, the full overlap blank grows sharply, and a shallow tray-shaped FOL can consume far more board than the internal volume suggests.
Stating the dimension so nobody misreads it
Write it as internal length x width x depth, with length being the longer of the two opening dimensions and depth the distance from the closed bottom to the closed top. Then say the word "internal" out loud on the quote. Board thickness adds roughly twice the caliper to each external dimension, so a box with a generous internal fit can still fail a pallet plan or a carrier size limit that was measured on the outside. If your box has to fit inside a master carton or a shelf, give both numbers.
Board grade for a doubled flap
A full overlap is often specified because the contents are heavy, which usually means the board conversation matters more than the style conversation. Single wall or double wall, and which flute, should be decided against your stacking and handling, not against a catalogue. Our page on ECT in corrugated board explains how board grades are described so you can read what is on your quote. For general shipper sizing, corrugated box dimensions covers the same ground for standard styles.
Minimum, price basis and turnaround
Minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote. Die and plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included. Production runs in three lanes: Rush (expedited production plus air freight), Standard (air) and Cost saver (sea). The floor is from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. Rush carries a premium of about 7 to 25%, depending on the job. We run two plants, West Chicago in the US and Guangzhou in China, and the lane you pick decides which one makes sense.
If you already have an internal size, send it with the weight of the packed box and the way it ships, and we will quote the board and the style against it. Start at /quote/, or look at full flap shipping boxes if you want to order the style directly.
