Cardboard is a loose word for two different materials, and which one you print on decides the press, the finish options and the freight cost. Folding carton paperboard is a single pressed sheet and it is what retail cartons are made from. Corrugated board is fluted paper glued between two liners and it is what survives a courier network. Tell us the job the box has to do and the board gets specified around it, not the other way round.
Which board your artwork lands on
Print quality and board choice are linked. A smooth coated paperboard sheet holds fine type and photographic images. A directly printed corrugated liner is a rougher surface, so it favours bold marks, flat colour and large type. If you want retail-grade print on a shipper, the usual route is to print a paper sheet and laminate it to the corrugated board.
| Board | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Folding carton paperboard | One pressed sheet, coated one or both sides | Retail cartons, cosmetics, supplements, soap, tuck boxes |
| Kraft paperboard | Uncoated brown sheet | Plain, natural looking retail packaging with one or two colour print |
| Single wall corrugated | One fluted layer between two liners | Mailers and shippers that go through a carrier network |
| Litho laminated corrugated | Printed paper sheet bonded to corrugated board | Full colour images on a box that still has to ship |
Print methods, plainly
Digital printing images the sheet directly with no plates, which suits shorter runs and multiple artwork versions in one order. Offset lithography uses a plate per colour and rewards longer runs with tight, consistent colour. Flexography prints directly onto corrugated liner with photopolymer plates and is the normal route for high volume shipping boxes in one to three colours. The die and the plates are included with your order at iBox, so switching method does not add a separate tooling invoice. If you are weighing the two main routes, read offset vs digital printing.
What we need from you
- Vector artwork placed on the dieline layer, with fonts outlined.
- Colour called out as CMYK build or as a spot reference, not as a screenshot.
- Images at print resolution at final size, not scaled up from web assets.
- Barcodes supplied as vector with a quiet zone left clear.
If you do not have a dieline yet, design support is included and we will build one to your product measurements. See what a dieline is for the anatomy of the file.
Minimums, pricing and lead time
The minimum order is 100 boxes, on any board above. Pricing runs from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and the exact figure for your size, board, colours and finish comes back on a written quote. Production happens at one of two plants, West Chicago in the United States and Guangzhou in China, and the plant is chosen for the spec and the lane you pick. Turnaround is stated per product: the floor is from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 days for delivery, while specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. US shipping is included.
Send your dimensions, quantity and artwork, or just a description of the product, through the quote form and you will get a board recommendation, a per unit price and a delivery date to work back from. Still deciding between the two materials? Start with corrugated vs cardboard.
