Television sizes are quoted as a diagonal, which is the one measurement that never appears on a box drawing. Before you can spec a carton you have to convert that diagonal into a width and a height, then add everything that travels with the panel. This page does the first part with arithmetic you can check, and gives you the method for the second.
Turning a diagonal into a width and a height
Almost all flat panel televisions are 16:9. That ratio fixes the relationship between the diagonal and the two sides: the width is the diagonal multiplied by 0.8716 and the height is the diagonal multiplied by 0.4903. The table below is that calculation, nothing more. It describes screen geometry, not an iBox size range, and it excludes the bezel, which adds a little on every edge depending on the model.
| Stated diagonal | Calculated 16:9 screen width | Calculated 16:9 screen height |
|---|---|---|
| 32 in | About 27.9 in | About 15.7 in |
| 43 in | About 37.5 in | About 21.1 in |
| 50 in | About 43.6 in | About 24.5 in |
| 55 in | About 47.9 in | About 27.0 in |
| 65 in | About 56.7 in | About 31.9 in |
| 75 in | About 65.4 in | About 36.8 in |
What gets added on top of the panel
The carton is sized around the packed assembly, which is usually four things stacked in depth: the panel itself, a protective sleeve or film, moulded end caps or corrugated corner blocks, and a flat accessory tray holding the stand, feet, remote and manual. Measure the panel face down on a bench with the end caps fitted, because the caps set the real footprint and the real thickness. A panel that is 1.5 in deep can easily sit inside a 5 in deep box once the caps are on.
Two decisions follow from that. First, whether the stand ships attached or in a separate compartment, because an attached stand roughly doubles the depth of the lower third of the box. Second, whether the accessory tray sits behind the panel or beside it, which changes the height rather than the depth.
Board and construction
Large, flat and heavy is the hardest combination in corrugated. The load in a TV carton is carried by the vertical edges and by the end caps, so the flute should run vertically through the side walls. Double wall is the usual starting point above the mid sizes because the box has to survive being stood on its edge and stacked. Flute direction, board grade and whether the box is a one piece wrap or a tray and sleeve are all worth putting in writing on the spec rather than leaving to the factory. If you have not settled the board question, the comparison on single wall vs double wall corrugated lays out what each grade is doing.
Handling, not just strength
Two people carry a large TV carton, so hand holes matter. Place them on the long side walls, below the vertical centre of gravity so the box tips towards the carrier rather than away. Keep the cut outs away from the scores, because a hand hole through a fold line is where the box tears. Print the orientation arrows and the do not lay flat instruction if the pack is designed to travel upright.
Ordering
TV cartons run from a 100 box minimum, priced from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and confirmed on your written quote. The cutting die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof are included, so a carton cut to your exact packed assembly costs no more in tooling than a near standard size. Turnaround is stated per product in three lanes, rush (expedited production plus air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days of production plus 2 to 5 days for delivery. Large flat cartons often make more sense from the West Chicago plant on freight alone, and that is worth raising when you ask.
Send the packed assembly measurements, the weight and whether the stand travels inside, and we will come back with a board grade and a price. Start at request a quote, or look at the heavy duty options on the full flap shipping boxes page.
