30/10/2024
Imagine walking through the bustling aisles of a familiar supermarket, surrounded by a world of packaging. It’s challenging to list every type of packaging, even the most common ones. However, when focusing specifically on paper packaging, we can categorize it into three main types: folding boxes, rigid boxes, and corrugated boxes.
All these boxes share a commonality: they are made from paper, a product derived from wood. However, the thickness and material of each type of paper create distinct structural characteristics suited for packaging specific products. This article will provide you with basic insights into these three types of boxes.
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A soft box can be simply understood as paper folded into a box shape. This is the most common type of paper box, visible everywhere around you. Take a moment to look around. Do you see any paper boxes? Are they soft boxes?
Soft boxes are made from thin cardboard materials, typically ivory (white), duplex (gray inside), or kraft (brown). They are lightweight, flexible, and easy to fold into boxes or flatten out. Folding boxes are designed for convenient packaging of lightweight products that do not require extensive protection. Their sizes are generally small, such as those used for soap, toothpaste, or tissue paper. Occasionally, they can be slightly larger, like a butter cookie box, which contains a tin inside for stability.
Folding boxes primarily serve the retail market, which is highly competitive. This includes fast-moving consumer goods, food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and toys. Therefore, they need to be visually appealing to attract consumers. This can involve vibrant colors, patterns, decorative images, and effects like foil stamping, embossing, or window die-cuting that spark curiosity. The designs can range from simple with tuck flaps to elaborate structures, like a pineapple-shaped box for pineapple cakes.
A corrugated box characterized by its distinctive wave structure. It is not an exaggeration to say that the corrugated box is one of humanity’s great inventions. It provides not only convenient packaging solutions but also transforms the way goods are stored and distributed globally. Thanks to its wave structure, this seemingly fragile paper can become a sturdy thick cardboard. There are no size limitations; it can hold large items like televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines.
Corrugated boxes typically appear in their raw form (unprinted) for packaging goods purchased online or as “bins” for moving purposes. Their unique wave structure provides excellent shock resistance and strength, stabilizing the products inside. Furthermore, corrugated boxes are lightweight and flexible, making them preferable over wooden or plastic boxes with similar functions. Imagine if televisions or refrigerators were not packaged in corrugated boxes; what would they be placed in?
Currently, two printing trends are emerging for this type of box. One trend is to leave them unprinted, as seen with Samsung’s effort to create corrugated boxes for phone and laptop accessories without printing, to support environmental sustainability. The more common trend involves printing on thin paper (like couche or ford) and then laminating it to the corrugated cardboard. This method is often used for packaging products that prioritize aesthetics, such as pizza boxes, cake boxes, fashion items, and electronics.
In Vietnamese, a rigid box is sometimes inaccurately called a “cold carton box.” However, this term is not technically correct. The reason is that carton paper is characterized by layers of corrugated paper between flat layers, while “cold carton boxes” lack the wave structure. Rigid boxes are made from chipboard. The term “chipboard” itself indicates that it is a special type of paperboard (compared to cardboard and paperboard). The thickness and rigidity of corrugated paper come from its layered waves, while chipboard’s properties derive from its compacted wood fiber structure. When you first hold a piece of chipboard, you might question whether it is paper or plywood.
In terms of functionality, the term “cold carton box” may help users envision the advantages of this type of box. Indeed, rigid boxes inherit most of the benefits of corrugated boxes, including high thickness, sturdy structure, and superior protection. The term “cold” evokes a sense of luxury, precisely the feeling you get when you touch an iPhone box. With modern manufacturing techniques, unique effects can be created on rigid box surfaces, from intricate embossed patterns to contemporary multi-layer UV coatings on metalized laminated paper.
Rigid boxes are rarely seen in fast-moving consumer goods but are more common during holidays like Tet or Mid-Autumn Festival, as they are often used for gift sets. Birthday and anniversary gift boxes found in bookstores are examples of rigid boxes. Additionally, rigid boxes are used for luxury items such as jewelry, watches, cosmetics, perfumes, ginseng, bird’s nest products, and premium wines.
NewLifePack is one of the most reputable manufacturers of rigid boxes in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We are among the few local printing companies that invest in fully owning all the machinery required for a complete rigid box production line within our factory, without outsourcing. This ensures stable quality and competitive pricing.
Understanding the basics of these three types of paper boxes can help you navigate the packaging industry more easily, especially if you are selecting the right box for an upcoming project. Each type of box has distinct characteristics and specific applications, all aimed at optimizing product protection and attracting consumer attention.
NewLifePack (since 2008) is a large-scale manufacturer of paper packaging and rigid boxes in HCMC, Vietnam. We provide comprehensive packaging solutions for premium product boxes, company gift boxes, mooncake boxes, Tet gift boxes, and so on. Experts in surface effects: lamination, foil stamping, embossing, UV coating, metalized lamination, die-cutting, anti-counterfeit labels, and other special effects. Certifications achieved: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, GMI, G7, GSV, FSC, and SMETA.
Thank you for choosing to consult with us among many other packaging printing facilities. We are excited to have the opportunity to serve you!
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