Folding carton
Cosmetic boxes
Cartons sized to your bottle or jar, with room for ingredients and batch codes.
Paperboard
Folding carton · Paperboard
Custom folding cartons
Custom folding cartons are printed paperboard boxes that ship flat and fold up in seconds. They're the standard retail box for cosmetics, supplements, candles, tea and soap, and we make them from 50 units per design.
- Over 30 years in print and packaging
- Free structural design
- From 50 units
- Plastic-free options
- Style
- Tuck end or lock bottom
- Board
- White paperboard or kraft
- Best for
- Retail shelves
- Minimum order
- 50 units
- Typical production window
- 10–12 days
- Paper-first materials
- 100% recyclable
- For structural design
- $0
Overview
What is a folding carton?
They're built for the shelf, not the mail. A carton is too thin to go through a delivery truck on its own, so if you sell online it goes inside a mailer or shipping box.
A folding carton is a box made from a single sheet of paperboard, cut and creased so it folds into shape. It arrives flat and glued along one side, and your packers pop it open, fill it and close the ends.
The closures are what change. A tuck end tucks a flap in at the top and bottom. A lock bottom snaps shut underneath, for heavier products. Both print edge to edge on every panel.
- Panels. Front, back and sides, all printable. The back usually carries ingredients and barcodes.
- Tuck flaps. Close the top, and the bottom on a reverse tuck end.
- Glue flap. One side seam, glued before delivery so the carton opens in one move.
- Lock bottom (optional). Interlocking base flaps for heavier products like jars.
Specifications
Custom folding cartons: specifications
Every box is drawn to your product, so these are the options, not a fixed catalogue. Your specialist confirms the exact spec on the proof.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Style | Straight tuck end, reverse tuck end, or tuck top with lock bottom |
| Board | White paperboard (solid bleached sulfate) or kraft paperboard |
| Every panel, one color to full color | |
| Inserts | Paperboard inserts for bottles and jars |
| Add-ons | Die-cut windows, hang tabs, perforated tear-open strips |
| Size | Drawn to your product |
| Recyclability | 100% recyclable paperboard. Plastic window film adds a second material |
| Minimum order | 50 units per design |
| Structural design | $0. We draw the dieline around your product |
| Proof | Digital proof on your dieline, checked for bleed, folds and barcodes |
| Production | 10–12 days on most orders, from proof approval. Shipping time is on top |
| Default finish | Aqueous coating on every box. Water-based, and it recycles with the box |
| Point of contact | One packaging specialist, from first sketch to delivery |
Board and build
Which closure?
Three closures cover nearly every retail carton.
| Closure | How it closes | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Straight tuck end | Top and bottom tucks on the same side | Display cartons where the front panel must stay clean |
| Reverse tuck end | Top and bottom tucks on opposite sides | Most light products. Usually the lowest-cost carton |
| Lock bottom | Tuck top, interlocking base | Jars, bottles and anything with weight |
Tell us what's going in and how heavy it is. Your specialist picks the closure and the board on the dieline.
Compare
Carton or mailer box?
The question is simple: does the box go in the mail on its own?
| Folding carton | Mailer box | |
|---|---|---|
| Board | Paperboard, a single sheet | Corrugated, with a fluted middle |
| Mail on its own | No | Yes |
| Shelf presence | Clean, prints edge to edge | Looks like it's waiting to ship |
| Ships to you | Flat, glued | Flat |
If you sell in stores and online, use both: the carton for the shelf, and a custom mailer box or shipping box around it for the mail.
Sizing
Measure from the opening
Carton sizes are written length x width x depth, and they refer to the opening, not how the box sits on a table. Get that wrong and everything else can be right while the box is still wrong.
Take a candle 3 inches square and 5 inches tall, in a carton that opens at the top. The opening is 3 x 3, so the carton is 3 x 3 x 5. Order it as 5 x 3 x 3 and the tuck ends up on the long side, and it won't stand on a shelf.
Send your product's size and which end it goes in through. We add clearance on the dieline. How to measure a box has the full method.
Products that go in folding cartons
- Cosmetics and skincare. See custom cosmetic boxes.
- Supplements. Cartons with room for a Supplement Facts panel. See custom supplement boxes.
- Tea, soap and candles. Small cartons that stack neatly on a shelf.
- Perfume. Tall cartons with an insert. See custom perfume boxes.
Finishes
Cartons take finishes best.
Smooth paperboard is where finishes look sharpest. Still, most cartons need one, not four. Aqueous coating goes on every box by default.
Foil stamping
Crisp on white board. Best on a logo or product name.
Embossing
A raised mark you can feel. Sharpest on smooth board.
Spot UV
Gloss on one area of a matte carton. Not for small text.
Aqueous coating
Default on every carton.
Quote
Get a quote for custom folding cartons
One measurement and a quantity is enough to start. Your specialist replies with a structure, so you can see the box before you commit to anything.
How it works
Four steps, one person.
The specialist who picks up your first email stays with the project until the boxes arrive.
Step 01
Tell us what you're packing
Send the product dimensions, how it ships and how many you need. A photo on a ruler is enough to start.
Step 02
We draw the structure
Your packaging specialist builds the dieline around your product. Structural design is free.
Step 03
You approve the proof
Drop your artwork onto the dieline. We check bleed, folds and barcodes, and send a digital proof.
Step 04
We make and ship
Production takes 10–12 days on most orders. Boxes ship flat, packed in cartons, to your door.
FAQ
Custom folding cartons: questions.
What is the minimum order for custom folding cartons?
50 units per design. Enough to put a carton on a real shelf before you order a bigger run.
What's the difference between straight tuck and reverse tuck?
On a straight tuck end, the top and bottom flaps tuck in from the same side. On a reverse tuck end, they tuck from opposite sides. Reverse tuck is the more common, lower-cost choice.
Can a folding carton be shipped on its own?
No. Paperboard is too thin for the mail. Put the carton inside a mailer or shipping box.
Do folding cartons arrive flat?
Yes. They arrive flat with the side seam already glued, so they open in one move.
How long do custom folding cartons take?
10–12 days on most orders, counted from proof approval. Shipping time is on top.
Honest fit
When not to hire us.
The box goes in the mail by itself
A paperboard carton gets crushed in a delivery truck. Use a corrugated mailer instead.
You need fewer than 50 boxes
Our minimum is 50 units. For 10 or 20, a stock box with a printed sticker will cost you less.
You need boxes next week
Production runs 10–12 days before shipping. If your launch is sooner, buy stock boxes now and switch to custom for the next run.
You want plain brown boxes
If nothing gets printed, a stock box supplier is cheaper and faster. We're worth it once the box carries your brand.
What size is your product?
Send the length, width and height, and which end it goes in through. We'll draw the carton and send a proof.
Start a projectPopular boxes
Related boxes.
Folding carton
Kraft boxes
Unbleached kraft cartons with one- or two-color print. Reads as natural without saying so.
Kraft
Folding carton
Supplement boxes
Cartons with space for a supplement facts panel that people can actually read.
Paperboard
Folding carton
Perfume boxes
Tall cartons with a snug insert for the bottle. Foil and embossing earn their keep here.
Paperboard