Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging
Cardboard is the most used word in this industry and the least precise. It covers everything from a thin cereal carton to a heavy double wall shipper, and those two materials have almost nothing in common. Ordering the wrong one is the most common mistake we see. We produce a lot of cardboard packaging at ZEE Packaging and clarifying what you actually need is usually the first conversation.
One Word, Several Materials
A cardboard box could mean any of these.
- Folding carton, a single flat sheet creased into shape
- Corrugated, with a fluted wave sandwiched between liners
- Rigid greyboard, thick and built rather than folded
- Chipboard, recycled and used for cores and backing
- Each behaves completely differently under weight
- Price varies enormously between them
Most cardboard packaging problems we get asked to fix are the wrong material rather than a poor build.
Match The Material To The Job
Choosing correctly saves both money and damage.
- Folding carton for retail shelf presentation
- Corrugated for anything shipped through a courier
- Rigid for gifting and premium presentation
- Chipboard for inserts, dividers and backing panels
- Double wall corrugated for pallet and freight use
- Send us the product and the journey and we specify it
- Tuck end carton the everyday retail cardboard box
- Regular slotted container standard shipping format
- Roll end tuck front mailer ecommerce cardboard packaging
- Rigid lid and base premium gifting
- Auto lock bottom heavier products, quick assembly
- Die cut insert tray holding contents in place
Sizes We Print Regular
Every cardboard box is built to your product, though these run often:
- 6" x 4" x 2" for small items
- 8" x 6" x 3" for a standard order
- 10" x 8" x 4" for a mid size product
- 12" x 9" x 3" for flat goods
- 16" x 12" x 10" for larger shipments
- 3" x 3" x 4" for a jar or candle
Send us the filled weight rather than only the dimensions, since weight drives the specification far more than size does.
Board And Print
- SBS C1S for vivid retail printing
- Kraft board for a natural position
- E flute for light corrugated applications
- B flute for general shipping strength
- Double wall for heavy freight
- Rigid greyboard 36pt or 48pt for gifting
Our prepress team check every file against the dieline before printing, so nothing gets trimmed at the edge.
Materials That Reduce Impact
- Recycled content, already high across most grades
- FSC certified board, certificate available on request
- Soy based ink through the whole run
- Aqueous coating rather than plastic lamination
- Paper tape and paper void fill instead of plastic
- Right sizing so you ship less air on every order
What Happens When You Order
- 100 unit minimum, so a small business can order properly
- Free 3D mockup and flat proof before anything prints
- Free dieline drawn by our own designer
- Physical sample on request to test with your product
- Urgent turnaround at 5 to 8 business days
- Free shipping worldwide with nothing hidden
Frequently Asked Questions
Folding carton or corrugated?
Folding for retail shelf display, corrugated once it goes through a courier. Many brands use a folding carton inside a corrugated shipper.
Which flute should we choose?
E for light items, B for general shipping, double wall for heavy freight. Tell us the weight and we will advise.
How much for a cardboard box?
Rough estimate is $0.18 to $0.60 per unit for a folding carton, $0.35 to $0.90 for corrugated and $1.80 to $4.20 for rigid at moderate quantity. Material moves it most. Shipping is included in our price. This is estimate only, so ask our team for a exact quote.
Is rigid worth the extra?
For gifting, yes. The weight in the hand does something a folding carton never will, whatever the print quality.
Can it be fully recyclable?
Yes, with aqueous coating instead of film and paper tape rather than plastic. Cardboard is among the most recycled materials there is.
Do you supply inserts?
We do, in die cut board or molded pulp depending on the weight and the protection needed.
Does recycled board perform worse?
Marginally at very high content, since the fiber is shorter. We offset that with a small caliper step where needed.
