Packaging boxes: back to basics

Packaging is too often the last thing that we think about, despite its crucial role in presenting your brand to the world, selling your wares and the fact that it can take a long time to develop and manufacture.

Whether you're an individual maker looking for packaging for your Christmas Pop Up, or a factory owner looking to brand your dispatch boxes – packaging is something that we all have to think about.

For the packaging novice, we've written an overview to the basic types of boxes, and how to get them made with some of the packaging manufacturers in Scotland that we’ve got listed on Make Works.

Folding Cartons:

Folding Cartons are your basic packaging box. They're made from folding box board, a paper-based material measured in grammage (like paper) which is made up of layers of mechanical pulp sandwiched between layers of bleached chemical pulp. It’s the same type of material that’s used for everyday packaging like cereal boxes and perfume boxes - it is also the recognisable packaging of choice for companies like Apple.

You will need to choose the grammage and finish of the Folding Box Board based on what you’ll be using it for. If the box is for something quite heavy you’ll need to choose a weightier board – the manufacturer will be able to advise you on this. Much like when choosing between paper stocks you will be able to choose between different finishes such as Uncoated, Unbleached and Gloss. If you’re using the box to store food you’ll need to select a special Food Grade Safe type of Folding Box Board.

Using Folding Cartons is one of the cheaper routes that you can take for packaging but it does rely on minimum orders for both the printing and the make up of the boxes. This will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer but will usually be around the 1000 mark so is not ideal for sample runs.

Where can I get folding cartons made in Scotland?

An example of a Scottish manufacturer producing folding cartons is Chesapeake Packaging who manufacture the famous Tunnocks Tea Cake boxes.

Rigid Boxes:

Rigid Boxes are a step up from the folding carton, typically used for presentation and luxury objects as the materials used makes them less likely to collapse. They are made from a solid grey board (low grade, 100% recycled thick grey board) which are lined and wrapped in a light-weight paper stock.

Rigid Boxes are usually used for pricier items, you will find them used for things like high-end candle boxes, whisky, gifts, designer clothes, or are synonomous with brands like the Folio Society.

Compared to the folding carton, rigid boxes can be made without expensive dies or tooling costs - which means that at small runs, the form can be custom-made to your design. They are also particularly good for protection, useful for stacking - and can be reused by whoever is purchasing your product.

The weight of the Grey Board will determine how strong the box is, grey board is usually measured in Microns rather than by grammage – again your manufacturer will be able to advise on this. 

You can wrap/line the grey board with any choice of paper stock (or even leather or fabric) as long as it’s available in the right weight. You could choose a coated white paper stock and print it full colour or you might choose a simple uncoated stock with a foiled or embossed logo.

Shoulder Boxes:

Shoulder boxes are a type of rigid box where the base and lid don’t meet, the section in the middle is called the shoulder. They are constructed in exactly the same way as a normal lid and tray rigid box, just with the greyboard extending above the middle section. People often choose to make a feature of the shoulder by using a contrasting colour to the box outer.

Collapsible Boxes:

This is a special type of rigid box design developed in the Far East for lower shipping costs and easy storage. Although they are now produced by some companies in the UK you will find that they’re only produced in specific sizes as they are machine-made.

In the UK many rigid boxes are still made entirely by hand by traditional bookbinders, and even those made in larger factories still require a lot of hand finishing. Although this means that Rigid Boxes are an expensive route for packaging, many brands and designers choose to use them as they are synonymous with quality and luxury, and they’re the type of thing that people love to take their purchases home in.

There is a long history to rigid boxes, with a number of alternative construction methods available. If you are interested and want to further your research read this article from 1965.  

Where can I get rigid boxes made in Scotland?

A manufacturer listed on Make Works who produces handmade Rigid Boxes are Sollas Bookbinding. You can read their Made Works about a rigid box project commission they produced recently that started on Make Works.

Closer to the central belt are Carronvale Bindery in Falkirk or Downie Allison Bookbinders in Glasgow. Bookbinders like these will make Rigid Boxes by hand so the boxes can be manufactured in small quantities or even as one-offs.

If you are looking for a larger run, speak to specialists Kingscroft Logistics Ltd in Irvine - who in addition to making bespoke, handmade rigid boxes from Ayrshire offer an order fulfillment service. 

For prototyping yourself you can speak to J Hewit and Sons who have an impressive range of traditional bookbinding and box making supplies and materials.

Corrugated Cardboard Boxes:

Corrugated Cardboard Boxes are made by glueing a curved piece of paper called a flute to two sheets of paper called liners. Corrugated Boxes were traditionally used exclusively for outer packaging (and removal boxes) but it’s now used by many smaller companies – particularly for things that are posted out or for heavy items.

Corrugated Boxes can be printed and come in all rectangular shapes and sizes. They are relatively low cost to produce - at short and larger runs. You can read more about Corrugated Boxes on our Factory Friday about BoxShop

Where can I get corrugated cardboard boxes made in Scotland?

Boxshop is Scotland’s largest independent, owner-managed box manufacturer. They produce printed and unprinted boxes with no limits to size and shape. You can check out their listing on Make Works here

Box Shop are able to manufacture small quantities including one-offs right through to large production runs for plain boxes, but if you are looking to print onto the box then there will be a minimum order.

Packaging can be made out of all types of substrates – wood, metal, plastic pouches, glass. To see more examples of unusual packaging check out our blog: Standout Packaging Designs from Scotland and Beyond