Understanding Folding Cartons – Custom Product Packaging 101

Product packaging is much more than a mere shell for a product in today’s extremely competitive consumer environment. Packaging has now evolved into a dynamic and high-performing marketing tool competing for shelf space and customer dollars.

Folding cartons account for a significant amount of consumer product packaging used mainly in point-of-sale marketing. Not only do folding cartons excellently preserves a product, but this type of packaging is visually appealing, with each carton acting as its own advertisement, educating the buyer and drawing attention to the product.

Even though folding cartons have been used since the 1800s, printing services have dramatically been optimised since, so let’s take a closer look at the folding cartons landscape in 2022.

What is a Folding Carton?

To make a folding carton, paperboard is printed and fed through machines that cut, glue, and score the raw material. Folding cartons are then transported flat and, once assembled, offer a container for protecting and displaying merchandise.

Folding cartons are a great alternative to plastic packaging since they are both affordable and versatile. Folding cartons are very popular because they are inexpensive while maintaining a high-end appearance. Carton packing can look high-end without the expensive cost if designed well.

In today’s world, customers try to be environmentally conscious stewards. So, opting for paper packaging is both ecologically friendly and helps your business appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

Folding carton packaging has “high shelf appeal” in your clients’ perspective, which helps define your brand as one of quality and consistency. They also give you plenty of room to exhibit your marketing messaging, tell your brand story, emphasise the benefits of your product, give a promotion, or even show off your social responsibility activities.

Folding cartons are a good alternative when seeking a high-quality, sustainable, flexible packaging solution. Because of these (and more!) benefits, folding carton boxes are used for packaging in various industries.

What Material does Folding Cartons Use?

The material used is one of the most essential aspects of folding carton design. The most prevalent is paperboard, which comes in various thicknesses and grades depending on the product. Paperboard folding cartons are often used for retail merchandise and are made of single-layered paperboard.

Paperboard is a type of fibreboard that has been carefully designed to tolerate creasing. In other words, it won’t crack if you bend or fold it. To provide a better printing surface, it’s usually polished and coated. Food-grade and freezer-safe paperboard boxes are available. Paperboard is commonly used as primary packaging for lightweight products like cosmetics, pet care, FMCG, household items, beverages, and fresh and frozen foods.

How are Folding Cartons Made?

Folding cartons differ from one another in terms of closure type and how the end-user interacts with the box and its contents. Here are the types of closures we offer for folding cartons at Focus:

tuck End

Tuck end boxes are the most common sort of fold carton closure, as they can be used in a range of businesses. A tuck box folds in the same manner from front to rear and usually has slit locks to keep the tucks in place. Tuck end boxes are perfect for light and medium-weight products as the cut-outs can be held without jeopardising the integrity of the product, and there is no requirement for assembling.

snap Lock

Snap lock boxes are meant to handle larger, heavier goods such as candles and glass jars. The bottom flaps push into each other, providing a highly robust base that won’t open even if the object inside is heavy. They usually have a tuck top panel with friction locks or slit locks for the top closure. Assembly only takes a few seconds to put together a snap lock box, and the flat bottom allows items to stack perfectly.

crash Lock

Crash lock boxes are another ideal option for products that require more bottom support, easier “assembling”, or automated packing production lines. Usually, with a tuck at the top, there’s no need to assemble this type of folding carton; simply “pop” them open, and their flat bottom allows items to stack perfectly.

custom or diecut is also available for any other custom shape or closing that is not the above. Want to find out more about custom services? Get in touch with a Focus packaging specialist!

Folding Cartons Finishes and Embellishments

At Focus Print Group, our boxes are completely customisable, making them ideal for specialised custom applications. To have personalised packaging that looks precisely like you dreamed it, choose from various high-quality additional features to make your business stand out from its competitors.

Custom product packaging increases customer engagement as customers have been proven to consider a unique looking product over a basic one, including:

Embellishments give the packaging texture and aesthetic flair. Foiling, embossing, debossing, speciality coatings, and ink are just a few examples.
Custom die-cuts give the packaging more form, cutting the packing into any desired form is done with a steel blade.
Colours with PMS – The Pantone Matching System ensures that specific colours are reproduced consistently throughout your printed materials.
Clear Windows allows customers to see what’s inside the package without opening it. This is a common choice for food and cosmetics.

Ready to Design Your Ideal Folding Carton Packaging? Stand Out Today with Focus Print Group!

On the lookout for a reputable print shop Sydney to design and produce the best folding cartons for your custom product packaging?

There are plenty of possibilities with printed marketing materials in this digital-first era. But only if you use a gorgeous piece of high-quality printing to pull it off! Many components go into creating custom packaging, and choosing the correct commercial printing technique is just one of them.

So, stay rest assured knowing that Focus Print Group ensures memorable packaging solutions to benefit our clients’ promotional campaigns. Stand out from the crowd with printing and marketing collateral from Focus Printing Sydney. From a range of packaging solutions to various marketing materials, we offer what you need to stand out. From folding cartons to flexible stand-up pouches, we will ensure you get the best quality products here at Focus Print Group.

At Focus Printing Sydney, our commercial printing Sydney range can be customised to suit your product and branding needs. For example, your flexible packaging can be specialised with custom features such as styles, shapes, size, stocks, colours, and custom prints, to name a few.

With more than 30 years of experience and a state-of-the-art in-house facility, our commercial printing Sydney team is ready to bring your ideas to life. Whether you need Flexible Packaging, Box Bottom Bag, Zip Lock Printed Bag, Paperboard, Cardboard, or Stand up Pouches, our team can assist you with any of your custom product packaging needs. Contact our Sydney office on (02) 8755 7888 or Melbourne office on (03) 8831 2000, for a FREE Printing Consultation.