Corrugated, rigid or paperboard? A plain-English guide to packaging materials
The material decides almost everything about a box: how it feels in the hand, how much abuse it survives, and what it costs. Here's the jargon, translated.
Corrugated board
Corrugated is the material with a wavy layer (the flute) sandwiched between flat liners. That wave is what makes it strong and light. Flutes come in grades:
- E-flute — thin (~1.5 mm), smooth, great for print. Mailers and retail-ready boxes.
- B-flute — a bit thicker, more crush resistance. Product boxes.
- C-flute — the classic shipping-box thickness. Good all-round protection.
- Double wall (BC) — two flutes for heavy or fragile goods.
If you're shipping direct to customers, E-flute usually hits the sweet spot: it prints beautifully and protects most products.
Rigid board
Rigid (or "set-up") boxes are the stiff, premium boxes you get with a phone or a luxury watch. They don't fold flat — they arrive assembled and wrapped in printed paper. They cost the most and ship bulkier, but nothing else feels as premium. Reach for rigid only when the product justifies it.
Folding boxboard (paperboard)
This is the thin, single-layer board used for retail cartons — cereal boxes, cosmetics, supplements. It prints sharply and folds crisply, but it offers little impact protection on its own. It's built for the shelf, not the courier.
Kraft vs white
Beyond structure, you choose a surface:
- Kraft — the natural brown finish. Reads as recycled, earthy, honest. Ink shows up muted.
- White — a bright surface for vivid, accurate colour.
Neither is "better" — kraft suits a sustainable, understated brand; white suits bold, colourful artwork.
How this shows up in your price
Two levers move cost the most: thickness (more board and more flutes cost more) and finish (special coatings, foils and full-coverage ink add up). The trick is matching protection to the product — pay for the flute your item actually needs, not the heaviest one on the menu.
Tell us what you're shipping and we'll spec the lightest material that still protects it, with an exact price back within one business day.