Blank

a flat sheet of corrugated that has been cut, scored and slotted and is ready to be folded to form a box

Bleed

either the unwanted migration of ink to adjacent areas of the box, or the deliberate printing beyond the cut edge or the score line so the image will appear to run off the box or wrap around to another side

Board

shortened name used to refer to any of the several different types of paperboards. Can refer to boxboard, cardboard, chipboard, combined board, containerboard, corrugated board, fiberboard, or linerboard

Box

any rigid container having closed faces and completely enclosing its contents

Box Manfacturer's Certificate (BCM)

a statement printed within a circular or rectangular border on a corrugated or cardboard box that identifies the box manufacturer and certifies that the box meets all requirements concerning construction and material. Sometimes referred to as "cert. stamp" or "stamp and i.d."

Box Style

Boxboard

term referring to any of the types of paperboard used to manufacture folding cartons, or cardboard boxes

Brightness

refers to the surface whiteness of paper products. Brightness is usually measured by a 457 nanometer (nm) light source and is expressed as a percentage of the reflectance from an ideal white surface (brightness of 100). Brightness of the liner is an important consideration when printing boxes as well as when the overall appearance and consumer appeal of the container is a priority. Bleached white liners have a high brightness level, while the brightness of the natural brown color of kraft linerboard is considerably lower

Built-up

multiple layers of corrugated board glued together to form a pad of desired thickness. Built-up products are usually used for interior packaging, offering excellent void-fill and increased protection. In addition to glued sheets of corrugated board, built-up products sometimes include an outer layer of tissue liner to protects the contents of the box against abrasion.

Bundle

a unit of two or more boxes, usually bundled for the purpose of more efficiently shipping an order. The boxes are lain flat (knocked-down), then usually wrapped in another piece of corrugated and banded together

Burst Strength

a measure, in pounds per square inch, of how much hydraulic pressure a corrugated or cardboard box can withstand. This test is used primarily on single wall, as its reliability declines as the thickness of the board increases. Burst tests address a box’s ability to contain its contents during rough handling, indirectly relating to the box’s ability to withstand external and internal forces

Cardboard

a generic term referring to any paper pulp based board. Corrugated fiberboard boxes are commonly referred to as “cardboard” boxes

Compression Strength

a corrugated box’s resistance to uniformly applied external forces. The top-to-bottom compression strength of a corrugated box is an important consideration if the box will be subjected to stacking. Side-to-side compression or end-to-end compression

Corrugated Board (Corrugated Fiberboard)

a corrugated box’s resistance to uniformly applied external forces. The top-to-bottom compression strength of a corrugated box is an important consideration if the box will be subjected to stacking. Side-to-side compression or end-to-end compression

Corrugation

the wave shaped medium between liners, also referred to as flutes or fluting

Corrugation Direction (Flute Direction)

the normal direction of corrugation is parallel to the depth of the box, so that they are vertical when the box is stacked for shipment. In end-opening and wrap-around box styles, the flute direction may be parallel to the length and width, resulting in a “horizontal corrugation box.”

Design Style

a style of cardboard trays or caps in which the flaps fold down to form the depth, instead of having a set of major and minor closing flaps, as in slotted style containers.  A DST is generally used as a top for a HSC or used with another DST to form a two-piece box.

Die Cut

the act of cutting corrugated cardboard to a desired shape (such as a box blank) by using a die. On a flat die cutter, the process is similar to using a cookie cutter

Dimensions (interior and exterior)

the three measurements of a box, given in the sequence of length (the larger of the two dimensions of the open face of a box), width (the smaller of the two dimensions of the open face), and depth (the distance measured perpendicular to the length and width). The inside dimensions are important in the design of the box and in ensuring proper fit for the intended contents. When supplying dimensions for a custom box, give the desired interior dimensions. Outside dimensions are used in shipping calculations and in determining how boxes will stack on pallets

Edge Crush Resistance

the ability of a corrugated board to resist force when standing on its edge. An Edge Crush Test (ECT) records the amount of force, in pounds per square inch, or psi, needed to crush the board. If a corrugated box is made out of 44 ECT board, it can withstand pressure of up to 44 psi before crushing. ECT has become the more common form of testing (over Burst Test) because it addresses the box’s stacking strength as well as its ability to endure the transportation and distribution environments

Five Panel Folder (FPF) or Harness Style Five Panel Folder

The FPF, when assembled, has multi-layered corrugated ends that make it an excellent container for the shipment of long items of small diameter. The FPF design offers extra support to prevent shipped merchandise from piercing through the ends.

Flaps

of the side walls of a box that fold inward to close the box

Flexographic (Flexo) Printing

a type of rotary letterpress printing using flexible plates and fast-drying, water-based inks

Flute

the wave shapes pressed into corrugated medium. The most common flute types, though larger and smaller types are available, are A, B, C, E, and F. The flutes are named in the order they were developed, not by flute size or thickness. A-flute sheets have the largest flute profile and between 30 and 36 flutes per linear foot. B-flute has more flutes per linear foot (up to 50), and therefore more contact points with the liners. These factors give b-flute more strength and allow higher quality printing and die cutting. C-flute is the size between a-flute and b-flute, with approximately 40 flutes per linear foot. C-flute is the most commonly used flute size. The two most recently developed standard flute sizes, E and F, have very small profiles, reducing overall box size and saving storage space

Full Overlap Container (FOL)

FOL is similar to a RSC, but both sets of flaps completely overlap rather than meeting in the middle. This provides extra protection for those heavy shipping items which require extra support on the bottom of the box.

GMCI ink colors

colors specified by the Glass Packaging Institute (formally the Glass Container Manufacturers Institute) for printing water-based ink on corrugated board. GCMI colors are identified by the letters “GCMI” followed by a number. For example: GCMI 30, GCMI 91

Half Slotted Container (HSC)

HSC is similar to a RSC, but with flaps on only one side of the box, leaving one side completely open.  An HSC bottom is often paired with a DST top to make a two-piece box.

Hot-melt adhesive

polymer adhesive that is solid at room temperature and liquefies upon heating. Hot-melt adhesive forms a bond by cooling a solidifying after being applied in molten form

Knocked-down

a corrugated or cardboard box in flat form, usually after the manufacture’s joint has been made

Kraft

derived from a German word meaning “strength,” kraft refers to paper or paperboard that is made of a combination of long and short wood fibers. The long fibers give the paper its strength and rigidity, while the short fibers allow the paper greater printability. Kraft is the most common material used in the manufacture of corrugated products today. It can be used to make both the liner and the fluting of corrugated sheets

Manufacturer's Joint

the part of the box where the ends of the scored and slotted box blank are fastened together by taping, stitching, or gluing

Nested Boxes

when three or more different size boxes are placed within the next larger size, with each larger box retaining the capability to close once the smaller box is placed inside

One Piece Folders (OPF)

The OPF is designed for small flat items. Its unique design allows it to have multiple scores and therefore allow flexibility as to how much they can hold. The one-piece folder is very well suited for shipping books, records, videos, and other small flat items.

Overlap

the term for top and/or bottom flaps that do not meet in the center of the carton, but extend over one another. The amount of overlap is measured from flap edge to flap edge

Pad

a sheet of corrugated of solid fiberboard cut to a specific size that can provide extra protection, strength, or be used to separate layers of product inside a master pack

Panel

a “side” or “face” of a box, usually defined on a box blank by four scorelines or three scorelines and one edge

Partitions

A set of interlocking corrugated or cardboard pieces that form a number of cells into which articles may be placed for storage or shipment

Regular Slotted Container (RSC)

RSC is the style most people imagine when they think of a box. It has flaps on the top and bottom of the box that are the same length and fold to meet in the middle.

Score

a crease or impression in a piece of corrugated that is designed to facilitate and control the position of folds

Scored Sheet

a sheet of corrugated board or cardboard that has been scored in appropriate places to control how and where the sheet folds. Often used as void fill, scored sheets are versatile and can add protection or increase the strength of the carton

Slit

a cut made in a sheet of corrugated or combined board that does not require the removal of any material

Slit-score

a partial cut made in the corrugated or cardboard sheet that extends through only a portion of the thickness. Slit-scores are commonly used to allow thick material such a triple wall or honeycomb to be easily folded

Slot

the wide cuts made in a sheet of corrugated board that usually form the box flaps. The wide cuts result in the removal of narrow strips of material, which allow the box to close neatly, without bulges caused by the thickness of the corrugated material