The Fold · From the factory floor
What is the smallest size for a folding carton?
The smallest folding carton TWOFORM builds is 0.75 inches (19 mm) on every side, and the largest is 12 inches (305 mm). Below the floor, the folds tear when the carton runs through the automatic folder-gluer. Above the ceiling, paperboard sags and the box needs to be corrugated. Rigid boxes and corrugated boxes have their own, different limits.
The size limits, box type by box type
These are the working limits TWOFORM designs to. A folding carton, a rigid gift box and a corrugated shipper are different constructions, so each has a different floor and ceiling.
| Box type | Size range | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Folding cartons (paperboard) | 0.75–12 in (19–305 mm) on every side | Below 0.75 in the folds tear on the automatic folder-gluer. Above 12 in the paperboard sags and the box needs corrugated board instead. |
| Rigid (setup) boxes | 50–500 × 40–500 × 15–300 mm (2.0–19.7 × 1.6–19.7 × 0.6–11.8 in) | A higher floor than a carton. Rigid boxes are wrapped by hand and are never tiny. |
| Corrugated boxes | 30–1200 mm (1.2–47.2 in) | A shipping box needs a floor of about 100 mm (3.9 in). A shallow die-cut corrugated box can be as small as 30 mm (1.2 in). |
Why a carton has a floor and a ceiling
Folding cartons are printed flat, cut and creased by a die, then folded and glued on an automatic folder-gluer. When any side is under 0.75 inches, the folds tear as the carton runs through that machine. When a side is over 12 inches, the paperboard sags. Neither limit is a design preference. They are where the material and the machine stop working, so TWOFORM stops the size there instead of letting you design a carton that cannot be made.
Other rules apply on top of the size range
Staying inside the range is necessary, not sufficient. The flat blank has to fit a press sheet of about 28 inches, and a carton that is extremely slender or extremely flat can fail even when every side is in range. TWOFORM checks these proportions as you change a size, so you find out while designing instead of at the printer.
What to do if your product does not fit
If your product is smaller than 0.75 inches on a side, pack it in a larger carton with an insert, or consider a pouch or a label instead. If it is larger than 12 inches, move to a corrugated box. If it is premium and needs a lid and base, look at rigid boxes, which start at a higher floor of about 50 mm.
Frequently asked questions
What is the smallest folding carton you can make?
0.75 inches (19 mm) on every side. Below that, the folds tear when the carton goes through the automatic folder-gluer.
What is the largest folding carton?
12 inches (305 mm) on any side, and the flat blank also has to fit a press sheet of about 28 inches. Above 12 inches, paperboard sags and a corrugated box is the right material.
What is the smallest rigid box?
The working floor is 50 × 40 mm on the first two sides and 15 mm deep (about 2.0 × 1.6 × 0.6 in).
How small can a corrugated mailer or shipper be?
A shipping box starts at about 100 mm (3.9 in). A shallow die-cut corrugated box, such as a small mailer, can go down to 30 mm (1.2 in).
Ready to try a size? Design your carton on a real production dieline in TWOFORM, and read what a dieline is and how to measure packaging for the rest of the basics.