Custom Boxes and Packaging for UK Businesses

Cardboard Boxes (Folding Cartons)

A folding carton is made from a single sheet of paperboard that is printed, cut, creased and glued, and it's normally supplied flat. Paperboard gives a smooth surface for detailed, full-colour print, which is why cosmetics, supplements, candles and confectionery so often sit in folding cartons on the shelf.

Best for: lightweight retail products.

Keep in mind: A folding carton presents a product but isn't designed to survive a courier network on its own. Post it inside a shipping box.

Corrugated Boxes

Corrugated board has a wavy, fluted layer glued between flat liners. That structure makes it much stiffer and more protective than paperboard of a similar weight. Single wall board has one fluted layer, and double wall board has two, for heavier or more fragile contents.

Best for: shipping, heavier products and boxes that will be stacked.

Mailer Boxes

A mailer box is typically a corrugated box with a hinged lid and a tuck-in front that closes without tape. It protects the product in the post and doubles as presentation packaging, so the first thing your customer sees is your brand.

Best for: ecommerce orders, subscription boxes and gift sets sent by post.

Rigid Boxes

Rigid boxes are built from thick greyboard wrapped in printed or textured paper. They feel solid in the hand and keep their shape, which suits products where the box is part of the purchase, such as jewellery, fragrance and gift sets.

Best for: premium gifting and luxury presentation.

Keep in mind: Most rigid boxes arrive assembled, so they take up more storage space than flat-packed cartons.

Kraft Boxes

Kraft describes the natural brown, unbleached surface of the board, not a box style. You can have a kraft folding carton, a kraft mailer or a rigid box wrapped in kraft paper.

Best for: natural, eco-led branding with simple print.

Keep in mind: Because the brown shows through the ink, colours print darker and less vivid than on white board. Strong, simple designs usually work best.

Display and Retail Boxes

Retail boxes present a single product on the shelf. Counter display boxes hold several units at the till and often fold out into a printed header card. Both are usually made from paperboard or light corrugated board.

Best for: shelf presence and point-of-sale displays.