How Printing Works on a Corrugated Box
Print on a corrugated box is shaped by the board underneath it. The flute, the colour of the liner and the way the box folds all change how artwork looks when it arrives — which is why the same logo can look crisp on one box and washed out on another.
Three ways to print a corrugated box
- Flexo prints directly onto the board with flexible plates — suited to bold logos, solid colours and handling marks.
- Offset prints fine detail on a smooth sheet that becomes the outer face of the box — suited to small text, gradients and photographs.
- Digital prints without plates — suited to very short runs and variable information.
The offset printing guide compares them in detail. Whichever process is used, the board underneath shapes the result.
The board decides the print
Flute. The flutes under the outer liner are never perfectly flat. With a thin liner and a tall flute, they can show through the print as faint stripes — known as washboarding. Finer flutes give a smoother surface: E flute is thin and rigid with the finest print surface, and B flute prints well while resisting puncture. Printing on a separate sheet that is then laminated onto the board avoids the problem altogether.
Liner colour. Ink is partly transparent, so the colour of the liner shows through. On brown kraft, colours print darker and less saturated; on a white liner they come out bright and clean. Kraft suits one- or two-colour marks and a natural look; white suits brand colours and images.
Getting colours right
- Tell us which colours must match — usually the brand colours in the logo — and send a reference.
- Expect colour to depend on the board. The same artwork looks different on kraft and white.
- Approve before the run. You approve the artwork and colours before printing, and see them on a physical sample before bulk production.
- Repeat orders are printed to the approved artwork, so the colour stays consistent.
Laying out a printed box
A box is printed flat and folded afterwards, so artwork has to be planned on the flat layout — the panels, flaps, creases and glue flap. A few rules help:
- Decide which panel faces outward on the pallet or shelf, and put the key information there.
- Keep text and logos clear of creases and flap edges.
- Remember the top and bottom flaps are split down the middle when the box is closed.
- Leave clear space around barcodes, and scan them on the sample.
Print on industrial boxes
On industrial boxes, print is often working information: part numbers, handling symbols, shipping marks. The guide to what to print on an industrial box covers what belongs on the box and what belongs on a label.
Printed corrugated boxes from Ahmedabad
Himalaya Packaging prints corrugated boxes in up to four colours, offset, in our own plant in Bakrol Bujrang, Ahmedabad, with lamination for printed faces — on 3 to 7 ply board for branded cartons and on heavier board for industrial loads. We deliver across Ahmedabad and Gujarat and by road across India. See our printed corrugated boxes.
The product behind this article
Printed Corrugated Boxes
Branded outer packaging with print quality that holds up on a customer-facing carton.
Offset 4-colour
Die-cutting
Lamination
