Materials
Materials3 min readUpdated
Corrugated liners
The outer liner is the face of a corrugated box. It is the paper your artwork is printed on, so it decides how your colours look and part of what the box costs. Its colour has little to do with strength: that comes from the flute and the paper weights.
Start with your artwork
Look at what you plan to print, then match the liner to it.
| Your artwork | Ask for |
|---|---|
| A logo or text in one dark colour | Brown kraft |
| Simple colour on a white box, on a budget | White top |
| Brand colours that have to match | Bleached white |
| Photos, gradients, fine detail | Coated white, or a laminated print sheet |
The four liners side by side
| Liner | Looks | How print comes out |
|---|---|---|
| Brown kraft | Natural brown; the shade differs from mill to mill | Colours print darker and pale tints fade. The lowest cost. |
| White top also mottled or oyster white | Off-white, with a hint of brown showing through | Clean enough for simple colour, a little muted. The cheapest white. |
| Bleached white | A bright, plain white with no coating | Bright, more even colour. Costs more than white top. |
| Coated white | Bright white with a smooth clay coat and a soft sheen | The sharpest: ink stays on the surface. The most expensive. |
Whiter liners usually hold more fresh fibreVirgin fibre Fresh wood fibre that has not been recycled. Strong and clean, it brings no smell or taint, which counts next to food. and less recycled fibreRecycled fibre Fibre from used paper, such as old newspapers. Cheaper than virgin fibre but weaker, so a box may need thicker board., which is part of why they cost more. Not every box maker stocks every liner, so ask what they have before you settle on colours.
On brown, white ink or a white layer under your colours can help. Kraft paper and board shows what to expect.
When printing on the liner is not enough
Corrugated can be printed three ways. Ask your box maker which one your quote is for.
- Straight on the finished board. The most common way, good for logos, type and simple colour.
- On the liner roll, before the board is made. Finer print, usually for larger runs.
- On a separate sheet, printed like a magazine page. The sheet is then glued to single-faceSingle face One liner glued to one flute, with no second liner. Soft enough to roll round a product as a wrap. board in place of a plain outer liner. This gives the finest detail on corrugated, at a higher price.
On your dieline
The liner never changes a line on the drawing. A brown box and a coated white box of the same size and board thicknessBoard thickness How thick the board is, in mm, also called caliper. Type it into a box's dieline and the details around the folds follow it. share one dieline. The drawing shows the outside of the box, so the side you design on is the outer liner.
With a printed sheet, the final thickness can differ from plain board. Ask your box maker for it and type it under Board.
Your artwork sits on the outer liner
The dieline shows the outside of the box. In the 3D view, switch Board between Kraft and White to see how your design changes.
- Cut
- Crease