Rigid Box Industry Terminology

Compiled by PPC’s Rigid Box Committee. As of July 2019.

Ballotin Box   

A box with base sides that slant outward at an angle and a regular straight, 90° cover. Slant sides allow for nesting of bases.

 

Base or Tray  

The lower portion of a paper box. If the base has two parts of differing heights that fit inside of each other, one is the interior and one the exterior tray.

 

Bowing           

When one or more sides of a box are distended out of the shape of a flat plane. This is caused by bending or pulling in the board and wrap. A box can have sides that bow outward where the sides (particularly in the middle, furthest from the corners) form an angle greater than 90 degrees from the other sides, or sides that bow inward, creating angles of less than 90 degrees.

 

Chipboard      

The basic recycled paperboard material used to create rigid boxes.

 

Clamshell       

A one-piece box part with the ability to be entirely closed on itself to house a product.

 

Combination Box      

A two-piece box comprised of a paperboard tray and a vinyl acetate lid. Exterior fit is when the vinyl lid extends over the edge of the paperboard tray. Interior fit is the opposite.

 

Embossing     

Process of imprinting paper to create a raised pattern or design that stands out tactilely and visually compared to the flat printing surrounding it.

 

Die Cut (DC) Tray       

A shaped and folded box part made of chipboard that holds products; can be plain, lined, or wrapped.

 

Drawer-Style 

The combination of a slipcase and additional base (drawer) that slides into it, with either a thumb notch or ribbon pull for opening.

 

Dust Lid          

A creased and folded clear piece commonly made of acetate that protects and displays product inside box; can also be stamped.

 

Hinge 

A method of attaching one side of a lid to a base.

 

Insert Platform          

Any construction of paperboard or other material placed or sometimes glued in a box to lift or raise product, generally positioned under a DC tray to evenly display products of varied depths or provide additional support.

 

Knockdown Box        

A one- or two-piece box that folds flat for easy shipping. The base can be constructed in several styles with folding tabs and collapsing sides. The assembled box looks and feels like a rigid box and is often held in place by tape or glue after erection. Board weight can vary, particularly for inners and sides.

 

Label  

A plain or printed piece of paper adhered to a box, distinct from top or bottom wrap.

 

Leaf (Hot) Stamping  

Process using heat and pressure to apply pieces of metal foil to a box part or wrap to create a design or letters. Leaf stamping is often combined with embossing to make a logo or design “pop”.

 

Lid (Cover)     

The upper portion of a rigid box; its edges can be die cut to be angled, curved, or swooped.

 

Lid Support (Ribbon Stop)    

Tape or ribbon to hold a hinge lid in position when the box is open.

 

Lifts    

Pieces of ribbon, cloth, tape, or paper attached to trays or below a product to aid in convenient removal.

 

Loose Wrapping        

Process of covering a lid with paper on a wrapping machine or by hand, with the adhesive applied so as to adhere to the edges only, not the flat box top.

 

Neck, Collar, or Shoulder      

An additional box part placed inside a base. It can extend above the height of the base to allow the cover to fit over it and sit flush with the base when closed, or sit below the height of the base (interior shoulder) to create a shelf for an interior cover fit.

 

Nesting          

Placing trays or covers of the same size, or boxes of varying sizes, one within another.

 

Mask  

A piece of printed SBS with die cut holes for product that covers a vac tray to enhance its appearance. Can be flat or have legs extending down the tray sides; can be glued or placed on.

Miter Cut       

The portions of a wrap that are removed from the four corners of the box to allow the wrap to fold over the board blank without bunching or catching in the corners. There are different styles of miter cut, including traditional and European, that remove different shapes or angles from the corners.

 

Padded Top   

Box lid with one or more layers of foam or other padding material underneath the wrap to create a soft feeling.

 

Papers

Various substrates commonly used as wraps in the manufacture of rigid boxes. These include: book, label, manila, and kraft, and can be finished with UV or aqueous coatings, foils, embossing, printing, and drum or cast coating. They can also be used to “line” the box interior.

 

Partitions or Dividers

Slotted pieces of chipboard or SBS fitted together or creased and folded to form a series of compartments in a base. Can be glued in place or not.

 

Pedestal or Presentation Style         

A box whose base is shorter in height than the cover. Product is often arrayed in a relatively shallow tray, usually standing up, for maximum display impact when the cover is off.

 

Powder Drum

A closed rigid box made of lightweight paper that holds powder and can be easily popped or cut by consumer. The drum keeps powder contained and can be made in round or rectangular shape.

 

Projection or Extension Edge

A narrow, shelf-like protrusion around the base of a box, either round or rectangular, designed to give a unique look or increase the box’s stability.

 

Pulls   

Piece of metal, tape, ribbon, or other material attached to a tray or box part to form a handle that opens the box.

 

Reveal or Smile         

The portion of the neck/shoulder/collar that is exposed (if any) when the cover is placed fully on the base of a three-piece box. The resulting box is called a shouldered box with a reveal/smile, or a high-necked box.

 

Rigid Box or Set-Up Box        

A paperboard box that is constructed already, formed or “set-up” for use, as distinguished from a folding carton or a corrugated shipping container. Rigid boxes are made of chipboard covered in a paper wrap, and use heavier-weight board than folding cartons. An unwrapped box part can also be considered a rigid box, though may look unfinished if stay tape shows on the corners.

 

Rigid Sleeve   

A four-panel piece with an additional paper hinge gluing back on itself that creates a sleeve that remains separate from the box part.

 

Scoring           

Making knife cuts on chipboard (score marks) for the purpose of forming a bending line.

 

Shoulder Box 

A box with a base, cover, and collar that allows the top and bottom to join either flush or with a gap (reveal/smile).

 

Sifter Screen  

A mesh screen bordered by rigid-weight board used to filter powder in a cosmetics box. Can be made round or rectangular.

 

Simplex or EZ Box      

A box made with carton board, folded and glued permanently in place to mimic the structure of a rigid box. They can have hollow sides, folded to create thick-appearing sides/borders to the box.

 

Sleeve

Material creased and glued to create a four-sided, rectangular tube that slides over a rigid box. Often SBS, plastic, or rigid board.

 

Stay or Stay Tape      

Material used for reinforcing corners of the base, lid, or tray. Material may be paper, mylar or a combination of each and comes with adhesive that is heated to form a seal.

 

Telescope Box
A box in which the lid fits over the base, either reaching all the way down the base sides in a “full” telescope or partway in a shallower, “partial” telescope.

 

Thumb Notch

A semi-circular or triangular cut to facilitate removal of the lid from the base or contents from the base.

 

Tight Wrapping         

Process of covering the base, lid, or tray with paper on a wrapping machine, or by hand. Wraps are in one piece and the entire surface is covered with adhesive.

 

Turn-Ins         

The ends of the wrap that are glued around the edge and to the interior of the box to ensure strong adhesion. Typical automated turn-ins reach 5/8” into the box part from its top edge.

 

Unitized Flat Cover (Four-Panel, Three-Panel, Etc.)

A combination of board panels adhered to a solid paper backer with gaps between, creating a single, flexible two-panel (cigar style), three-panel (book style), or four-to-five-panel (wraparound) piece attached to a base part to form a closed box. The final product can also be called a binder box.

 

Vacuum Forming       

Forming plastic in a mold through the use of heat and vacuum. Plain or flocked styrene or a clear or tinted PET stock is generally used.

 

Wadding        

A lightweight woven form of jeweler’s cotton mainly used in jewelry box applications to cushion and display product.

 

Wrap  

The piece of substrate, frequently paper printed or stamped with graphics, that is glued to the outside of a structure formed by chipboard to finish a rigid box.