Carton Box Types: Slotted, Die-cut, and Accessories
A box's shape decides how it carries load and how easily it assembles. Types are generally grouped by how they're made: slotted (cut and slotted from one sheet), die-cut (cut to shape with a custom die), and supporting accessories inside the box.
Slotted: Cut & Slotted from One Sheet
Slotted boxes are made from a single sheet of corrugated that's scored and then slotted, with no cutting die. This is the most common and most economical family of boxes.
Regular Slotted Container (RSC)
All flaps are the same length; the outer flaps meet in the middle. The most common and most material-efficient construction — one sheet, scored and slotted, with no die cut. Enough for the majority of shipping needs.
Overlap Slotted Container (OSC / FOL)
The outer flaps overlap rather than just meet in the middle. That overlap closes the corner gaps and adds strength — chosen when the contents are heavy or the corners need to sit tighter. Slightly more paper than an RSC.
Still in the slotted family: HSC (half-slotted, no top flaps), CSC (center special slotted), and full-overlap (flaps that fully cover the top for extra load). All are variants of how the flaps are cut and meet.
Die-cut: Cut to Shape
Die-cutting uses a custom cutting die to cut and crease the corrugated sheet into shapes that standard slotted cuts can't reach — from a self-locking mailer to a windowed display box.
Mailer boxaka pizza box
A single die-cut sheet with flaps that fold and lock on their own — closes without tape. Double walls on the sides add strength. Common for small products, e-commerce, and subscription shipments.
Gable box
A handle built into the body of the box in a roof-like (gable) shape. Box and handle become one piece, easy to carry with no separate handle. For gifts, retail, and food packaging.
Document boxaka archive box
Die-cut for storing and organising documents, records, or files. The precise cut makes it easy to assemble and a snug fit for standard folder sizes.
Display box
Die-cut with an open or windowed front to show a product on a store shelf. Puts the contents on display while still protecting them.
Accessories: Not the Box, but What Gets the Contents There Intact
Often what keeps a part safe to its destination isn't the box, but what's inside it. The two most common:
Partition / dividersaka partition, dividers
A scored and folded corrugated grid that separates and holds each part so they don't knock together in transit — while also filling the void so the contents can't shift.
Layer pad / padsaka layer, pads
A flat corrugated sheet used as a base or a separator between layers of parts inside the box. Simple, but it breaks the friction between layers and spreads the stacking load.
Because it's die-cut, almost any shape can be designed from scratch. At JMP these types are made to your part's dimensions and load, not a stock size.
Stock, handled
Flex-Stock: we hold buffer, ship per call-off.
We hold your packaging buffer stock and ship per call-off — warehouse load and stockout risk move to us.