Cartons are versatile packaging boxes made from folding a single sheet of paperboard (also known as cardboard) that is die-cut according to a box template. Folding cartons are primarily used for lighter product packaging compared to corrugated packaging, as paperboard cartons can only hold a few pounds.
Carton packaging is also commonly referred to as carton boxes, folding cartons, paperboard cartons and paperboard boxes.
Foldable carton packaging was invented by Charles Henry Foyle in the late 1800s, an Englishman who created the product we know as the carton today. It was essentially a piece of paper that was cut in such a way that it could be folded into a custom box. Although incredibly innovative for its time, carton packaging still lacked a lot of the features we know and love today.
For example, although it could be folded into a box shape, the ends still needed to be held together tightly, so it was common to use tacks and strings to hold the carton boxes together. This was expensive, not to mention labor-intensive. What’s more, such boxes were difficult to produce, so carton packaging like this was usually only used for valuable luxury items like jewelry.
Fortunately, carton packaging came into the limelight in 1879, when Robert Gair realized that his printing press could cut through the carton material and allow for mass production of carton packaging. Food and snack companies realized that the foldable boxes greatly extended the shelf life of their products, and were among the first to regularly use such materials.
