A-Flute
≈ 4.8 mm
Best cushioning and stacking strength. Fragile or heavy goods.
Providing custom carton box solutions for businesses of all sizes —
explore our packaging range.
Choosing the right board is the difference between a box that arrives intact and one that doesn't. This guide covers every material, flute grade, print method and finish we work with — so you can specify accurately, or tell us what the box needs to do and let us specify it for you.
The "flute" is the wavy fluting sandwiched between liners. Its height decides how much cushioning, stacking strength and print quality you get.
Best cushioning and stacking strength. Fragile or heavy goods.
Good crush resistance with a flat surface for printing. Retail-ready.
The all-rounder. Most common grade for shipping cartons.
Thin with an excellent print surface. Mailers and retail boxes.
Very thin, premium print. Small retail and cosmetic boxes.
| Construction | Typical thickness | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Single wall | 1.6–4.8 mm | Standard shipping boxes, mailers, retail cartons — the majority of orders. |
| Double wall (BC / EB) | 4.8–7.0 mm | Heavy contents, tall pallet stacks, long-haul and export shipments. |
| Triple wall | ≈ 10 mm+ | Industrial loads, machinery parts and very heavy export goods. |
The outer liner decides how the box looks and prints. The inner material decides what it costs and how it performs.
Unbleached brown liner made from virgin and recycled pulp. The standard, most economical choice.
Best for: shipping, e-commerce, industrial
Kraft board with a white coated top surface, giving a clean printable face over a brown base.
Best for: retail-facing shipping boxes
Fully bleached liner with a bright white surface for vivid, high-contrast printing.
Best for: premium retail, food, cosmetics
Premium bleached paperboard, coated one or both sides. Smooth surface that takes fine print and foil well.
Best for: cosmetics, pharma, retail cartons
Grey-back board with a white printable top, made largely from recycled pulp. Cost-effective for retail cartons.
Best for: budget-conscious retail packaging
Natural brown paperboard for an unbleached, organic look. Available uncoated or coated for printing.
Best for: artisan, eco-positioned brands
Thick rigid board used as the structural core of rigid gift boxes, then wrapped in a printed or textured paper.
Best for: rigid boxes, premium gift sets
Clean white board for straightforward printed cartons where a premium finish isn't required.
Best for: general retail cartons
Two different measurements — they're often confused, so here's the difference.
Measures the weight of the paper. Higher GSM generally means a thicker, stiffer, more premium-feeling board. This is the figure most Malaysian buyers quote.
Measures the caliper, or physical thickness. 1 pt = 1/1000 of an inch. Two boards can share a GSM but differ in thickness depending on how they're made.
| Application | Typical weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Light retail cartons | 250–300 gsm | Small, light products. Folds crisply. |
| Standard folding cartons | 300–350 gsm | The most common range for retail boxes. |
| Heavy / premium cartons | 350–450 gsm | Substantial feel for cosmetics and gifting. |
| Corrugated liners | 125–200 gsm | Per liner, before fluting is added. |
| Rigid box chipboard | 1.5–3.0 mm | Quoted in mm rather than gsm. |
The right method depends on your run size, the board, and how much colour detail the artwork carries.
Plate-based printing that transfers the image via a rubber blanket. The highest print quality available, with excellent colour accuracy and fine detail.
Best for: medium to large runs, retail-facing boxes
No printing plates required — artwork goes straight to press. Lower setup cost, so short runs stay affordable, and variable data is possible.
Best for: small runs, samples, test batches
Flexible relief plates printing directly onto corrugated board. Economical for large volumes and simple, bold artwork.
Best for: bulk shipping cartons, 1–3 colour designs
Four-colour process printing that reproduces photographs and full-colour artwork.
Pre-mixed inks matched to a specific Pantone reference — the reliable way to hold an exact brand colour across print runs.
Metallic-pigment inks for gold, silver and copper effects without the cost of foil stamping.
Coatings are applied as a liquid layer. Laminations bond a thin film to the surface — tougher, but a heavier treatment.
Water-based clear coating that seals and protects the print. Fast-drying and recyclable. Gloss or matte.
High-shine coating cured instantly under ultraviolet light. More durable and glossier than aqueous.
UV gloss applied only to selected areas — a logo or product shot — so it catches the light against a matte background.
Clear coating applied inline with the printing press. Gloss, satin or matte. The most economical protective finish.
Repels moisture so the carton keeps its stacking strength in cold rooms, refrigerated transport and high humidity. Essential for fresh produce export.
Best for: fruit & vegetable export, cold chain
Reflective film that makes colours appear richer and deeper. Wipeable and durable.
Non-reflective film giving a soft, understated finish. The default choice for premium and minimalist brands.
Velvety, suede-like film that makes the box feel noticeably expensive in the hand. One of the strongest ways to signal a premium product before it's even opened.
Best for: cosmetics, gifting, premium retail
Applied after printing to add contrast, texture and perceived value.
Metallic foil pressed onto the board with a heated die. Produces a true mirror-metallic finish that printed metallic ink can't match. Gold, silver, rose gold, copper and holographic.
Best for: logos, brand names, premium detailing
A die presses the board from behind to raise a motif above the surface, adding physical texture.
Best for: logos and monograms
The reverse of embossing — the die presses from the front to create a recessed impression.
Best for: understated, tactile branding
Foil stamping and embossing in a single pass, giving a raised metallic motif. The most premium finish available.
A die-cut opening backed with clear film so the product is visible without opening the box.
Best for: food, gifting, toys
Custom cut-outs for handles, ventilation, locking tabs or decorative shapes — cut to your specification.
Best for: produce cartons, carry boxes
Where your product and budget allow, these choices reduce the environmental footprint of your packaging.
Duplex and kraft boards made largely from recycled paper pulp, reducing virgin fibre use.
Plain and aqueous-coated paper cartons recycle through normal paper streams with no special handling.
Skipping lamination and using uncoated kraft with 1–2 colour print keeps the carton fully recyclable — and usually cheaper.
You don't need to know the board grade. Tell us what goes in the box, how heavy it is, how it ships and where it ends up — we'll recommend the right material, flute and finish.
ERCBOX PACKAGING SDN BHD is the leading carton box supplier in KL and Selangor Malaysia. Our main products are regular slotted carton (RSC), custom die-cut boxes, offset die-cut box, five panel box (FPF), express pallet, top or bottom boxes, nesting die-cut, paper angle boards, full overlap slotted container, and white paperboard.