
Varnish
A transparent finishing layer available in gloss, satin, or matte effects. It enhances the printed surface and adds an extra layer of visual appeal and light protection.
Custom printed cardboard takeaway boxes in folding carton or corrugated construction, chosen around what the box has to do between the kitchen and the table. Orders start from 100 units.
A cardboard takeaway box is one of two constructions, and most of the time the choice is settled by what happens to it after it leaves the kitchen. A folding carton is a single sheet of board, cut and creased and folded into shape. A corrugated box is a sandwich, flat liners with a fluted layer running between them.
They are not two grades of one material, and the trade puts them to different work.
Folding carton is the food carton, and it takes the widest range of print and finishing. Offset or digital printing, with matt or gloss lamination, foil, embossing, debossing and spot UV over the top, available depending on the specification. In everyday use it is built with an auto-lock base or as a tuck-end carton, the two forms a printed takeaway carton is most often folded up from.
Corrugated belongs where a box has a transport job as well as a serving one. Shipping, mailers, produce and pizza are its usual work. The flute is structural, which is what makes it a different proposition once there is real weight involved.
If your food is eaten within a short journey of where it was cooked, goes into a bag and is opened at a table, that is folding carton work. For a lot of kitchens the question stops there.
Corrugated earns its place when the journey stops being short. A box going through a courier network, or riding a long delivery round before anyone opens it, is being asked to do more than hold food. It has to hold its shape on the way. A meal-prep or subscription order posted out to customers is the clearest case of all, since it meets the most handling before anyone opens it.
If you are not sure which side of the line you are on, work from the longest journey your boxes make in a normal week. The average one will mislead you.
The print route is not the same. A folding carton is printed directly, offset or digital. Corrugated is printed digitally, by flexo, or by printing a liner separately and laminating it onto the flute afterwards.
That changes how the artwork is prepared, and it narrows what can be done to the surface afterwards. Those finishes sit in the folding carton column, while corrugated takes lamination and print. If a particular finish is doing real work for your brand, it is worth knowing which column it lives in before the design goes far. The finishing decision itself is covered on Luxury Food Packaging Boxes.
Neither construction solves what the food does to the box. Grease, steam and a sauce that finds a seam are questions about material and coating, and they sit one level below this decision.
They are also the questions this page has no rated answer to, which is why the argument about managing grease and trapped steam lives on White Takeaway Boxes. Where a single order arrives as several containers at once, that is Chinese Food Boxes.
Food-contact material suitability is confirmed for the specific material before production.
An unlaminated paperboard construction may be easier to process through suitable paper-recycling streams than a heavily laminated alternative. Final recyclability depends on the full material and finishing specification and the facilities available locally.
Two neighbouring decisions have their own pages. Kraft Paper Food Boxes covers how kraft behaves once it is printed on, and Rigid Food Packaging covers a construction that is neither of the two here. Custom Food Boxes holds the whole category.
| Box Style | All Custom Packaging |
| Dimension | All Custom Sizes & Shapes |
| Quantities | 100-unit minimum order |
| Paper Stock | Kraft, corrugated, rigid board, cardstock |
| Printing | CMYK, Pantone, digital and offset |
| Finishing | Gloss, matte, spot UV, embossing, foiling |
| Shipping | Free delivery options |
Choose from premium coating, board, printing and finishing options for your insert boxes.

A transparent finishing layer available in gloss, satin, or matte effects. It enhances the printed surface and adds an extra layer of visual appeal and light protection.

A UV-cured coating applied to specific areas of the design to create gloss or matte contrast and draw attention to important details.

A smooth, velvety coating that creates a soft tactile feel and gives packaging a refined luxury look. It improves the unboxing experience and supports a high-end product presentation.

A soft, smooth lamination with a refined satin-like finish. It gives packaging a premium feel while keeping the surface elegant, subtle, and easy to handle.

A high-gloss UV coating applied only to selected design areas to create sharp contrast, highlight logos, and add a premium visual effect without coating the whole surface.

A clear, fast-drying water-based coating that adds a smooth protective layer while maintaining a clean and professional surface finish. It is a practical choice for everyday printed packaging.

A durable protective film that helps reduce visible scratches, scuffs, fingerprints, and daily handling marks. It keeps packaging looking clean, polished, and premium for longer.

A bleached kraft paperboard made from a mix of virgin and recycled pulp, offering a clean white surface for crisp and polished packaging designs.

A natural kraft paperboard without coating, made from virgin and recycled pulp. It provides a raw, organic appearance with sturdy packaging strength.

A premium bleached paperboard coated on both sides, designed for excellent print quality, die-cutting, and professional packaging results.

A high-quality bleached paperboard coated on one side. It provides a clean printable face with a premium packaging feel.

A smooth printable paper stock that supports high-resolution graphics, clean text, and rich color output for refined packaging presentation.

A natural kraft paperboard made from strong virgin and recycled pulp. It provides an organic, earthy look for sustainable and simple packaging.

A specialty paperboard with a laminated metallic surface available in gold, silver, and other premium finishes for luxury visual impact.

A specialty paperboard with a laminated holographic surface that creates a reflective, rainbow-like appearance for eye-catching product packaging.

A recycled duplex paperboard with a white printable surface. It is ideal for economical packaging that still requires clean graphics and brand presentation.

A kraft board with a smooth clay-coated white face for quality printing and a natural kraft reverse side for a strong, authentic appearance.

A kraft paperboard with a clay-coated printable top surface and a natural unbleached kraft back. It balances clean branding with a rustic natural look.

A duplex paperboard made with recycled pulp and a coated white printable surface. It delivers smooth print results for affordable carton packaging.

A black-dyed kraft board with a natural paper texture and excellent strength. It creates a bold, premium look for luxury and specialty packaging.

A packaging technique where a die-cut opening is covered with a transparent film, allowing the product inside to remain visible while staying protected.

An embossing technique where the raised design is precisely aligned with printed artwork to improve detail, texture, and overall presentation.

A finishing process in which heat and pressure transfer metallic foil to the surface, creating a premium, shiny, and luxurious effect.

A premium finishing method that combines embossing with foil stamping to create a raised design with metallic color and strong visual impact.

A decorative process that transfers foil onto selected areas of the surface using UV-curable adhesive, creating a bright metallic effect with sharp detail.

A technique that raises a design from the surface without ink or foil, giving packaging a clean, elegant, and textured appearance.

A finishing technique that presses a design into the material to create a recessed impression without using ink or foil. It adds subtle depth and a refined tactile effect.

A fast-curing printing process that uses ultraviolet light to dry ink instantly, delivering sharp detail, vibrant colors, and a premium finish.

A durable printing method that uses a mesh screen and stencil to apply ink to surfaces. It is ideal for bold colors and high-impact packaging designs.

A traditional high-quality printing process that transfers designs from plates to a rubber blanket before printing, making it ideal for large-volume production.

A modern printing method that does not require printing plates, making it cost-effective and efficient for short runs, sample production, and small-batch quantities.

Built with three corrugated layers between four linerboard sheets, providing heavy-duty strength for large or industrial packaging needs.

A standard corrugated structure with one fluted medium and two linerboards, providing dependable strength for everyday packaging.

A corrugated sheet with one flute layer between two liners, offering lightweight strength for protective packaging.

An ultra-thin flute grade designed for lightweight packaging, small retail boxes, and high-quality printed presentation.

A slim flute grade with a flatter surface, ideal for detailed printing, display packaging, and premium retail boxes.

Made with two layers of corrugated medium between linerboard sheets, offering added strength and durability for heavier products.

A versatile corrugated flute that offers balanced compression strength, cushioning, and printability for many packaging applications.

A thinner flute grade with a smooth surface, making it suitable for high-quality printing, precise die-cutting, and neat retail packaging.

A thick corrugated flute profile that provides excellent cushioning, compression strength, and stacking support for protective packaging.

A coated linerboard with an off-white surface, suitable for high-quality printing and a refined packaging appearance.

An unbleached kraft linerboard made from recycled paper pulp, offering a natural look with strong durability for eco-conscious packaging.

A coated semi-gloss linerboard with a smooth white surface, ideal for sharp printing, premium presentation, and retail-ready packaging.

A fully bleached corrugated board with a bright white surface, designed to produce clean, vibrant, and high-quality printed packaging.

A UV-cured ink that dries instantly under ultraviolet light and creates crisp, high-quality print results on a wide range of packaging materials.

A plant-based ink made with soybean oil, offering rich color output and a more sustainable printing option for carton packaging.

A standardized color-matching system used to achieve consistent, accurate brand colors across packaging, labels, and printed materials.

A full-color printing process using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks to create vibrant images, gradients, and detailed packaging artwork.
Real feedback from customers who trust us with their custom packaging.
Clear answers about ordering, artwork, production, materials and delivery.
They are built differently, so strength in the abstract is not the comparison worth making. Tell us what the box will be carrying and the journey it has to make, and the specification follows from that.
Usually, though it may need preparing differently for each because the two print by different routes. Send the artwork and we will tell you what it does on both.
Design support is free. A digital 3D mock-up is free. There are no setup fees.
Orders start from 100 units. Standard production takes 6 to 8 business days after approval. UK delivery is free.