In this guide 6 sections
Record the inside dimensions, style code, flute, ply, board grade and liner, print colours and plates, die number, glue or stitch method and packing pattern. Add the approved sample reference. With these on one sheet, a repeat order is made from the record, not from the operator’s memory or an old job bag.
Why repeat orders drift
Boxes are rarely wrong first time. Trouble comes months later. The customer approves a sample, the plant runs it, and six months later the repeat arrives with a different die in the operator’s memory or a changed mill liner.
Each drift is small. A few millimetres on the length, a different kraft liner or a print colour mixed by eye is all it takes, and the customer notices on the packing line.
The fix is dull but effective. Write everything down once, in one place, and make every later order read from that record instead of from whoever remembers the job best.
Record the board before the box
Board decides strength, so it comes first. Note the flute, such as B, C or E, whether the board is single wall or double wall, and ply and liner grades for top, medium and bottom.
Add the paper weights where the customer specified them, and any test the board must pass, such as a bursting or edge crush test. Name the supplier mill whenever a substitute board would change the result, because a different mill’s liner can alter the crush strength of the whole sheet.
If the customer approved a mixed grade as a cost saving, say so, so the estimator reading it next year does not undo the choice by mistake.
- Flute type and wall: single, double
- Liner and medium grades
- Required burst or edge crush test
- Approved mill or acceptable substitutes
- Sheet size and grain direction
Dimensions, style and the die
Corrugated dimensions are inside measurements, taken as length by width by height in that order, and a swapped length and width has ruined many first runs. State the convention on the sheet.
Add the box style code, such as a regular slotted container or die cut mailer, then record the die number, rack and last rule change date. Log every rule change, because a worn die gives ragged creases and cracked fold lines that the customer will see when the box is folded.
Keep the blank size and the score positions as well, because planners need them to nest the job on the board and to calculate trim.
- Inside length, width and height
- Style code and flap overlap
- Die number and storage rack
- Score positions and slot widths
- Blank size and trim allowance
Print, plates and approvals
Printing is where most mismatches live. Record the number of colours, the ink references or Pantone codes, the plate set number and the print position on the panel. Say whether the print is flexo on the corrugator or comes from a separate machine, since press settings change the ink laydown.
Store the approved sample reference and the artwork file version, and save a photo of the signed sample beside them with its date. Photos settle disputes quickly.
Changed artwork means a new revision. Never overwrite the old file, because a reprint of the earlier version may be requested months afterwards by the same customer’s purchasing department.
- Colour count and ink references
- Plate set and print position
- Approved artwork file version
- Signed sample photo and date
Finishing, packing and the first check
Close the sheet with the last steps. Record the glue, stitch or tape used for the manufacturer’s joint, the bundle size, the strapping, the pallet pattern and the customer’s delivery tolerance on quantity.
Then actually use it. When a repeat order arrives, the planner opens the sheet, confirms nothing changed and releases the job, and the estimator prices the board from it.
Review each sheet once a year and ask the customer whether the product inside has changed, because a heavier product can outgrow an old board grade. Edit only by dated revision.
Corrugated box specification sheet
Four blocks share one page. Board holds flute, wall, liners, test and mill, while box holds style code, inside dimensions, die number, scores and blank size for the planner. Print holds colours, ink references, plate set, artwork version and signed sample photo, and packing holds joint type, bundle size, pallet pattern and quantity tolerance. A footer carries the revision number, the date and the approver, so no sheet circulates in the plant without a name behind it.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Which dimension convention should we use?
Use inside length, width and height, in that order, and write the convention on the sheet so planners, operators and customers all read the figures the same way.
Do we need a new sheet for every artwork change?
Yes, as a new revision. Keep the old revision on file, so a customer who asks for a reprint of the earlier artwork can still be served from the same record.
Where should the die be recorded?
Record it on the specification sheet with its number, rack location and last rule change date, which saves the search before a repeat run. Nobody hunts the rack.
Can a spreadsheet hold all this?
Sometimes, in a small plant. It breaks down once several staff work in one workbook, so a shared record linked to the order is the safer choice for a busy office.