1-2-3 Bottom Folding Carton | Snap Lock Base, No Glue, MOQ 100
- Material: 300-400gsm SBS / FBB / CCNB / kraft board (300gsm minimum for lock integrity)
- Structure: 1-2-3 snap lock bottom, hand-assembled in three folds, no glue
- MOQ: 100 pcs
- Lead time: 8-12 working days | Free dieline
1-2-3 bottom (snap lock) folding cartons lock the base by hand in three folds with no glue. Lower unit cost than an auto bottom and ships completely flat. For artisan food, candles and hand-packed runs. MOQ 100 pcs.
Our Advantages
No Die and Plate Charges For Digital Samples
High quality printing
Quick Turn Around
Starting from 500pcs
Custom size and style
Competitive Price
Free Design Support
To door delivery
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COMPANY SERVICES
| Bigger Discounts Offer for large orders | Bigger Discounts Offer for large orders Prices are negotiable based on your purchase volume and Fixated prices can be offered based on frequency of the order. |
| After-service | Sample cost is refundable if it's not good quality as we promised!We will refund you the defected goods values as contract listed,if the defective goods are beyond as we contracted.Our goal is to have no bad feedback and keep doing business in the future! |
| Risk Free, Quality Assurance | We've Sate of the art production facility and all printed jobs are run through our strict quality assurance department, so there are no quality complaints. |
| Printed Method | We use Off-set printing to achieve excellent printing results. However, Digital and screen printing is also available depending on box requirements. |
| About Us | Guangzhou Ecopaperbox established in 2011 is undoubtedly an accredited manufacturer of custom boxes which are exactly according to the needs and desires of the clients. Our top priority is meeting the needs and requirements of our customers. Custom Packaging and printing are provided to the customers with excellent quality on the regular basis so that maximum benefit can be achieved in the minimum amount of time. All boxes that made of paperboard, we can produce. You are welcome to make inquiry via info@ecopaperbox.com and contact us at +8619927709433. |
What Is a 1-2-3 Bottom (Snap Lock) Carton?
A 1-2-3 bottom carton locks its base by hand, in three folds, with no glue and no tape. The name is literal: fold flap one, fold flap two, tuck flap three under them and the base holds itself. It is the cheapest way to get a mechanically locked base rather than a friction-held tuck bottom.
Compared with an auto bottom, you give up assembly speed and gain unit price. There is no base gluing operation at the factory, so the carton costs less to make and ships completely flat. The trade is five to eight seconds of operator time per unit at your end instead of one.
That maths favours the 1-2-3 bottom at low and medium volume, for seasonal runs, and for any brand that packs by hand in-house rather than on a line. It is also the structure of choice when you need a locked base but freight volume is tight, because it flat-packs more densely than a pre-glued auto bottom.
Which Industries Use This Box, and How It Is Specified
Medium-weight products, hand-packed operations, and anywhere the base must not give way but the budget will not carry an auto bottom.
| Industry / use case | How we normally spec it |
|---|---|
| Artisan food and bakery | Jars, bottles and boxed confectionery from small producers packing by hand. 350gsm board, often kraft for a natural shelf look. |
| Craft candles and soap | Filled vessels of 200-500g where a friction base is not safe but volumes are a few hundred units. |
| Supplements and wellness | Bottled tablets and powders. 350gsm FBB with a tamper-evident top tuck. |
| Gifting and seasonal runs | Christmas and limited-edition packs where the SKU exists for one season and tooling cost has to stay low. |
| Hardware and components | 400gsm board for fixings, tools and spares that are heavy for their size. |
| Subscription and starter kits | Multi-item kits assembled in-house, where the packer erects and fills in the same motion. |
If you are filling more than roughly 3,000 units per run by hand, the labour saved by an auto bottom carton will usually exceed the extra you pay for it.
Material Specification
Board must be stiff enough to hold the lock without the flaps springing back out. Below 300gsm the base will not stay closed reliably.
| Component / stock | Specification |
|---|---|
| SBS / C1S folding boxboard | 300-400gsm virgin bleached board, one side coated. The default for retail cartons that need clean CMYK and a bright white face. |
| FBB (GC1 folding boxboard) | 230-400gsm multi-ply with a bulky middle layer. Same print quality as SBS but stiffer at equal weight, so it is often the cheaper way to hit a target rigidity. |
| CCNB / recycled duplex board | 300-450gsm coated white face over a grey recycled back. 80-100% recycled fibre and the lowest-carbon option when the inside of the carton is not seen. |
| Kraft board | 300-400gsm unbleached brown board for a visible natural look. Prints best with 1-2 spot colours rather than full CMYK. |
| E-flute microflute | 1.5mm laminated litho board used when the carton has to carry weight or survive e-commerce transit on its own. |
| Coatings and inks | Water-based aqueous varnish, matte or gloss BOPP film, soy-based inks. Aqueous keeps the carton kerbside-recyclable; film lamination does not. |
Sustainability notes
- Folding cartons are the most widely recycled retail pack in the world - a plain aqueous-varnished carton goes straight into the kerbside paper stream.
- CCNB and recycled duplex board carry 80-100% recycled fibre and cost less than virgin SBS, so the greener stock is often the cheaper stock.
- We default to water-based aqueous varnish instead of BOPP film lamination. Film adds a plastic layer that has to be separated at the mill.
- Soy-based and vegetable inks as standard, no solvent-based inks.
- Cartons ship flat, so a pallet holds several times more units than an assembled rigid box - a real reduction in freight emissions per unit.
Structure and Size Options
The base lock is fixed; the rest is open.
| Option | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Top closure | Straight tuck, reverse tuck, or a tuck with slit lock for a firmer retail close. |
| Board minimum | 300gsm is the practical floor - thinner board lets the base flaps spring open. 350gsm is the safe default. |
| Load rating | Comfortable to roughly 1.5kg on a 350gsm build, provided the base footprint is not oversized. |
| Handle | Die-cut hand hole in the top panel for larger footprints. |
| Window patching | PET, PLA or cellulose film, kept clear of base creases. |
| Inner fitment | Paperboard divider or corrugated pad, useful for multi-item kits. |
The one failure mode to design out is an oversized base relative to board weight. A wide, shallow 1-2-3 bottom on 300gsm will bow in the middle - we will flag it on the dieline if your proportions head that way.
Printing and Finishing
- Offset CMYK - photographic artwork, gradients and product imagery.
- Pantone spot colour - exact brand colour matching, up to 6 colours plus varnish.
- Digital printing - the reason we can hold MOQ at 100; no plate cost on short runs.
- Hot foil stamping - gold, silver, rose gold, holographic. The most requested logo finish.
- Emboss / deboss - raised or recessed logo, with or without foil.
- Spot UV - gloss varnish over a matte laminate to pick out a logo or pattern.
- Finishes - matte, gloss, soft-touch, anti-scratch lamination or aqueous varnish.
Ordering: MOQ, Dieline and Lead Time
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| MOQ | 100 pcs per size and per design |
| Dieline | Free. We send a print-ready structural dieline to your designer before you commit to anything. |
| Pre-production sample | Plain structural sample in 3-5 days, printed sample in 5-7 days. Sample cost is credited against the bulk order. |
| Production lead time | 8-12 working days after artwork and sample sign-off |
| Artwork format | AI or PDF, CMYK, 300dpi, 3mm bleed, fonts outlined, placed on our dieline |
| Shipping | Ships flat-packed, which keeps freight volume and duty low. |
Because there is no base gluing step, this structure carries no tooling premium and is often the lowest-cost locked-base option at 100-1,000 pieces.
Related Packaging
Same family - other folding carton structures
Auto Bottom Carton | Reverse Tuck End Carton | Four Corner Tray | Pillow Carton
Popular finished applications
Candle Boxes | Kraft Gift Boxes | Bakery Boxes with Window | Seasonal Gift Boxes
Surface Choice
Packing Method For Corrugated Packaging:
Generally no need to put the PE bags inside of the cartons. Since the boxes are glued a layer of cardboard, generally production time is not long enough to dry the paper box. If you tie the PE bags, the steamed water pearl will be produced inside of the bags.
Product Details
- Custom sizes & shape – made to your exact dimensions, flute and box style.
- Eco-friendly board – recyclable corrugated / kraft material with low-migration inks on request.
- Secure closure – self-locking or magnetic options keep contents safe in transit.
- Full-surface printing – CMYK, Pantone, foil, emboss and spot UV available.
- Low MOQ & fast turnaround – start from 100–500 pcs with 7–15 day lead time.
Customer Reviews
The 1-2-3 Bottom Folding Carton Box arrived exactly as proofed. Print quality is sharp and the structure is sturdy - our customers loved the unboxing.
Fast turnaround and helpful dieline support. The 1-2-3 Bottom Folding Carton Box fits our product perfectly and the price was fair at our MOQ.
Clean printing on eco-friendly board and smooth communication. We will reorder the 1-2-3 Bottom Folding Carton Box for our next campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 1-2-3 bottom mean on a carton?
It describes the assembly sequence. Three base flaps are folded in order - one, two, then the third tucks under to lock the other two in place. No glue and no tape are needed. It gives a mechanically locked base rather than the friction-held base of a tuck end carton.
Is a 1-2-3 bottom as strong as an auto bottom?
Close, but not identical. Both lock mechanically and both far exceed a tuck bottom. An auto bottom is pre-glued so the lock cannot be assembled incorrectly, which makes it more consistent under heavy load. For contents up to about 1.5kg, correctly assembled, a 350gsm 1-2-3 bottom performs very similarly.
What is the lightest board I can use for a snap lock base?
300gsm is the practical minimum. Below that the base flaps lack the stiffness to stay locked and will spring open when the carton is lifted. 350gsm is what we recommend as standard, and 400gsm for anything above roughly 1kg.
Which is cheaper, 1-2-3 bottom or auto bottom?
The 1-2-3 bottom is cheaper per carton because there is no base gluing operation and no associated tooling premium. The auto bottom becomes cheaper overall once your hand-packing labour is significant, which is typically above a few thousand units per run.
What is the MOQ and do you charge for a dieline or mockup?
MOQ is 100 pcs per size and per design. The structural dieline is free and supplied before you order. We do not charge for it and there is no template or setup fee.
Can this carton be used for food?
Yes, with the correct board and coating. We can supply direct food-contact grade board, or a grease-resistant coating for bakery and confectionery. If the product is wet or oily we would normally recommend an inner liner or a coated tray rather than relying on the carton alone.
