Four Corner Tray Folding Carton | Bakery, Takeaway & Display Trays, MOQ 100
- Material: 300-400gsm board with water-based grease / moisture barrier coating
- Structure: Four corner tray, interlocked corners, open top, optional lid or sleeve
- MOQ: 100 pcs
- Lead time: 8-12 working days | Free dieline
Four corner tray cartons with interlocked corners that hold their shape under load. For bakery, takeaway, fresh produce, gift bases and shelf-ready display. Water-based barrier coating, MOQ 100 pcs, free dieline.
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 Four Corner Tray?
A four corner tray is an open-top carton whose walls are formed by folding and locking the four corners, giving a rigid rim without glue on the corners themselves. It is the structure behind almost every takeaway tray, bakery base, produce punnet and gift-set base you have ever handled.
The strength comes from the corner geometry. A simple folded tray relies on glue or tape at each corner; a four corner tray interlocks the wall panels, so the rim stays square even when the tray is filled and lifted. That matters when the contents are hot, wet or heavy and the consumer is carrying it one-handed.
It is also the standard base for two-part packaging. Pair it with a printed sleeve and you have a full pack with no closure mechanism to fail; pair it with a lid of the same structure and you have a classic bakery or gift box.
Which Industries Use This Box, and How It Is Specified
Wherever an open-top container needs to hold shape under load.
| Industry / use case | How we normally spec it |
|---|---|
| Bakery and patisserie | Cake bases, pastry trays, doughnut inserts. 350gsm with a grease-resistant coating, often with a windowed lid over the top. |
| Takeaway and food service | Hot food trays and meal bases. Food-contact grade board with a water-based barrier coating instead of PE lamination. |
| Fresh produce | Berry and tomato punnets, mushroom trays. Ventilated die-cuts in the base and walls for airflow. |
| Gift and hamper bases | Rigid tray inside a sleeve or a lidded box, holding several products in fitted compartments. |
| Retail display trays | Shelf-ready trays that arrive filled and are placed directly onto the shelf, cutting store handling time. |
| Cosmetics and multi-item sets | Compartmented tray inside a rigid box or a mailer, sized so each product sits in its own cavity. |
For food contact we now default to water-based barrier coatings rather than PE lamination. PE-coated board is difficult to repulp and is being phased out of food service in several markets.
Material Specification
Trays carry load along their rim, so caliper and coating matter more than print quality.
| 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. |
| Barrier coatings | Water-based grease and moisture barrier for food service; repulpable, unlike PE lamination. Compostable barrier grades available on request. |
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.
- Water-based barrier coating replaces PE lamination on food trays, which keeps the tray repulpable and compostable in industrial facilities.
Structure and Size Options
Trays are usually the component that gets engineered most, because the contents sit directly in them.
| Option | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Corner lock style | Interlocked corners for a glue-free build, or glued corners for maximum rigidity on heavy fills. |
| Compartments | Die-cut dividers or a formed multi-cavity base for multi-item sets and assorted food. |
| Wall height | Shallow rim for display trays, deep wall for takeaway and transport. |
| Ventilation | Die-cut vents in the base and side walls for hot food and fresh produce. |
| Lidding | Matched lid tray, a printed sleeve over the top, or a heat-sealed film lid for chilled products. |
| Board and coating | 300-400gsm, with grease-resistant, moisture-barrier or compostable coating depending on the contents. |
Tell us whether the contents are hot, wet, greasy or all three. That single answer determines the coating, and the coating determines whether the tray can go into paper recycling afterwards.
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. |
Food-contact grades and barrier coatings can extend lead time by a few days depending on board availability. We will confirm the exact stock at quotation rather than after you order.
Related Packaging
Same family - other folding carton structures
Sleeve Carton | Auto Bottom Carton | Counter Display Carton | 1-2-3 Bottom Carton
Food and gift applications
Two-Compartment Meal Boxes | Pie and Bakery Boxes | Kraft Takeaway Boxes | Rigid 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 Four Corner Tray 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 Four Corner Tray 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 Four Corner Tray Folding Carton Box for our next campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a four corner tray stronger than a normal folded tray?
The four corners interlock rather than relying on glue or tape at each corner. That keeps the rim square when the tray is filled and lifted, which is the point at which a simple glued tray distorts or pops. It matters most for hot food, wet contents and anything carried one-handed.
Can you make food safe trays without plastic coating?
Yes. We use water-based grease and moisture barrier coatings instead of PE lamination. They perform well for most food service applications and, unlike PE, the tray remains repulpable. Compostable barrier grades are available where you need certified compostability.
Do you supply a matching lid?
Three options: a matched lid tray that sits over the base, a printed sleeve that slides over the whole assembly, or a die-cut window lid for bakery. For chilled retail we can also supply a flange design suitable for heat-sealed film lidding.
Can trays be made with compartments?
Yes, either with die-cut paperboard dividers dropped into the tray or with a formed multi-cavity base cut from a single blank. The single-blank version costs more to tool but eliminates a component and assembly step, so it usually wins above a few thousand units.
What is the MOQ and lead time?
100 pcs per size and per design, with 8-12 working days production after sign-off. Food-contact board and barrier coatings occasionally add a few days depending on stock availability, which we confirm at quotation rather than afterwards.
Are these trays suitable for fresh produce?
Yes. For berries, mushrooms and tomatoes we add ventilation die-cuts to the base and side walls so moisture does not build up. Board with a moisture-resistant coating is used where the produce is washed or chilled.
