Straight Tuck End Folding Carton | STE Cosmetic & Pharma Cartons, MOQ 100
- Material: 300-400gsm SBS / FBB / CCNB / kraft board, or E-flute laminate
- Structure: Straight tuck end, both flaps hinged from the back panel, seam-free front
- MOQ: 100 pcs
- Lead time: 8-12 working days | Free dieline
Straight tuck end (STE) folding cartons with a clean seam-free front face for skincare, pharma and personal care. 300-400gsm SBS, FBB, CCNB or kraft board. MOQ 100 pcs, free dieline, 8-12 day production.
Our Advantages
No Die and Plate Charges For Digital Samples
High quality printing
Quick Turn Around
Starting from 100pcs
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 Straight Tuck End (STE) Carton?
A straight tuck end carton is a folding carton where the top and bottom tuck flaps fold in from the same panel - both hinge off the back panel and tuck toward the front. The result is a completely clean front face with no visible flap edge, which is why it is the default structure for cosmetics, skincare and any product where the front of the box is the shelf face.
The trade-off against a reverse tuck end is board usage. Because both flaps hinge from the same panel, the dieline nests less efficiently and consumes slightly more sheet - typically 3-6% more material for the same finished size. Brands accept that cost because the STE closes squarely, sits flat against a shelf and hides the tuck slit at the back where the consumer never looks.
STE cartons are supplied flat and glued on one side seam. They pop open by hand in about two seconds and can be run on an automatic cartoner at speed, so they work equally well for a 100-piece launch run and a 100,000-piece contract fill.
Which Industries Use This Box, and How It Is Specified
This is a structure defined by where the seam falls, not by what goes inside it. Different sectors specify it very differently.
| Industry / use case | How we normally spec it |
|---|---|
| Skincare and cosmetics | Serum droppers, cream jars, cushion compacts. 350gsm SBS, soft-touch matte laminate with spot UV or foil on the logo, plus a die-cut paperboard fitment to stop a glass bottle rattling. |
| Pharma and supplements | 300-350gsm FBB, braille embossing, tamper-evident tuck locks and a variable-data batch/expiry panel. Ink must be low-migration. |
| Personal care and toiletries | Toothpaste and cream tubes. 300gsm CCNB is enough because print coverage is heavy and the reverse of the board is never seen. |
| Electronics accessories | Cables, chargers, earbuds. 350-400gsm with a hang hole or euro-slot punched into the top tuck for peg display. |
| Confectionery and snacks | 300gsm SBS with an inner grease-resistant liner, or a direct food-contact grade board when the product touches the carton. |
| Candles and home fragrance | 400gsm board or E-flute laminate, because the weight of a filled glass jar will bow a thinner carton on a shelf. |
If you are unsure between this and a reverse tuck, the deciding question is simple: does the front of your box have to be perfectly clean? If yes, choose STE. If cost per unit matters more than the front face, see the reverse tuck end carton.
Material Specification
A folding carton is a single-ply board structure. It is not built on greyboard - greyboard belongs to rigid boxes and will crack if you try to fold it. These are the stocks we actually quote.
| 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
Everything below is drawn onto the free dieline before you commit to production.
| Option | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Tuck lock style | Slit lock for a secure retail close, friction lock for easy repeat opening, or a tamper-evident lock for pharma and supplements. |
| Dust flaps | Standard dust flaps keep the contents sealed; extended dust flaps add rigidity for heavier fills. |
| Window patching | Die-cut aperture with PET, PLA or cellulose acetate film. PLA and cellulose are compostable alternatives to PET. |
| Hang hole | Round, euro-slot or delta-slot, punched into the top tuck panel for peg display. |
| Inner fitment | Die-cut paperboard tray, corrugated insert or moulded pulp cavity sized to the product. |
| Size range | From roughly 25x25x50mm up to 300x200x400mm on a single dieline. Anything larger moves to E-flute laminate. |
Board thickness caliper matters more than gsm alone. Two 350gsm boards from different mills can differ by 15% in stiffness, so we quote a specific mill grade rather than just a weight.
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. |
Digital printing is what makes a 100-piece MOQ realistic on this structure. Offset needs plates and make-ready, which only pays back above roughly 2,000 pieces - we will tell you which side of that line your run sits on before you order.
Related Packaging
Same family - other folding carton structures
Reverse Tuck End Carton | Auto Bottom Carton | 1-2-3 Bottom Carton | Sleeve Carton
Built on this structure for a specific industry
Lipstick Cartons | Foundation Cartons | Pharmaceutical Cartons | Tea Cartons
Surface Choice
Our Guangzhou custom packaging factory runs four-color offset printing, automatic lamination, die-cutting and rigid box assembly on one floor. In-house production keeps lead times short and print color consistent from the first sample to full volume. Buyers are welcome to request a video tour or a factory audit before placing an order.
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 Straight Tuck End 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 Straight Tuck End 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 Straight Tuck End Folding Carton Box for our next campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a straight tuck end and a reverse tuck end carton?
On a straight tuck end both flaps hinge from the same panel and tuck the same direction, leaving the front face completely clean. On a reverse tuck end the flaps hinge from opposite panels, which nests better on the sheet and saves 3-6% board, but leaves a visible tuck slit on the front. Choose STE when the front is the shelf face, RTE when unit cost is the priority.
What board weight should I use for a straight tuck end carton?
300gsm suits light contents such as sachets and small tubes. 350gsm is the standard for skincare and supplement cartons and is what we quote by default. 400gsm or E-flute laminate is used for filled glass jars, candles and anything over roughly 500g, where a thinner board will bow on the shelf.
Can you put a window in a straight tuck end box?
Yes. We die-cut the aperture and patch it with film. PET is the standard, but PLA and cellulose acetate are available if you need the window to be compostable. Keep the window at least 6mm away from any fold line, otherwise the patch creases when the carton is erected.
Is a folding carton recyclable?
A plain carton finished with aqueous varnish is fully kerbside recyclable. What breaks recyclability is BOPP film lamination, heavy metallised foil coverage and PET window patches. If recyclability is the priority we specify aqueous varnish, keep foil to a small logo area and use a compostable window film.
What is your minimum order quantity and do you charge for the dieline?
MOQ is 100 pcs per size and per design. The dieline is free - we send a print-ready structural template to your designer before you place any order, so your artwork is laid out correctly from the start. There is no template fee and no setup charge for the dieline.
Do straight tuck end cartons work on automatic filling lines?
Yes. They are supplied flat with a glued side seam and erect on a standard cartoner. If you are running an automated line, tell us the machine model and we will hold the tuck flap tolerance and the crease profile to suit it, because a lock that is 0.5mm too tight will jam a high-speed feeder.
