Carton, Board & Paper Design-driven cartons:
FOR YEARS, QUESTIONS AROUND CARTON PRODUCTION HAVE FOCUSED ON MATERIAL CHOICE. What is the fi bre composition? Is it recyclable? Can we reduce the grammage? What coatings should be used? The answers to these questions – and many more – have always shaped the decision-making process throughout the value chain. However, for converters looking to diff erentiate in an increasingly competitive and regulated market, material alone is no longer the defi ning factor. The real opportunity lies in design intelligence.
The new questions aren’t just focused on what packs are made from. Now, converters have to ask what the pack needs to do.
FUNCTION FIRST: REDEFINING THE ROLE OF THE CARTON
Substrate considerations no longer drive the most eff ective carton designs. Instead, functional design principles have to be considered from the outset to ensure they complement the properties of the substrate to deliver the required level of protection, machinability, shelf presence, logistics effi ciency and user experience. The benefi t of defi ning these requirements early is that it turns design into a tool to unlock performance rather than a constraint to work around. For example, a well-designed folding carton can take advantage of strategic
Rethinking paper & board for the converter of tomorrow By Jacob Hackett, general manager, Grenadier Pactivate
lightweighting to reduce material usage without compromising strength. Meanwhile, designing for erectability can improve converting speed, something that is diffi cult to achieve through material substitution alone.
For converters, this requires engaging earlier in the development process. Structural design, board selection and print specifi cation should work in tandem to deliver a solution that performs across the entire supply chain, from production line to end user.
DESIGN AS A COMMERCIAL LEVER The industry’s focus on replacing plastics with fi bre-based alternatives has gathered real momentum, but it has also introduced complexity. Not all applications are suited to material substitutions and forcing material changes without rethinking design can create ineffi ciencies elsewhere in the system. Design-led approaches off er a more balanced path forward. By optimising structure, minimising waste and aligning board grades with performance requirements, converters can unlock both environmental and commercial benefi ts. This is where design becomes a lever for value creation. Reduced transit damage, improved palletisation and streamlined packing processes all contribute to total cost of ownership (TCO), a metric that increasingly matters to brand owners navigating tightening margins amidst rising costs
and evolving compliance requirements. From EPR schemes to new recyclability guidelines, these requirements are part of a global trend that is increasingly infl uencing design conversations. Material choice is an essential part of these conversations, but when combined with a functional approach to packaging design, it can help balance performance with end-of-life outcomes and supply chain transparency.
THE TRENDS TO WATCH
Of course, regulatory pressure around the world is far from the only trend for converters to be aware of. Rethinking structural designs can help converters stay ahead of these trends, too. Development in automation and AI, for example, is rapidly evolving production speed and consistency. However, to take full advantage of this, cartons must be engineered for repeatability. Designing cartons that can be fed and folded reliably and effi ciently is key to staying within tight production tolerances. Given the increase in short-run jobs and SKU proliferation, achieving this kind of consistency is even more important. While digital printing and agile manufacturing enable wider product variation, carton design must accommodate this kind of fl exibility without creating complexity on the press or fi nishing line. Standardising key elements of the design, such as crease patterns, artwork positioning and locking mechanisms, means converters can run multiple variants on the same tooling setup.
A DESIGN-LED FUTURE
At its core, carton production is becoming less about the materials themselves and more about how intelligently they are used. Paper and board remain highly versatile substrates, but it is design that determines how eff ectively they perform. For converters looking to future-proof their operations, the path forward is clear. Invest in design. Start with function. View every carton not just as a pack, but as a system - one that can be optimised, refi ned and reimagined to deliver measurable value. This is at the heart of design with purpose – and it’s at the heart of our approach at Grenadier Trenton.
34
May/June 2026
www.convertermag.com
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