How Paper Boxes Are Made / A practical and instructive book telling how the beginner may manufacture all kinds of paper boxes, with special chapters on the printing department for paper box plants, embossing, gold-leafing, label work, etc.

by Robert F. Salade

All paper boxes of this class are made on the plain, set-up pattern, the lids extending down over the sides. For example, a garter box is made from one piece of light-weight boxboard, cornered, stayed and covered with white glazed paper, while the lid is covered with a printed or lithographed wrapper inscribed with the particular name of the garter. We refer to the well-known brands of men’s garters. Many of these garter boxes contain holiday wrappers (for Christmas gifts) handsomely done in bright colors, and the lids have thumb-holes at two sides so that they may be easily lifted.

Many garter, suspender, necktie and collar button boxes are fitted with cut-out inserts for holding the contents attractively. These cut-outs are of light-weight folding cardboard and are produced on cutting and creasing presses.

Suspender, handkerchief and necktie boxes are often covered with fancy colored wrappers suitable for the holiday trade. The designs on the wrappers are printed or lithographed, and are usually applied to the lids of the boxes with the aid of wrapping machines. Some are loose-wrapped, others are tight-wrapped. Not a few fine handkerchief boxes are covered with colored or embossed paper, and hand-painted designs appear on the lids. The stock for handkerchief, necktie and suspender boxes is usually lined with plain white paper before being made up. There is an increasing demand for better quality boxes of this variety.

CIGARETTE BOXES.

Numerous brands of cigarettes of the better quality are packed in paper boxes of the set-up style, and the lids in most cases are hinged to the boxes, the hinge being formed of tape or linen. Cigarette boxes of this type are usually made of light-weight boxboard, and are equipped with shoulders. The inner side of the boxboard is lined with white paper, and the stock is then scored and cut so as to form long, oblong strips after being folded and stayed. The strips are then “chopped” up into small sections of the essential sizes to make the sides for the boxes and lids. The shoulders for the boxes are made in the same way. The blanks for the bottoms of the boxes and for the tops of the lids are cut to size on a rotary cutting machine, although it is possible to cut the blanks, from small piles of full-size sheets, on a regular paper cutting machine, but for the sake of accuracy blanks of this kind should be produced on a rotary cutter.

After the top and bottom pieces have been inserted, the boxes and lids are covered with white or colored glazed paper. The shoulders, or necks, are then put in the boxes. Printed or lithographed labels are put on the inside as well as on the outside of the lids.

When the boxes are to be hinged, the hinging material is applied to the box and lid, on the inner sides, before the shoulder pieces are set in the boxes.

Many cigarette boxes (not folding boxes) are made on the same plan as the larger size set-up boxes, the box and lid being cut from single pieces of cardboard; creased, cornered, folded and stayed in the usual manner, but when boxes that are made this way have shoulders, the register of the box and lid is not as accurate as in the case of the box and lid being made from long folded sections.

STOCKING BOXES.

Great quantities of paper boxes are continually being consumed in the stocking industry for packing the stockings in convenient lots for the trade. The average box contains half a dozen pairs of hose, or stockings, and often the retail dealer gives the box to the buyer of half a dozen pairs, which means that a box of this kind should be of good quality and attractive to some extent.