A Complete Glossary of Common Packaging Industry Terms, Quick Start Guide for Beginners

The Necessity of Learning Packaging Terminology

The packaging industry is terminology-dense. New hires, communication with suppliers, and reading product specifications often get stuck. Getting one term wrong may lead to file format errors, print color deviation, or incorrect material selection.

This article organizes 50 high-frequency terms across eight dimensions: box type, material, printing, process, labeling, compliance, and others. Each entry includes a standard definition, industry alias, and usage scenario. Once you master these, you can cover 90% of daily communication scenarios.

Box Type Terminology

Telescope Box (Top and Bottom Lid): A box type where the top lid and bottom base are separated, with the top lid fitting over the outside of the bottom base. Commonly used for gift boxes and cosmetic boxes. Common alternative names: Two-Piece Box, Top-and-Bottom Box.

Mailer Box: A small cardboard box formed by die-cutting and creasing a single piece of cardboard, then folded. Commonly used for e-commerce shipping. Common alternative names: Postal Box, One-Piece Box, Mailer Box.

Book-Style Box: A box type that opens like a book, with the box body fixed to the inside of the cover. Mostly used for high-end gift boxes and gift packaging.

Drawer Box: A box type where the inner box slides into the outer sleeve from one side. Common alternative names: Sliding Box, Sleeve Box.

Hinged Lid Box: A box where the lid and box body are connected by a hinge, opened by flipping up. Common alternative names: Hinge Box.

Material Terminology

White Cardboard (Bai Ka Zhi): Cardboard with a white, smooth surface and excellent printing results. Common basis weight: 200–400 g. Alternative names: White Paperboard. Avoid confusion with "Whiteboard Paper."

Grey Chipboard (Hui Ban Zhi): Thick cardboard made from recycled paper with high rigidity. Common thickness: 0.8–3.0 mm. Alternative names: Grey Paperboard, Grey-Backed White Board. Commonly used as the baseboard of gift boxes.

Coated Paper (Tong Ban Zhi): Paper with a coated surface for superior color reproduction. Common basis weight: 80–300 g, available in glossy (gloss) and matte finishes.

Corrugated Paper (Wa Leng Zhi): A board-shaped material made by bonding liner paper, corrugated medium, and inner liner. Classified by flute type: E-flute (approx. 1.5 mm), B-flute (approx. 3.0 mm), C-flute (approx. 4.0 mm).

Kraft Paper (Niu Pi Zhi): High-strength paper in natural (yellow) or white color. Strong eco-friendly feel, commonly used for hand-held bags and courier bags.

Specialty Paper (Te Zhong Zhi): A collective term for art paper, textured paper, and embossed paper. Unique texture, mostly used as face paper for high-end gift boxes.

Printing Terminology

Digital Printing: Electronic files are output directly to the substrate without the need for plate making. It supports small batch and variable data printing, and is the core process for orders starting from 10 pieces. Common alias: Digital Printing.

Offset Printing: A planographic printing method based on the principle that oil and water are immiscible. Common alias: Offset Lithography. Suitable for large-batch color printing.

Screen Printing: A printing method that uses a squeegee to push ink through a screen mesh. Common aliases: Silk Screen Printing, Screen Printing. Suitable for special inks (metallic, fluorescent) and thick ink layer effects.

Spot Color: A pre-mixed specific color ink, with Pantone being the common brand. Suitable for scenarios requiring high brand color consistency.

Four-Color Printing: Overlay printing using four standard colors: Cyan C, Magenta M, Yellow Y, and Black K. Common aliases: CMYK, Color Printing, Full Color.

Craft Terminology

Hot Foil Stamping: Transfers metallic foil onto the substrate surface through heat and pressure. Common aliases: foil stamping, anodized aluminum foil hot stamping. Can produce gold, silver, colored, holographic, and other effects.

Spot UV: Applies UV varnish to specific areas, which is then cured by ultraviolet light to create a glossy effect. Common alias: Spot UV. Often combined with a matte base color to create contrast.

Embossing: Uses a die to create a raised three-dimensional effect on paper. Common aliases: embossing/debossing, relief.

Lamination: Covers the printed surface with a plastic film. Common aliases: coating, film application. Available in three types: glossy film, matte film, and tactile film.

Die Cutting: Uses a steel-rule die to cut the material into the desired shape and crease lines. Common aliases: blanking, die board.

Label Terminology

Self-adhesive label: A label with a three-layer structure consisting of face stock, adhesive, and liner. Also commonly known as: pressure-sensitive label. "Sticker" is a colloquial term; the standard term in formal contexts is self-adhesive label.

RFID label: A label with a built-in radio frequency identification chip that can be read without contact. Commonly used for logistics tracking and anti-counterfeiting.

Variable data printing: A printing method where the content of each printed piece can be different. Commonly seen with batch numbers, serial numbers, and anti-counterfeiting codes.

Anti-counterfeiting label: A special label used to prevent products from being counterfeited. Common processes include QR codes, laser labels, and thermochromic ink.

Compliance Terminology

GB 4806: China's mandatory standard series for food contact materials. 4806.7 covers plastics, 4806.8 covers paper and paperboard, 4806.9 covers metals.

GB 23350: Requirements for restricting excessive packaging of goods, mandating packaging layer counts and void ratios for food and cosmetics.

FDA: U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Food contact materials exported to the U.S. must comply with FDA standards.

RoHS: EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, restricting lead, mercury, cadmium, and other substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

REACH: EU Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals.

FSC: Forest Stewardship Council certification, proving that paper raw materials come from sustainably managed forests.

Other Common Terminology

Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ): The minimum quantity a supplier accepts per order. Common alternatives: MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity).

Sample Making: Producing samples before mass production for confirmation. Common alternatives: sample production, sample preparation.

Post-Processing: Processes after printing such as die-cutting, hot stamping, lamination, and box gluing. Common alternatives: post-processing, finishing.

Box Gluing: Folding and gluing die-cut and creased cardboard into shape. Common alternatives: box gluing, box assembly.

Color Difference: The deviation between the color of a printed product and the standard color. Usually measured by ΔE value, with ΔE<2 considered acceptable.

Registration: Precise alignment of each color plate in multi-color printing. Registration deviation is generally controlled within 0.1-0.2mm.

Bleed: The portion of a print file that goes beyond the trim edge, typically 3mm. Prevents white edges from showing due to cutting deviation.

Sample Fee: The cost of making samples before mass production. Digital proofing typically costs 50-200 yuan, while traditional proofing costs 200-500 yuan.

Die-Cutting Plate: A steel blade mold used for die-cutting. Common alternatives: cutting plate, die-cutting plate.

Box-Gluing Adhesive: Glue used to bond paper boxes, including hot melt adhesive, white latex, and PVA. Food packaging requires food-grade adhesive.

Learning Suggestions

For beginners, it is recommended to follow a three-step approach: master the basic terminology of box types and materials in the first week, become familiar with printing and process terminology in the second week, and learn about labels and compliance terminology in the third week. Pair each term with a physical sample or image to reinforce understanding.

On the practical side, it is recommended to directly read product specification sheets (BOM) and process documents, and look up any unfamiliar terms immediately. After three months of this approach, you will be able to independently communicate with suppliers.

Terminology does not exist in isolation; there are connections between terms. For example, the combination of "greyboard" + "lid-and-base box" + "hot stamping" + "embossing" represents a common solution for mid-to-high-end gift boxes. Terminology + scenario = industry insight.