How Board Weight Changes Your Thumb-Cut Design
The majority of people create a thumb-cut and copy it across all of their designs. That is until you change your Board. Then that perfect cut begins to tear, feel sharp or will barely cut at all. A thumb cut needs to change the Board weight quietly. Let’s see how it impacts your design, and what changes you should make.
How much weight the board will have when finished.
Board weight is the thickness and weight of your material. It is typically measured in GSM (grams per square meter) or by caliper (thickness).
The higher the number the thicker and stiffer the board. The smaller the number, the more thin and flexible the stock will be. Both extremes have an impact on the way a cut will perform in a customer’s hands.
Board weight has an impact on packaging via:
- Rigidity (deflection) of the panel.
- Edge quality of board that has been cut.
- Reusability: its ability to be used repeatedly.
Board can be easily thought of as a cost decision only. In reality, it alters the way your design needs to operate.
Thin Board Tears at the Cut
Begin with the most frequent failure. Thin, light board = weak point right off the bat is a thumb-cut.
Thin stock has less fiber depth to resist tearing. Apply pressure to the cut edge several times and the board will fray, then split and then will run a tear down the panel. The curve is initially clean, but after a few openings it turns into a ragged hole.
Thin boards have difficulties with:
- Exposed cut edge with frays.
- Tears with repeated pushing.
- Bends rather than maintains form.
If lighter stock is to be used, make the cut shallow and position it far from folds. The Boxes on lighter boards require a more conservative cut than most would expect.
Thick Board is thick and feels different!
Now, the other problem. Heavy board has a cut that looks nice, but it has its own problems.
Very thick stock results in a cut edge that has real depth. This edge can either be sharp or rough on the thumb, particularly if there is a poor cut quality. The thick board is also stiffer, so the contents may not push out as easily, which is part of the reason it’s not very useful.
Thick board poses other challenges:
- A more precise and deeper cut edge.
- More resistance when pushing.
- More rigidity in the panel.
The remedy is typically a slightly bigger and smoother cut. The additional stiffness is offset by more space for the thumb. This is why Custom Thumb-cut boxes are specified around the board they will be made from, rather than reusing one cut shape across every stock.
Cut size should grow to the size of board:
The practical rule which is derived from all this is this. Do not maintain rigid board dimensions.
If the board is thin, do not make it too deep or wide to retain as much strength as possible. It is okay to have a little more of an opening on thicker board, and you may need an opening to compensate for the increased stiffness on some thick board. If there is a cut on both, then at least one will under-perform.
Scale your cut by:
- Lightening up the depth on lighter board.
- Allowing more width on heavier board.
- Testing to see how the stock feels on the handle.
A design file will not inform you of a cut’s feel. Can only be demonstrated with a physical sample of the real board.
Placement Matters More on Thin Board
The higher the placement rules get tighter as the board gets lighter. A cut close to a fold is not advisable on strong stock. On thin stock it is pretty much a guaranteed failure.
The easiest places to get a leak in a box to happen are at the folds and the glued seams. Tear line: Remove material there on lightweight board. The first time real pressure is applied, the board will be divided in half the crease.
If making cuts, reserve these for lighter boards:
- Far away from all fold lines.
- Out of glued seams.
- Focused in solid panel region.
Heavier board provides you with room to get it wrong. Lighter board provides you with close to nothing.
Match Board with How the Box is Used
The correct board weight will be determined by the actual use of the box. The starting point of this decision should be here.
Recycled boxes of lighter stock may be used with the box opened once. A box which is opened over and over again, or stored in the shop, requires heavier board, which will withstand use. When specifying Boxes for reusable packaging, the repeated opening and handling should be taken into consideration, not the initial opening.
Select board according to:
- How much it will be used.
- Whether it ships alone, or is protected.
- The contents’ weight.
It’s when you use board for the first open that brands get boxes that they end up losing.
They can also influence the cut quality if the board is improperly cut.
One other piece of information is important.
Certain cuts of board will crisp and have a smooth edge. Cheaper or more fibrous stock can leave a fuzzy edge which is unfinished and rough. That difference is going to be felt and felt by your customer, although they may never be aware of why the box feels cheap.
The quality of the cut is affected by:
- The quality of the fibre used in the board.
- Coating on the surface.
- How clean it cuts the die cuts.
Good board has a sharp edge. Even the best-cut design will fail to produce good board frays when they are poorly made.
Final Thoughts
Board weight isn’t a cost line. It alters the shape of your thumb that you need to use to work.
Thin board requires small, shallow cuts that are well away from any fold; the board is not strong enough to tear. On thick board, cut quality will be more important for comfort and allow for a slightly larger opening, as a deeper edge will be experienced. Do not apply the same cut dimensions to different stocks and assume that they will be the same.
Most importantly, define your board by the actual usage – how often it will be opened. The best option is to select the Board and the Cut simultaneously, when designing Custom thumb-cut Boxes. Pair it correctly, and your cut remains clean, comfortable and intact throughout the life of the box.