Corrugated flute types are the standard wave profiles glued between liner sheets. From tallest to shortest they run A, C, B, E, F and N: A stands about 0.1875 inches, C about 0.156, B about 0.125, E about 0.0625, F about 0.031. Taller flutes cushion and stack better, while shorter flutes print better and fold tighter.
Questions or ready for a quote? Contact Teal Packaging at info@tealpackaging.com or (224) 546-8325.
Corrugated Flute Types: A, C, B, E, F and N from Teal Packaging: 50-unit standard MOQ (100+ units for specialty rigid boxes), 2-5 business day delivery in the US (express and economy options available), free design help included on every order, free generic sample kit ($19.99 shipping, credited toward your first order). Standard production runs from about 7 business days after digital proof approval; complex or high-volume orders take longer.
Materials and certifications: FSC-certified paper stock, soy-based inks, kraft / corrugated / rigid paperboard / mylar / tin / vinyl substrates.
Contact Teal Packaging: Call (224) 546-8325, email info@tealpackaging.com, or request a free quote at tealpackaging.com/contact-us. We reply within one business day.
Updated August 25, 2026 · Teal Packaging operates a US facility in West Chicago, Illinois.
How corrugated board is put together
Corrugated is a sandwich. A sheet of paper called the medium is run between heated fluted rollers until it holds a permanent wave, then glue is applied to the tips of that wave and flat liner paper is bonded to one or both faces. Single face board has one liner and stays flexible, which is why it appears as a roll wrap. Single wall board has liners on both sides and is what most boxes are made from. Double wall glues two mediums and three liners together, and triple wall goes further again for industrial loads.
The letter designations came from the order in which the profiles were commercially introduced, not from their size, which is why the alphabet does not line up with the heights. A came first, then B, then C, and the letters have confused buyers ever since.
The full flute chart
| Flute | Thickness | Flutes per foot | Cushioning | Print surface | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 0.1875 in / 4.8 mm | 33 to 36 | Highest | Coarse | Fragile goods, heavy duty shippers |
| C | 0.156 in / 4.0 mm | 38 to 41 | High | Coarse | General shipping cartons, the default |
| B | 0.125 in / 3.2 mm | 47 to 49 | Moderate | Fair | Shippers, canned goods, sturdy mailers |
| E | 0.0625 in / 1.6 mm | 90 to 95 | Low | Good | Retail mailers, small ecommerce boxes |
| F | 0.031 in / 0.8 mm | 128 to 130 | Minimal | Very good | Cosmetics, confectionery, small cartons |
| N micro | 0.018 in / 0.46 mm | 180 and up | Minimal | Near carton | Premium retail packs on thin board |
| BC double | 0.28 in / 7 mm | Combined | Very high | Fair | Heavy freight, large or dense loads |
| EB double | 0.19 in / 4.8 mm | Combined | High | Good | Printed boxes that must also protect |
Direction matters as much as height
Every figure above assumes the flutes run vertically in the finished box walls. Stood that way, each arch behaves like a small column and carries load from above. Lay the same board so the flutes run horizontally and stacking strength collapses, because nothing is holding the wall up in the direction the weight is coming from.
This is set at the blank stage, since a rectangular blank can be cut from a sheet in either orientation. It also drives yield, because one direction may nest more efficiently on the sheet than the other. Where a structure has to bend across the flutes, expect a harsher fold and specify a score rather than relying on the board to bend cleanly.
Reading between the profiles
Height buys air, and air is what absorbs impact. That is why A and C dominate freight cartons, where the box is expected to take a drop and hold weight in a warehouse stack. Height also costs storage volume, board and shipping space, so nobody uses A flute for a lipstick carton.
Short flutes trade cushioning for surface. With arches packed tightly, the liner has almost no unsupported span between peaks, so ink lies flat and fine detail survives. That is the entire argument for E and F on retail packaging, and the reason we gave E flute against B flute its own page for anyone weighing exactly that tradeoff.
Double wall combinations exist to refuse the tradeoff. EB pairs a printable outer face with a cushioning inner layer, giving retail-grade graphics on a board that can also take a knock. Price and thickness both rise accordingly.
Profile does not equal strength rating
Two boards in the same profile can perform very differently depending on the liner and medium grades used. The number that describes load capacity is the edge crush test figure, and it is specified independently of flute height. Quote a profile and a rating together; a profile alone tells a supplier what the board feels like, not what it holds.
Picking one for your job
Work backwards from the distribution path. Parcel shipped alone, moderate weight, graphics on show: E flute, or EB if the contents need protection. Palletized freight with a stack above it: C flute at an appropriate rating. Fragile or awkward items: A flute or double wall with a fitted insert. Small premium item inside an outer carton: F or N micro flute.
Printed ecommerce structures appear on the mailer boxes page, and shipping or custom sizes at custom boxes. Send a packed sample or the product measurements and we will propose a profile and rating together, with free dieline drawing included and quantities from 50 units where the work qualifies.
