| Carton is the name of certain objects | | | | Exceptions to this rule are irregularly |
| typically made from the material | | | | shaped products, like televisions, in |
| cardboard, the word's original (French) | | | | which case styrofoam inserts are used to |
| meaning. | | | | standardize the shape. |
| Artistic design | | | | Materials |
| In art history, the carton (pronounced | | | | Despite the name, cartons can be made |
| the French way) was a drawing on | | | | from many materials, and in fact are |
| ordinary cardboard, used as life-size | | | | often a composite. |
| design for the manufacture in an atelier | | | | Most common is the familiar corrugated |
| of a valuable tapissery, such as a | | | | cardboard, made by folding cardboard |
| gobelin. During the weaving it hung | | | | into a rough semblance of a sine wave, |
| behind the tapissery in the making, a | | | | and then pressing it between two more |
| time-consuming process thus in a | | | | pieces of cardboard. Because of the |
| creative sense simplified to | | | | triangular shape of the cavities, the |
| 'mechanical' painting-by-numbers. | | | | addition of corrugation greatly |
| As these were extremely valuable, often | | | | increases the strength of the container. |
| commanded by the very richest | | | | Often, cartons are made out of a single |
| art-buyers, including princes who hung | | | | piece of cardboard, when the strength of |
| them in their palaces and even took them | | | | corrugated cardboard isn't needed. Quite |
| on their travels as prestigious displays | | | | often this cardboard is waxed to form a |
| of wealth, often with a visual message, | | | | moisture barrier. This may serve to |
| especially the world-famous Flemish | | | | contain a liquid product or keep a |
| ateliers were deemed worthy to have | | | | powder dry. |
| cartons made by some of the greatest | | | | Plastics are another common packaging |
| graphic artists of the time, including | | | | material since they can be molded in to |
| such celebrated painters as Rubens. | | | | a container of almost any shape. |
| Packaging cartons | | | | Content |
| Types of cartons | | | | A wide variety of products, mainly |
| A carton is a type of packaging, | | | | foods, are sold in cartons. The |
| generally for food. They come in many | | | | following are a few examples: |
| different shapes; milk cartons are | | | | Labeling |
| upright boxes with spouts, egg cartons | | | | The labels on cartons generally contain |
| are long boxes with cups to hold the | | | | information. Much of this information is |
| eggs upright. | | | | considered useful by many people, |
| Egg cartons or trays are designed to | | | | because it is very informative. For |
| protect eggs while in transit. There are | | | | example, many labels have featured the |
| three types of raw materials which are | | | | following: |
| used in the manufacture of egg cartons: | | | | label - indicative of the name, contents |
| recycled paper, styrofoam and, more | | | | and producer of the carton. |
| recently, PET. | | | | nutritional information |
| In North America, the three largest | | | | contact instructions - how to contact |
| producers of egg cartons are CKF Inc., | | | | the manufacturer in a complicated way |
| Hartmann North America and Pactiv | | | | involving hand-drawn facsimiles. |
| Corporation. | | | | ingredients - exposes the public to |
| Packaging history | | | | terms like propylene glycol for the |
| An early American packaging industry | | | | first time. |
| pioneer was the Kieckhefer Container | | | | contests - again, hand drawn facsimiles |
| Company, which was run by John W. | | | | are involved. Self-addressed stamped |
| Kieckhefer. The company excelled in the | | | | envelopes are also often required. |
| use of fibre shipping containers, which | | | | Faces of missing children |
| especially included the paper milk | | | | Beginning in the 1980s, milk cartons in |
| carton. In 1957, through an exchange of | | | | the United States had faces of missing |
| stock, the Kieckhefer Conatiner Co. | | | | children printed on them with headlines |
| holdings were merged with the | | | | such as "Have you seen me?" and |
| Weyerhauser Timber Company of Tacoma, | | | | descriptions of the children. The hope |
| Washington. | | | | was that these photos would lead to the |
| Shape | | | | recovery of the children, and over 1,400 |
| Although quite often shaped like a | | | | children were found as a direct result |
| cuboid, it is not uncommon to find | | | | of this campaign. |
| cartons lacking right angles and | | | | Carton-pierre |
| straight edges, as in squrounds used for | | | | Under the French name of carton pierre |
| ice cream. The number of corners on any | | | | ('stone carton') a substance which is |
| given carton is a function of the | | | | essentially papier mâché |
| product it contains. For example, a | | | | is also largely employed as a substitute |
| product with eight vertices would | | | | for plaster in the moulded ornaments of |
| require a box also with eight corners. | | | | roofs and walls. |