Cardboard, Corrugated & Prototyping

Cardboard is laser-friendly, cheap, and perfect for prototyping product packaging, mockups, model-making, and short-run packaging. Most underrated CO2 material.

Types of cardboard

Type	Thickness	Uses
Cardstock (250-350gsm)	~0.3-0.5mm	Cards, packaging insert, paper-craft
Chipboard	1-3mm	Book covers, model-making, structural
Corrugated (E-flute)	~1.5mm	Light packaging, gift boxes
Corrugated (B-flute)	~3mm	Standard shipping boxes, displays
Corrugated (C-flute)	~4mm	Heavy-duty shipping
Double-wall corrugated	7-9mm	Industrial packaging, large displays

Cutting settings

Material	Speed	Power	Air
Cardstock 250-350gsm	100 mm/s	20%	None
Chipboard 1mm	40 mm/s	35%	Low
Chipboard 2mm	25 mm/s	55%	Low
E-flute corrugated	60 mm/s	35%	Low
B-flute corrugated	35 mm/s	55%	Low-medium
C-flute corrugated	25 mm/s	70%	Medium

Scoring vs cutting

Scoring (partial cut for fold lines) is critical for box and packaging design:

• Score line settings: 300-400 mm/s, 8-15% power. Single pass. Material remains attached but folds cleanly along the score.
• Perforation (Lightburn Line mode → Perforation): for tear-away tabs. Set on/off lengths.
• Light engrave fold lines alternative: 400 mm/s, 5% power, 2-3 passes. Slightly visible but folds cleanly.

Box / packaging prototyping workflow

1. Design unfolded box flat in Lightburn or vector software (Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape).
2. Vector outline = cut path.
3. Internal fold lines = score path on a separate layer with Score settings.
4. Engrave area for branding = Image or Fill on a third layer.
5. Run order: engrave (if any) → score → cut. Set in Optimization Settings → Order By Layer.
6. Fold along score lines; assemble.

Use cases

• Product prototyping: mock up packaging concepts before committing to die-cut tooling. Iterate in hours.
• Wedding favor boxes: bulk runs of 50-200, custom monograms. $4-8 each.
• Display structures: countertop displays, point-of-purchase props.
• Architectural models: laser-cut chipboard at scale.
• Educational / STEM kits: cardboard mechanisms, gears, demonstrations.
• Greeting cards: cut + score + engrave in one workflow.
• Custom shipping boxes: small-batch branded packaging for boutique products.

Common pitfalls

• Burning during cuts. Lower power, increase speed, add air assist. Cardboard burns easily.
• Yellow staining around cuts. Power too high or speed too slow. Reduce both.
• Score lines too deep, material breaks instead of folding. Drop power on score layer to ~10%.
• Inconsistent cuts on corrugated. The flute internal structure varies; some areas cut faster than others. Run multiple low-power passes instead of one aggressive pass.