CartoNova

Welcome to CartoNova, the UK’s hub for cutting-edge carton and packaging design. From bespoke retail boxes in London boutiques to heavy-duty export cartons for Midlands manufacturers, our expert guides and case studies help you select materials, structural styles, and sustainable finishes that protect and promote your products. Explore our interactive “BoxBuilder” tool to model die-lines, fluting profiles, and strength ratings. Read independent reviews of eco-friendly substrates—FSC-certified corrugated board, recycled paperboard, compostable films—and compare cost versus performance. Whether you’re launching a new product line or optimising your supply-chain packaging, CartoNova equips you with the innovation and insights to stand out on shelf and reduce environmental impact.

Who are you?

CartoNova was founded in 2023 by packaging engineers, structural designers, and sustainability specialists who recognised a gap in accessible, high-level carton expertise for UK businesses. Our mission is to elevate packaging from a cost centre to a strategic asset—enhancing brand perception, reducing damage rates, and minimising environmental footprint.
Based in Birmingham with design studios in London and Glasgow, we serve SMEs and large enterprises across retail, e-commerce, food & beverage, and industrial sectors. Our multidisciplinary team combines experience in corrugated-board mechanics, die-cut structural engineering, graphic prepress, and lifecycle-assessment modelling. We partner with material mills, box-manufacturer co-operatives, and print houses to test new substrates, coatings, and adhesives under real-world British climate conditions—from damp warehouses in Manchester to heated showrooms in Edinburgh.
CartoNova’s content pillars are: Structural Innovation, Sustainable Materials, and Brand Impact. Under Structural Innovation, we publish in-depth tutorials on advanced flute geometries, multi-wall designs, and load-bearing simulations using FEA software. Sustainable Materials covers cradle-to-cradle assessments, compostability standards, and recycling-stream integration—ensuring your packaging aligns with UK circular-economy goals. Brand Impact explores print techniques—spot UV, cold foil, water-based inks—and unboxing experiences that drive customer loyalty.

We also offer a live “Prototype Lab” where members can upload CAD files and receive rapid 3D-printed mock-ups and digital fold-simulations. Our quarterly white papers analyse UK packaging trends—lightweighting, anti-tamper features, smart-packaging sensors—and forecast regulatory changes under the UK Plastics Packaging Tax. CartoNova is more than a resource: it’s a community of innovators shaping the future of packaging in the UK.

Our edge

  • Advanced Structural Design Tools

    CartoNova’s BoxBuilder and accompanying FEA-based simulation suite allow you to prototype and validate carton designs virtually before committing to tooling. You can adjust flute profiles (A, B, C, E-flute), board grades, and multi-panel crease placements, then run compressive strength and drop-test simulations under UK warehouse humidity profiles. Detailed output reports include safety factors, maximum stacking heights, and predicted damage rates—enabling data-driven decisions that reduce material usage by up to 25% while ensuring product protection.
  • Sustainability Benchmarking & LCA

    We provide cradle-to-grave lifecycle assessments (LCA) for dozens of common carton materials—virgin vs. recycled corrugated, coated vs. uncoated boards, bioplastic window films—using UK-specific energy grids and waste-management data. Our Sustainability Dashboard quantifies CO₂-equivalent emissions, water footprint, and end-of-life recyclability. Users can compare scenarios—e.g., switching to 100% recycled board or adopting water-soluble coatings—and instantly see environmental and cost trade-offs, supporting corporate-ESG reporting and compliance with UK Plastics Packaging Tax exemptions.
  • Rapid Prototyping & Physical Testing

    Our Prototype Lab service transforms your digital die-lines into real-world mock-ups within 48 hours. We use high-resolution laser cutting and FDM 3D printing to produce accurate scale models for fit-and-function checks. Physical drop, vibration, and compression testing in our London facility validate virtual simulations. Detailed test reports document failure modes and recommend reinforcements. This iterative cycle—design, prototype, test—accelerates development timelines and reduces costly re-tooling on the production floor.
  • Brand-Centric Print & Finish Expertise

    Beyond structure, CartoNova helps you craft compelling brand experiences through print and finishing techniques tailored to UK market tastes. Our Graphic Studio guides cover registration-perfect dieline layout, spot-UV application on kraft board, eco-friendly UV-LED varnishes, and metallic cold-foil accents. We detail substrate-ink adhesion tests, drying-time optimisation, and colour-management workflows compliant with ISO 12647-2. Unboxing-experience case studies demonstrate how tactile liners, custom tissue wraps, and integrated brand storytelling boost customer satisfaction and social-media engagement.

  • Supply-Chain Integration & Cost Optimisation

    We offer best-practice guides on integrating carton specifications into ERP and warehouse-management systems. Our API-ready specification templates ensure that box dimensions, board grades, and print files flow seamlessly from design to order-management to 3PL execution. Cost-model calculators incorporate material, tooling amortisation, printing, and transport charges—enabling you to compare regional UK converters, negotiate volume discounts, and identify zone-skipping opportunities for distribution hubs.
  • Regulatory & Compliance Support

    CartoNova keeps you ahead of evolving UK packaging regulations—UK Packaging Waste Regulations, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements, Plastics Packaging Tax. We provide compliance checklists, template declarations, and step-by-step guidance on registering with environmental agencies. Our legal-reviewed white papers interpret upcoming changes, such as recycled-content mandates, helping you adapt designs and supply-chains proactively.
Our solutions
Bespoke Structural Design Consultancy
Our engineers deliver custom carton structures optimised for your product geometry, fragility profile, and logistics constraints. Starting with product and drop-shock analysis, we develop die-lines, perform FEA simulations, and iterate prototypes. Deliverables include CAD files, structural test reports, and manufacturing-ready tooling specifications.
Material Selection & LCA Reporting
We guide you through substrate choices—virgin vs. recycled board, barrier coatings, compostable films—and produce bespoke LCA reports aligned with GHG-Protocol and PAS 2050 standards. These reports support sustainability claims, EPR submissions, and ESG disclosures.
Rapid Prototype & Testing Lab
Our London lab converts digital designs into physical prototypes via laser-cut board, 3D-printed inserts, and small-batch runs. We conduct ISTA-compliant drop, vibration, and compression tests, delivering annotated videos and technical reports.
Print Prepress & Graphic Services
Our in-house graphic team handles artwork preparation, colour separation, proofing, and plate-making for flexo, offset, or digital print. We supply press-ready PDFs and manage print-run supervision at UK partner facilities.
Supply-Chain Integration & API
We implement API connectors between your design database and packaging suppliers’ ERP/WMS systems. Real-time quoting, order placement, and status tracking automate the entire packaging procurement workflow.
Training & Workshops
We deliver on-site and virtual training—Structural Design Principles, Sustainability Analytics, Print & Finishing Techniques—to packaging, brand, and procurement teams. Participants earn CartoNova Certification, equipping them to manage packaging projects in-house.

Contact

Address:

Argyle St, Glasgow G3 8AG, United Kingdom

Email:

cartonova@live.com

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