If you have ever ordered a document, whether it was a certificate, a poster, or blueprints, it probably shipped in a cardboard cylinder. These tubes are something we have all encountered, but are they really the most efficient way to send our most important documents? Let’s look a little closer at some of the flaws (and strengths) of this tried and true system.
Tubes Squash
Document tubes are pretty durable. A cylinder is one of the strongest shapes for bearing weight, as long as that weight is applied on the ends. These tubes do an adequate job of protecting our rolled-up documents, as long as no weight is applied on the side. Tubes are not very resistant to squishing from the side at all. This means that a dropped package, an errant step, or accidentally sitting on it can crease and wrinkle your document—exactly what you don’t want to happen if you are sending something in a tube. In addition, the plastic end caps pop off and get lost.
Tubes Roll
The accidents mentioned before might seem ridiculous, but they speak to another issue with round document tubes. They are round. Round things roll. That feature is wonderful when the round thing is the wheel of your car or a ball bearing in an engine. It is not as desired in anything that is going to be holding important delicate paperwork. You lay the document on a desk, and a quick bump later it is rolling across the floor and out the door like the meatball in a campfire song.
Tubes are Frustrating
Another relatively minor flaw in document tubes is that it can be difficult to get certain types of paper in and out of them. Rolling and sliding, only to realize it was rolled too big, but now it is stuck and you have to force it out to reroll it smaller. All this while hoping you don’t smudge or wrinkle your document while putting it into the sleeve that is supposed to be protecting it.
Back to our original question: What are triangular shipping boxes used for? Triangular boxes replace cylindrical document tubes.
The multiple corners give compressive strength in every direction, making it much less likely to box is crushed and bends your document. Even more importantly, triangles are not known for how well they roll. A triangle box placed on your doorstep by the mailman will still be there when you get home, instead of rolling down the block when the wind blows it. A triangle box placed on a desk stays on a desk. A shelf full of triangle boxes will be full instead of half-dead space between sleeves.
Instead of relying on a plastic disc to cover each end of the tube, Triangle boxes are completely made of corrugated material and are reclosable. They open along one of the long sides, si instead of sliding a roll of paper in and out lengthwise, you can just place it in the box or take it out.
Another fantastic advantage of triangle boxes is that they have multiple flat sides instead of a generic round surface. This means that you can put your branding or anything else you want on the flat sides. This can really make an impression. If you are a design firm sending documents to potential clients, how impressive is it to send them in a box that stands out, that shows you have thought about how they will use the document instead of just finding a generic sleeve to send it in.
If you are in the business of sending documents, you should consider upgrading to triangular boxes today.
