Carton product design rules

Rule 001 — Apply glue to the incoming part’s contact feature

Requirement: Apply glue to the defined contact face on the piece you are about to install, normally its own fold-out flap. Bring that piece to the dry assembly and align it using the part edges and folds. Do not ask the builder to guess a glue location on a plain floor, wall, or roof.

Design check: The incoming cut pattern must contain the flap or a clearly defined bonding face. Generate the highlighted glue area from that same feature and show the correct side of the incoming piece by itself. Keep glue application and placement as two separate steps. Do not highlight the stationary part as the glue target.

Example: For the Dog House wall, coat the foot flaps on the loose wall, fold them, then stand the wall on the floor. For the roof, coat the flaps on the loose roof panel, then fold them down against the end walls.

Rule 002 — Start the 3D guide with an exploded view

Keep a short product overview above the 3D guide: material and thickness, part count, print-sheet count, and a picture of the assembled product. Make the exploded view the first entry in the 3D sequence, before the numbered assembly steps. It must show all parts and stay accessible from any step. Keep rotation available so the builder can identify each part.

Rule 003 — Use two structural joint types

Use a folded glue flap for permanent assembly and a folding T-tab cut into the panel for glue-free assembly. Keep loose keys and wedges out of the assembly kit. In the dry joint, provide clearance for the folded wings and leave room on the far side of the receiving slot to open them.

Rule 004 — Keep printed part identifiers with the cut piece

Place the part ID and name inside the material so they remain visible after the template is cut out. Keep the text clear of openings, cut edges, score lines, and orientation marks. Keep copy instructions aligned with the part ID.