Custom Product Boxes
Custom product boxes cut to your item and printed with your brand, from 100. Tuck-end or crash-lock, window or not, on the board your product needs — the dieline and the price come back the same working day.
The plain word for the box most products live in
- Board
- 14–24pt folding boxboard, coated white or kraft
- Builds
- Straight and reverse tuck, crash-lock, seal end
- Sizing
- Cut to product plus 2–3 mm; sample before print
Get a price for Product Boxes
Send the size and quantity — we reply the same working day with a price, a dieline and a date. Artwork optional at this stage.
- Free dielineThe flat drawing comes with the quote, before you commit.
- Proof before pressNothing is printed until you have seen it laid on the dieline.
- Die kept for reordersTooling is paid once. Every reorder skips straight to press.
- Quoted in four marketsUS, UK, Canada and Australia, in the delivery currency.
Tuck end, crash lock, or seal end
Under about 300 g a tuck end. Over that, or on a filling line, crash-lock. Seal end only if you are gluing on a machine.
| Straight tuck end | Both flaps tuck the same way; the standard light carton |
|---|---|
| Reverse tuck end | Flaps tuck opposite ways; the box stands closed better |
| Crash-lock (auto-bottom) | Base locks as the box opens; fast to fill, holds weight |
| Seal end | Glued top and bottom on a line; cereal-box style, tamper-evident |
Board thickness follows the product weight
14–16pt for light goods like cosmetics and tea; 18pt for the general run of retail products; 20–24pt for anything heavy or that needs to stand rigid on the shelf. Going heavier than needed costs money and space; going lighter shows as a soft, bowed box on the shelf.
Windows, inserts and hang tabs
Each is drawn into the same dieline and cut on the same die, so adding one at the start costs less than adding it on the next run. Our retail box range and its variants covers the specialised cartons built from this one.
- A die-cut window with PET or paper-based film where the product sells on its appearance.
- A board insert or platform that holds the product centered and stops it rattling.
- A hang tab or Euro-slot where the box goes on a peg wall as well as a shelf.
- A thumb notch or tear strip for an easier open.
Print and finish on a folding carton
Full color offset on a coated white board, matte or gloss laminated, is the default. Foil, spot UV and emboss go on top. Kraft board takes one or two colors well and full color poorly. Inside print, on the reverse of the sheet, is a second pass that is inexpensive on a short run and worth having on a box a customer opens. Our note on how retail boxes are printed sets out which process suits which run.
The barcode goes on a matte, unvarnished patch with the quiet zone clear. A code under gloss laminate is what fails at the till.
Sizing and the sample that settles it
Send the product dimensions at their widest — cap on, assembled — and we add 2–3 mm of clearance per side. A plain sample at the finished size is available before print, and on a product box it is the fastest way to catch a lid that will not close over a lip or a pump nobody measured.
Product Boxes — specification
The rows that are specific to this build first, then what applies to every job we run. Anything not listed is a question, not a limit — send the brief.
This build
- Board
- 14–24pt folding boxboard, coated white or kraft
- Builds
- Straight and reverse tuck, crash-lock, seal end
- Sizing
- Cut to product plus 2–3 mm; sample before print
- Full color offset, inside print optional; foil, spot UV, emboss
- Options
- Window, insert, hang tab, thumb notch, tear strip
- Supply
- Glued flat; pops open at the bench or on a line
- Minimum
- 100 boxes
On every job
- Print process
- Digital below about a thousand, offset above it. One side or both, with spot colors where a match has to hold.
- Color
- CMYK as standard. Uncoated and kraft stocks print lighter and warmer; a spot color is the only exact match.
- Tolerance
- Cutting plus or minus 1 mm, creasing plus or minus 0.5 mm, confirmed on a plain sample before the run.
- Tooling
- A cutting die per size, made once and kept. Foil and emboss dies per artwork, also kept.
- Food contact
- Food-grade board and inks where the carton touches food, with the interior left plain.
- Sustainability
- Mono-material board wherever the product allows; recycled-content and FSC stocks; no claim printed the pack does not earn.
- Artwork
- Vector PDF or AI, 3 mm bleed, 4 mm safe area, fonts outlined. We check every file and send a proof before press.
- Dieline
- Supplied free with the quote, before you commit. Yours whether or not you order.
- Sample
- A plain unprinted sample at the finished size on request, for fit and construction.
- Reorders
- Skip the tooling and go straight to press at a lower unit price.
- Lead time
- Quoted with the price against your fill date rather than promised before we have seen the spec.
- Markets
- United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia — priced in the delivery currency, freight included.
Boards and films we build product boxes on
A folding carton is one sheet of board, so the board is the product. These are the stocks we run for cartons, what each is good at, and where it lets you down.
Natural kraft
Unbleached folding board. Warm, hides marks, costs least. Mutes color — one or two flat colors print well, photographs do not.
250–350gsm sleeves; 14–24pt cartonsWhite SBS
Solid bleached sulfate: bright, coated, the retail carton standard. Takes accurate color and every finish. Shows scuffs sooner than kraft.
14–24ptWhite lined chipboard
A recycled gray core under a white printing face. Cheaper than SBS and slightly duller; the back of the sheet stays gray.
16–24ptKraft-look coated
A kraft face over a coated inner. The natural look with a barrier behind it — the answer where oil, grease or moisture would mark plain kraft.
14–20ptRecycled-content board
Post-consumer fiber with a gray-brown cast. Right for outers and inner components; poor for bright whites and photography.
16–22ptMicro-flute E and F
A fine corrugated layer where a carton needs structure it cannot get from board — a large panel, a heavy product, a box that ships alone.
E 1.5 mm; F 0.8 mmUncoated and textured
No clay coat, or a linen or laid grain. Print reads softer and warmer; a deboss goes deeper. Photographs do not sit well on it.
280–350gsmMetallised and pearlescent
A metallic or pearl face for a shelf that needs to catch light. Costly, and it fights a photograph — a mark or a pattern suits it better.
16–20ptNot sure which? Say what goes in it and where it is sold — the material follows from that. Our notes on recycled, recyclable and compostable cover which claims each stock can honestly carry.
- 01
Send what you have
A dimension, a photograph beside a ruler, or the product itself. No technical drawing needed — that part is ours.
- 02
We quote and draw
A price, a dieline and a date come back together. If a different build would suit the product better, that is in the reply too.
- 03
Approve the dieline
The flat drawing is yours to check: which panel is the front, where the folds fall, how deep the cavity really is.
- 04
Artwork on the dieline
You place your design on the flat we sent, or we place it for you, and you see a proof before anything goes to press.
- 05
A sample if you want one
A plain unprinted sample at the finished size shows fit and construction — the things a drawing cannot.
- 06
Cut, printed, shipped
The die is cut once and kept, so every reorder skips the tooling and goes straight to press at a lower unit price.
Format
Vector PDF or AI where possible. Raster artwork at 300dpi at final size, in CMYK.
Bleed
3 mm past every trim line, so a fraction of drift on the cutter never leaves a white edge.
Safe area
Keep type and anything important 4 mm inside the cut and away from every fold.
Color
Convert to CMYK before sending. Uncoated stock prints lighter; a spot color is the only exact match.
Fonts
Outline them or supply the files. A missing font substitutes silently and the proof will not match.
Barcodes
On a light, matte, unvarnished patch with the quiet zone clear — a code on gloss fails the scanner.
Not set up that way? Send it anyway — fixing a file is a short conversation, and we check every one before press. Our guide to preparing print files covers each point.
Every finish here is a decision about light on a shelf, not about luxury.
Matte lamination
Reads considered, hides marks, takes a ballpoint.
Gloss lamination
Lifts color; glares under shop lighting.
Soft-touch
Velvet in the hand; shows fingerprints in a bag.
Hot foil
Real metal leaf — the most reliable premium signal.
Emboss / deboss
Shape with no ink; works in the dark.
Spot UV
Gloss shapes on a matte field.
Uncoated kraft
Warm, natural, mutes color.
Textured stock
Texture in the paper; cannot scuff off.
Not sure which suits the shelf it sells from? Say where the product is sold and we suggest one — our notes on specialty finishes show them on real boxes.
Sizing a folding carton so the die comes out right: product boxes
Measure the product, not the box it is in now. A carton is built around what has to fit inside it, assembled — cap on, lid fitted, folded if it folds — at its widest point in each direction. Send those three numbers and say which is which.
- Length x width x height
- Internal, always. External dimensions include the board and are what the carrier measures, not what the product needs.
- Clearance
- 2–3 mm a side for a snug fit; more where an insert or void fill goes in. A carton cut exactly to the product is slow to pack and transmits every knock.
- Board thickness
- Heavier board takes internal space from the product. It matters most on small boxes, where four walls of 24pt is a real share of the cavity.
- Varies between batches?
- Glass, textiles, molded parts and cured soap all do. Measure several and build to the largest.
- Cutting tolerance
- Plus or minus 1 mm on folding board. Confirmed on a plain sample before the run.
- Units
- Metric or imperial, as long as you say which. Mixing them in one spec is where mistakes happen.
Not sure your numbers are right? Send the product dimensions rather than the box dimensions and we work the box out — the full method is in our guide to measuring for a box.
Interactive · five steps · no sign-up
Build your Product Boxes in 3D
Pick a shape, type a size, choose a board and a finish. The preview on the left redraws as you go, and the spec lands with us exactly as you set it.
Frequently asked questions
Got a question about product boxes? The answers below cover what we get asked most. If yours is not here, send it with a brief, message us on WhatsApp, or call +1 503-461-4788 — we reply the same working day.
What is a product box?
The folding carton most retail products are sold in: a printed board box, glued flat, that opens and closes with tuck flaps or a locking base.
Which closure should I use?
A tuck end for light products, a crash-lock base for anything heavier or filled on a line, and a seal end only if you glue on a machine.
What board thickness do you use?
14–16pt for light goods, 18pt for most products, 20–24pt for heavy items or a box that must stand rigid.
Can I add a window?
Yes, die-cut on the same die with PET or paper-based film behind it.
Can you print the inside?
Yes, as a second pass on the reverse. It is inexpensive on a short run and is what customers see when they open the box.
What is the minimum order?
100 boxes.
Do they arrive flat?
Yes, glued and flat. They open with a squeeze and the product loads through the end.
Can the same box hang on a peg?
Yes, with a hang tab or Euro-slot cut into the top panel.
How do I give you the size?
The product's length, width and height at its widest, with the cap or lid on. We add clearance and send the dieline.
Can I get a sample before printing?
Yes, a plain sample at the finished size. It catches the fit problems a drawing cannot.
Do you keep the die for reorders?
Yes. It is made once per size and kept, so reorders skip the tooling.
Do you ship outside the US?
Yes: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, quoted in the delivery currency.
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