Custom Roll Boxes
Custom roll boxes sized to your roll — ribbon, tape, labels, paper or film — with a spindle or a dispensing slot if the roll is used from the box, from 100. The dieline and price come back the same working day.
A box for something that unwinds
- Board
- 18–24pt folding boxboard; E flute for long formats
- Builds
- Storage carton, dispenser with slot, spindle box
- Sizing
- Set from roll width, outside diameter and core
Get a price for Roll 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.
Storage box or dispenser box
Ribbon, labels and wrapping paper mostly want a storage box. Tape, film and kitchen rolls want a dispenser with a cutting edge.
| Storage | Holds the roll for sale and shelf; opens fully to remove it |
|---|---|
| Dispenser | Roll stays in; the end feeds through a slot; optional serrated cutting edge |
| Spindle | A board or plastic axle through the core so the roll turns without leaving the box |
Sizing to the roll
Send the roll width, outside diameter and core diameter. A photograph beside a ruler is enough to start.
- Internal length: the roll width plus 3–4 mm.
- Internal height and depth: the full roll diameter plus 3–5 mm — the box is sized to the roll when new.
- Core diameter, if a spindle is fitted: the axle is cut to it.
- Slot position on a dispenser: at the roll's tangent when full, so the end pulls cleanly at any diameter.
The cutting edge, and the board it needs
A serrated metal edge is applied to the slot lip on dispenser boxes for tape and film. It needs a board stiff enough to hold it straight while the film is torn — 20pt minimum, often a doubled lip. A board-only serrated edge is possible for paper and thin film, and avoids the metal for a mono-material box.
A dispenser box is opened and handled many times. Specify a matte laminate; a plain uncoated board goes grubby by the second week.
Long cartons and how they survive
Wrapping-paper and wide-ribbon rolls make long, narrow boxes that are crushed lengthwise in transit. 20–24pt board, or E flute for the longest formats, and a crash-lock or glued end rather than a tuck. Our shipping tubes for long rolled goods are the alternative where the roll ships alone rather than boxed for retail.
Print for a box that stays on the desk
Dispenser boxes live on a counter or a desk for the life of the roll, which is longer than most packaging survives. The brand is looked at daily. Full color with a matte film, the product name on every face, and instructions for the cutting edge on the top panel where they are seen.
Roll 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
- 18–24pt folding boxboard; E flute for long formats
- Builds
- Storage carton, dispenser with slot, spindle box
- Sizing
- Set from roll width, outside diameter and core
- Cutting edge
- Serrated metal or board-only; doubled lip on 20pt+
- Full color, matte laminate recommended for dispensers
- Closure
- Tuck, crash-lock or glued end
- 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 roll 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: roll 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 Roll 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 roll 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 products go in a roll box?
Ribbon, tape, labels, wrapping paper, film, kitchen and craft rolls — anything on a core that unwinds.
Can the roll be used without taking it out?
Yes, with a dispenser build: the free end feeds through a slot and a cutting edge tears it. A spindle keeps the roll turning in place.
Can you fit a serrated cutting edge?
Yes, metal on the slot lip for tape and film, or a board-only edge for paper if you want a mono-material box.
How do I size it?
Send the roll width, outside diameter and core diameter. We size the box to the new roll with a few millimeters of clearance.
Will a long box get crushed?
Not on 20–24pt board or E flute with a locked or glued end. Long tuck-end cartons on light board are what fail.
What is the minimum order?
100 boxes.
Does it ship flat?
Yes, glued flat. Spindles and cutting edges are fitted or supplied to fit at the bench.
Can the box have a window to show the ribbon?
Yes, on the front or the end, cut on the same die.
What board is best?
18pt for a small ribbon or label box, 20–24pt for dispensers with a cutting edge, E flute for wrapping-paper lengths.
Can I get a plain sample?
Yes, at the finished size, so you can load your roll and pull the end through the slot.
Do you keep the die?
Yes, per size, so reorders skip the tooling.
Do you ship outside the US?
Yes — United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, quoted in the delivery currency.
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