Custom Shipping Tubes
Custom shipping tubes wound to the bore and cut to the length your product needs, from 100. Heavy walls, ends that stay in, and a spec that matches what you are sending — quoted the same working day.
For anything long, thin and easy to bend
- Board
- Spiral-wound kraft, 1.5–4 mm wall; corrugated for square and triangular
- Builds
- Round wound tube; square and triangular folded tube
- Bore
- 1.5–6 in in ~0.25 in steps; any length
Get a price for Shipping Tubes
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.
Choosing a bore from the product
The bore is the product's rolled or actual diameter plus 10–15%. A tube that is too tight is loaded by force and damages the contents; too loose and they rattle.
| 1.5–2 in | Rolled documents, small prints, rods and dowels |
|---|---|
| 2.5–3 in | Posters, plans, fabric samples, golf shafts |
| 4 in | Large prints, banners, multiple rolls, wallpaper |
| 5–6 in | Rugs, textiles, architectural drawings in quantity, long parts |
Wall thickness against the journey
For a tube that ships inside a case, 1.5 mm. For one that ships alone by parcel carrier, 2–2.5 mm. For long tubes over 40 inches, or heavy contents, 3 mm and up — a long tube flexes in the middle under a stack, and thickness is what stops it. We size the wall to the length and the contents weight, and the quote says what it is.
Ends: plug, crimp, or sealed
Fit is confirmed on a plain sample before a run, because a plug that pushes out is the one failure that loses the contents.
- Plastic plugs — reusable, removable at both ends, the parcel-carrier default.
- Crimped metal — one end closed at the factory, a metal cap on the other; the classic look.
- Crimped paper — plastic-free, sealed one end, taped or plugged at the other.
- Sealed both ends — for a single shipment of something that must not be opened in transit.
Square tubes and triangular tubes
A round tube rolls off a bench and stacks badly. Triangular and square tubes are folded from heavy corrugated rather than wound, do not roll, and stack in a van. They cost less per unit at some sizes and more at others; we quote both where the choice is open. Our 3 × 36 poster mailing tubes are the round tube in the most common size.
Carriers price on the outside dimensions and often add a surcharge for tubes over a certain length. Check the length band before fixing the spec.
Print, labels and reuse
Shipping tubes are usually plain kraft with a printed label. A one-color print on the outer ply works for a brand that ships hundreds a month. Because tubes are reused by recipients, a printed tube travels further than a printed box.
Shipping Tubes — 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
- Spiral-wound kraft, 1.5–4 mm wall; corrugated for square and triangular
- Builds
- Round wound tube; square and triangular folded tube
- Bore
- 1.5–6 in in ~0.25 in steps; any length
- Ends
- Plastic plug, crimped metal, crimped paper, sealed
- Plain kraft or 1-color on outer ply
- Fit
- Plug fit set on a plain sample
- Minimum
- 100 tubes
On every job
- Print process
- The tube itself is not printed. A wrap is printed offset as a flat sheet and applied, with the seam at the back.
- Color
- CMYK and spot colors on the wrap. Bare kraft takes one color directly, printed on the outer ply as the tube winds.
- Tolerance
- Diameter is fixed by the mandrel; length plus or minus 1 mm. Cap fit is set on a sample with a humidity allowance.
- Tooling
- The mandrel sets the diameter and is not a cost. Tooling is the wrap print and any foil die, made once and kept.
- Food contact
- A food-grade inner ply or a separate inner bag where the tube holds loose tea, coffee or confectionery.
- Sustainability
- The wound board and the paper wrap recycle as paper. Metal ends and plastic plugs are removed first.
- 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 shipping tubes on
A tube is wound rather than folded, so the wall is built up in layers of board on a mandrel. That gives it drum stiffness, and it means the internal diameter comes from a fixed set of mandrels.
Wound kraft chipboard
Strips of recycled board spiralled and glued. The tube body: strong in compression, recyclable as paper, and naturally brown.
1–3 mm wallLight wall, 1–1.5 mm
For retail tubes that travel inside a shipper — tea, cosmetics, candles. Keeps the tube light and the freight down.
1–1.5 mmHeavy wall, 2–3 mm
For tubes posted on their own: posters, plans, spirits. A thin-walled long tube arrives with a kink in the middle.
2–3 mmPrinted paper wrap
The tube is not printed directly. A printed label is wrapped around it in full color, with foil or emboss, and the seam sits at the back.
120–157gsmTinplate ends
Crimped metal base and lid. The traditional tea and gift tube; adds weight and a different sound when it opens.
CrimpedPlastic plugs
Snap-in ends for shipping and poster tubes. Reusable, removable, and the fit is what stops them pushing out under a stack.
Push-fitFood-grade liners
A laminated or greaseproof inner ply, or a separate inner bag, where the tube holds loose tea, coffee or confectionery.
Inner ply or bagShoulder and telescoping lids
A short second tube over the base, or an inner collar for a flush join. The join is the difference between a container and a gift.
Wound to matchNot 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.
A tube is finished on the wrap, so anything a flat sheet takes, a tube takes.
Bare kraft
No wrap at all. The natural wound board, which is the look most brands choose it for.
Printed wrap
Full color on a laminated paper applied round the tube, with the seam at the back.
Hot foil
On the wrap before it is applied, or on the lid top. Gold on kraft is the category signature.
Deboss on the wrap
Pressed after wrapping so the relief follows the curve.
Two-tone
One paper on the lid, another on the base. Reads as a deliberate design for almost nothing.
Metal ends
Tinplate base and lid. A different weight and a different sound when it opens.
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 tube, where diameter comes in steps: shipping tubes
Length is cut to order, but the internal diameter is set by the mandrel the tube is wound on. Those come in roughly 5 mm steps, so we choose the first step above your product rather than an exact figure.
- Internal diameter
- The product at its widest plus 2–3 mm, rounded up to the next mandrel. Anything more and a round product rolls inside.
- Length
- The product plus the depth of a cap at each end, plus 3 mm. Cut to any figure.
- Wall thickness
- 1–1.5 mm inside a shipper, 2–3 mm for a tube that travels alone. It is the whole protection on a mailing tube.
- Cap fit
- Set on a plain sample. A cap a fraction loose falls out in the post; a fraction tight cannot be opened by hand.
- Outside size
- Carriers measure the outside including the caps — usually about 0.25 in over the bore, and an inch over the length.
- Inserts
- Round products still rattle. A board ring or a foam disc holds a jar or a bottle centered.
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
Spec your Shipping Tubes
Pick a shape, type a size, choose a wall and wrap 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 shipping tubes? 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 sizes can you make?
Round tubes from about 1.5 to 6 inch bore in any length. Square and triangular tubes are folded from corrugated in a similar range.
How do I choose the diameter?
The product's diameter rolled or as it is, plus 10–15%. Tight loads damage the contents; loose loads rattle.
How thick should the wall be?
1.5 mm inside a case, 2–2.5 mm for parcel shipping, 3 mm and up for long tubes or heavy contents.
Do the plugs stay in?
When the fit is set correctly on a sample, yes. One end can be fixed at the factory for extra security.
Can I have a square tube?
Yes. Square and triangular tubes are folded from heavy corrugated, do not roll off a bench, and stack better than round ones.
What is the minimum order?
100 tubes.
Can shipping tubes be printed?
Yes, one color on the outer ply is the usual choice. Leave a clear area for address labels.
Are they recyclable?
The kraft tube recycles as paper. Plastic plugs are removed first; paper ends recycle with the tube.
Do long tubes get surcharged by carriers?
Often, above a certain length. Check the carrier's length bands before fixing the tube length, because an inch can change the price.
Can I ship a fishing rod or a golf shaft in one?
Yes, that is a common use. A 2–3 inch bore with a foam or paper insert at each end holds the rod centered.
Do they come assembled?
Yes. Round tubes cannot be flattened; square and triangular tubes ship flat and fold up.
Can I get a sample?
Yes, a plain tube at the finished size with the ends fitted, so you can load your product and test the fit.
Same range
