How to Choose the Right Box for Your Product

Start with how the box will be used

Before you look at box styles, answer one question: where will this box spend its life? Most products fall into one of these cases.

• Sold on a shelf or in a store. The box needs to look good from the front and hold the product until it is bought.
• Shipped to a customer. The box needs strength for the trip, because it is handled, stacked and dropped.
• Given as a gift. The opening matters as much as the box, so the feel and the unboxing count.
• Shown at a counter. The box needs a large opening so the product is easy to see and reach.
• Carried home. A handle or a shape that is easy to hold matters.

Some products need two of these. A candle that is sold in a store and also shipped online is a good example. In that case, pick the use that is harder to meet first.

Measure your product first

Every box starts with the size of the product. Measure it at its longest, widest and tallest points, in that order: length, width, height. Always give the sizes in the same order, so there is no doubt which side is which.

Allow a little room if the product has to slide in and out of the box. When you send us sizes, tell us whether they are for the product or for the finished box.

Our measuring guide explains each term. If you want to see the flat pattern for a box, our free dieline templates let you type your measurements and download the pattern as a PDF, SVG or DXF file. Treat these as a layout guide: we confirm the final dieline with you before production.

Match your product to a box type

This table matches common needs to the box types we make. Each name links to the page for that box type, with its sizes, materials, printing and finishes.

If you prefer to choose by material, see our folding cartons for lightweight paperboard packaging and our corrugated boxes for packaging that needs more strength.

Think about weight and fragility

Weight decides the material. Most of our retail boxes, such as tuck, pillow, display and tray and sleeve boxes, are made from paperboard of about 300-400gsm. That suits lightweight products. Rigid boxes use a much thicker board, from 800 to 2000gsm, depending on size.

For a product that will be shipped, corrugated board is the usual choice. The wavy layer inside the board, called the flute, gives the box its strength. E-flute is the one most often chosen. B-flute is thicker and suits bulky boxes and weighty objects. Tuck boxes can also be made from corrugated material when you need extra strength.

Some paperboard styles also help with weight. A snap lock bottom is suited to heavier items, and the thick-walled tray and sleeve version suits heavier items than the thin-walled one. That tray and sleeve version still goes inside a shipping carton for transit.

When an insert helps

If the product moves inside the box, or you pack several items together, add an insert. Box inserts come in paper and cardboard, foam, plastic tray and molded pulp. Paper and cardboard inserts are lightweight and cost-effective. Foam is made for high-impact absorption and suits delicate or fragile items.

Count the shipping and storage cost

A box has two costs: what you pay for it, and what it costs to move and store it. Boxes that ship flat save on both.

• Tuck boxes ship flat and assemble quickly when you need them.
• Folding cartons are typically supplied flat, which can reduce storage compared with rigid setup boxes.
• Two Piece Boxes (Foldable) ship flat, which cuts shipping costs. The collapsible magnetic style of our rigid boxes also folds flat.

This matters most at higher quantities, when the space the empty boxes take up becomes a real cost. If you ship from a small space, ask us about flat-packed options when you request a quote.

Plan your budget and quantity

Five things move the price of a box: its size, the quantity, the material, the printing and the finishes. In general, the price per unit falls as the quantity grows.

Each box type has a minimum order and a starting price per unit. The starting price depends on quantity, size, material and finishes, so use it to compare box types, not as a final price. Your quote gives the final price, and it includes shipping.

Your choices can lower the cost too. CMYK is the most common and budget-friendly color scheme, while Pantone gives accurate brand colors and is more luxury. White paper (SBS) gives high-quality printing results. Brown kraft is unbleached and suits black or white printing only.

Production usually takes 5–7 working days. It starts once your artwork is approved and payment is received. Larger or more complex orders can take longer, and we confirm the date in your quote. Delivery usually takes another 4–5 working days, depending on the carrier and your location, so a typical order arrives in about 2 weeks and larger orders take longer. See our turnaround guide for details.

Choose finishes that match the job

Finishes change how the box looks and feels, and a few also protect it. Start with the coating. Varnish is a water-based coating that is environmentally friendly, though not as protective as lamination. Lamination is a plastic coated layer that protects against cracks and tears, but it is not an eco-friendly option.

For the surface, you can choose matte, glossy, satin or soft touch.

• Matte has a smooth, non-reflective surface and a softer look.
• Glossy is reflective and tends to show fingerprints more.
• Satin is semi-glossy, between matte and glossy.
• Soft touch looks like matte but has a velvet-like feel.

On our paperboard boxes, mailers, sleeves, cards, hang tags and paper bags we can also add foil stamping, embossing or debossing and spot UV. We confirm what suits your box type when we quote.

Test before you order

A screen shows you color and shape, but not weight, feel or fit. A sample is a low-cost way to find a problem before a full order.

The Standard Sample Kit costs $50, with shipping included. It holds different packaging samples, mostly chosen to match your niche or the type of packaging you want. It is usually dispatched within a few business days, and you can expect delivery within 7-10 working days.

If you want to test your own design and size, our samples page lists the options:

• Digital print proof, $29: a flat printout of your artwork in CMYK.
• Structural sample, $49: an unprinted prototype that shows size and form.
• Simplified sample, $89: a basic prototype printed without special finishes.
• Press proof, $149: a printout in CMYK or Pantone made with the production printing method, for color checks.
• Pre-production sample, $249: made and printed in our production facilities, so you see how colors and finishes will look.

The samples page also shows which samples are credited toward a later order.

A short checklist

• Decide how the box will be used: shelf, shipping, gift, counter or carrying.
• Measure the product in length, width, height order.
• Pick a box type from the table above.
• Match the material to the weight, and add an insert if the product can move.
• Check the minimum order and the starting price against your budget.
• Choose coating, surface and any extra finish.
• Order a sample kit or a sample of your own design before the full run.

Next step

If you want to compare the box types we make side by side, see our custom product boxes page. When you are ready, tell us what you sell, its size and how many you need, and we will recommend a box type. Get a free quote and we reply within 1 business day.