Which Custom Box Do You Need for you Business?

"I need boxes" can mean 3 different products. A mailer box is folded, printed inside and out, and strong enough to post. A rigid box is solid board wrapped in printed paper, with a lid that lifts off, and it is the one customers keep. A corrugated box is fluted board built for weight and travel.

Pick wrong and you pay twice: once for the boxes, once for the replacements after the first batch arrives crushed or looks cheaper than the thing inside it.

What are the three box types, and how do they differ?

A folding carton sits between the three: thin printed card, flat packed, used for a single product on a shelf. Think of the carton a tube of cream arrives in. It protects less, it costs less, and it prints beautifully.

Which box suits your product?

Match the box to how the product travels and what the moment of opening is worth to you.

• Skincare and cosmetics. Folding cartons for single products, rigid boxes for sets and gifting. Both print well enough to carry a brand's colours exactly.
• Hair and wigs. Rigid boxes. The product is expensive, the box is reused for storage, and customers photograph it.
• Food. Folding cartons and corrugated for transport. Say what the box will hold, because grease and heat change the board.
• Gifting and events. Rigid boxes with ribbon, or mailers with an insert. This is where the extras earn their money.
• Electronics and accessories. Mailers with a snug insert so nothing moves in a courier bag.
• Anything posted across states. Corrugated outer, printed box inside, if the item is fragile or valuable.

Does what goes inside the box matter?

A box that rattles feels cheap however good the printing is. Three things fix that, and each one is cheaper than a replacement order.

• An insert that holds the product still. Card, foam or a moulded tray.
• Tissue paper and a sticker. The cheapest upgrade in packaging. It turns opening into an event and it keeps the product clean.
• A small printed card. Thank the customer, say how to use the product, give your Instagram handle, and ask for a tag. This is the piece that brings them back.

Are windows, magnets and ribbons worth it?

Sometimes. Each one is extra work after printing, so decide by what it does for the customer rather than how it looks in a reference photograph.

• A window sells the product through the box, which suits anything attractive in itself: soap, candles, baked goods. It weakens the panel slightly, so it is not for heavy items.
• A magnetic closure makes a rigid box feel considered and keeps it shut without tape. Worth it for gifting, not for a box that gets posted and binned.
• Ribbon pulls and handles turn a box into a gift without wrapping. They are attached by hand, so they add time.
• Foil and spot UV on the lid do more for perceived value than printing the whole box in colour.

What should you send your printer?

Four things, and the quote stops bouncing back and forth.

1. The product dimensions, or the product itself. Width, depth and height.
2. The weight, roughly. It decides the board.
3. How it reaches the customer. Handed over, local courier, or interstate.
4. Your artwork, or your logo and colours if you want it designed. The artwork guide covers the file side.

If you are unsure between two constructions, say what the product is and what you are worried about. Crushing, damp, theft and cost all push the answer in different directions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a mailer box and a rigid box?

A mailer box is folded from a single piece of printed board and is designed to be posted. A rigid box is built from solid board, wrapped in printed paper, and has a separate lid. Rigid boxes feel more expensive and are usually kept by the customer. Mailers are cheaper to produce and far better suited to courier delivery.

Can a rigid box be posted?

Yes, with protection. The lid is not fixed, so for courier delivery it needs an outer carton or a secure wrap. Many brands use a rigid box for the gift and a plain corrugated outer for the journey.

How many boxes do I have to order?

Boxes need a higher quantity than cards, because the die that cuts the shape is set up once for the whole run. Tell us the quantity you are considering and we will tell you whether it makes sense at that number.

Can you print inside the box?

Yes, and for mailer boxes it is worth doing. The inside of the lid is the first thing a customer sees. A colour, a pattern or a single line of text there costs little and changes the whole moment.

How long do custom boxes take?

Most jobs are produced in 5 to 10 working days after proof approval and deposit. Rigid boxes, inserts and hand-finished extras like ribbon sit at the longer end.

Deciding in one minute

If it is posted, start with a mailer. If it is a gift, start with a rigid box. If it is heavy or travelling far, start with corrugated and print something nicer inside it.

Tell us the product, its weight and how it reaches your customer and we will recommend the construction before you spend anything. Boxes we have produced for Nigerian brands are on the work page.