Custom Shipping Boxes: What to Decide Before You Order
A custom shipping box is the first thing your customer touches. Before it opens, it has already said something about your brand.
This short guide covers the styles, the sizes and the print choices for custom shipping boxes, so your first order goes smoothly.
By PLC Print
Three common styles for ecommerce shipping boxes
| Mailer box | Tuck top box | Shipper box | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it closes | Lid folds over and tucks in | Top flap tucks into the front | Flaps meet in the middle and are taped |
| Good for | Apparel, gift sets, subscription kits | Lighter items, retail style | Heavier or bulky products |
| Printing | Outside and inside | Outside, sometimes inside | Mostly outside, one or two colors |
| Watch for | Product should fit snug | Not made for heavy loads | Needs tape, so it looks plainer |
Pick the Style
Start with what you ship, not what looks nice. A candle set and a 20-pound part do not need the same box.
Mailer boxes are popular with online shops because the box opens like a gift. Shipper boxes are the plain workhorse. Either one can be made to order. The style changes how it looks, how it packs and how it ships.
Mailer box
- The unboxing pick
- Prints outside and inside
Shipper box
- The heavy-duty pick
- Taped shut, plainer look
Get the Size Right
Measure the product first. Box size is given as inside length, width and height. Leave room for padding or an insert if the product needs one.
Size matters for cost too. Carriers can charge by the size of the box as well as the weight, which UPS explains in its shipping dimensions and weight guide. A box that is too big can cost more to ship than it should. Shipping boxes for small business orders add up fast, so a few inches matter.
Too big
- Extra shipping cost
- Product slides around
Just right
- Snug and protected
- Cheaper to send
Choose How It Is Printed
Custom shipping boxes with logo can be printed in one color on the outside or in full color inside and out. Custom printed shipping boxes cover everything in between.
One color, outside only, is the simplest way to put your logo on a box. Full color outside and a printed message inside turns the opening into part of your brand. Both work. The right one depends on your product and your budget.
For shipping box design, ask for the flat template of your box size (called a dieline) before the artwork is finished. Your designer builds on it, and nothing gets cut off at a fold.
One color
- Logo outside
- Lowest cost
Full color
- Outside and inside
- The unboxing look
A small online shop ships a gift set
(example, not a client)
Mailer box, because it is a gift
Measured with all three items inside
Logo outside, short thank-you message inside
Enough for the next few months of orders
The simple rule: Measure first. Pick the style second. Print last.
Custom Shipping Boxes Questions
What is a custom shipping box?
A shipping box made to your size and printed with your brand. It can be a mailer box, a shipper box or another style.
What is the difference between personalized shipping boxes and plain ones?
Plain boxes are stock sizes with no print. Personalized shipping boxes are sized for your product and carry your logo and colors.
Can a small business order custom shipping boxes?
Yes. Quantity depends on the style and the print. Can you guesstimate how many you ship in a month? That is where we start.
What do I need to bring?
Your product size, your logo and a rough quantity. If you have artwork on a dieline, bring that too.
Who makes the boxes?
PLC Print works with vetted production partners and takes care of the quote, the artwork check and the delivery. You deal with one company.
Can you print our logo on the boxes?
Yes. Custom packaging boxes with logo are everyday work for us: custom printing on boxes in one color or full color. Send your logo and box size, and we send a proof before anything prints.
Final Thoughts
A custom shipping box does a simple job. It protects the product and shows your brand at the door. Pick the style by what you ship, measure the product before you choose the size, and keep the print as simple as your budget needs. PLC Print in Berkeley, CA helps designers, marketing teams and online brands order a custom shipping box and get it delivered.