Mailer box
Small business packaging
Short-run custom boxes from 50 units, so a small brand can print its own box before it has a big order.
Corrugated
Folding carton · Paperboard
Custom packaging with no minimum
We don't set a hard minimum. Best value starts at 50 units per design, because of logistics and shipping. If you want fewer, tell us how many and we can consider it. Your specialist will say what's possible and what it costs per box before you commit.
- Over 30 years in print and packaging
- Free structural design
- From 50 units
- Plastic-free options
- Best value
- From 50 units
- Fewer than 50
- Ask us
- Design
- $0
- Best value starts at
- 50 units
- Typical production window
- 10–12 days
- Quote reply time
- 12–24 hours
- For structural design
- $0
Overview
Why 50 is where the value starts
The catch is cost per box. Setting up a print run costs the same whether it makes 10 boxes or 500, so very small runs are priced higher per box. If you only need a handful, a stock box with a printed sticker may cost you less.
Every run has fixed costs: making the tooling, setting up the press, packing and shipping the cartons. Spread over 50 boxes they are manageable. Spread over 10, the cost per box climbs.
That's why we say best value starts at 50 rather than promising a number we'd have to pad elsewhere. If a smaller order is what you need, ask. We can consider it, and your specialist will give you the honest cost per box.
- Fixed costs. Setup and tooling don't shrink with the run.
- Shipping. A carton costs about the same to ship half full as full.
- Per-box cost. It falls as quantity rises.
- Your call. If a small order is the right call for you, we'll look at it.
Specifications
Custom packaging with no minimum: specifications
Every box is drawn to your product, so these are the options, not a fixed catalogue. Your specialist confirms the exact spec on the proof.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best value | 50 units per design |
| Smaller orders | Can be considered. Tell us the quantity |
| Styles | Mailers, folding cartons, rigid boxes, sleeves, pouches, pizza boxes, mylar bags |
| Board | Paperboard, kraft, corrugated or rigid board |
| Chosen to suit the run | |
| Size | Drawn to your product |
| Ships to you | Flat or assembled, depending on the box |
| Recyclability | Paper-first materials are 100% recyclable. Mylar is not |
| Order size | Best value from 50 units per design, because of logistics and shipping. Smaller orders can be considered |
| Structural design | $0. We draw the dieline around your product |
| Proof | Digital proof on your dieline, checked for bleed, folds and barcodes |
| Production | 10–12 days on most orders, from proof approval. Shipping time is on top |
| Default finish | Aqueous coating on every box. Water-based, and it recycles with the box |
| Point of contact | One packaging specialist, from first sketch to delivery |
Board and build
How to order fewer than 50
Three honest paths, in order of cost.
| Path | Cost per box | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Stock box and a sticker | Lowest | 10 or 20 orders, testing a product |
| Printed sleeve on a stock box | Low to mid | A branded look on a tight budget |
| Custom run under 50 | Higher, quoted by your specialist | When a stock size doesn't fit |
| Custom run from 50 | Best value | A box you'd happily reorder |
A printed sleeve is the cheapest custom step. See custom box sleeves.
Compare
No minimum or best value?
They're not the same thing, and the difference is money.
| Under 50 | 50 and up | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per box | Higher | Lower, and falls as you order more |
| Availability | Considered case by case | Standard |
| Good for | A single test or a one-off | A first real run |
| Lead time | Quoted by your specialist | 10–12 days from proof approval |
We don't promise a price or a lead time for a small run until your specialist has seen the details.
Sizing
Sizing a small run
Small runs are where a wrong size hurts most. Send the product's length, width and height, or a photo on a ruler, and read how to measure a box.
Don't add clearance yourself. We add it when we draw the dieline, and structural design is $0.
Who asks for fewer than 50
- Makers testing a new product. See custom packaging for small business.
- Sample and pitch boxes. A handful for buyers.
- Events and one-offs. A launch, a wedding or a gift.
- Pizza shops and food stalls trying a design. See custom pizza boxes.
Finishes
Keep it plain on a tiny run.
Extra finishes cost more per box on very small runs. Aqueous coating goes on every box by default.
Aqueous coating
Water-based and on every box by default. It recycles with the box.
Debossing
Pressed in, no ink. Works on kraft as well as white board.
Quote
Get a quote for custom packaging with no minimum
One measurement and a quantity is enough to start. Your specialist replies with a structure, so you can see the box before you commit to anything.
How it works
Four steps, one person.
The specialist who picks up your first email stays with the project until the boxes arrive.
Step 01
Tell us what you're packing
Send the product dimensions, how it ships and how many you need. A photo on a ruler is enough to start.
Step 02
We draw the structure
Your packaging specialist builds the dieline around your product. Structural design is free.
Step 03
You approve the proof
Drop your artwork onto the dieline. We check bleed, folds and barcodes, and send a digital proof.
Step 04
We make and ship
Production takes 10–12 days on most orders. Boxes ship flat, packed in cartons, to your door.
FAQ
Custom packaging with no minimum: questions.
What is the minimum order for small orders?
Best value starts at 50 units per design, because of logistics and shipping. If you need fewer, tell us: we can consider smaller orders.
How long do small orders take?
10–12 days on most orders, counted from proof approval. Shipping time is on top and depends on where the boxes are going.
Do you charge for structural design?
No. Structural design is $0. We draw the dieline around your product, and you only pay once you order boxes.
Do you have a minimum order?
Best value starts at 50 units per design. We don't treat it as a hard limit: if you need fewer, tell us and we can consider it.
Can I get custom pizza boxes with no minimum?
We can consider a small run. A stock pizza box with a printed sticker will usually cost less for a handful. See custom pizza boxes for the full range.
Can I get custom mylar bags with no minimum?
We can consider a small run, but printed mylar bags are one of the products where per-bag cost is highest at low volume. See custom mylar bags.
Honest fit
When not to hire us.
You need five boxes by Friday
Production runs 10–12 days from proof approval, plus shipping. For a handful this week, buy stock boxes and add a sticker.
You only need a handful of boxes
Best value starts at 50 units, because of logistics and shipping. For 10 or 20 we can consider it, but the cost per box is higher and a stock box with a printed sticker may cost you less.
You need boxes next week
Production runs 10–12 days before shipping. If your launch is sooner, buy stock boxes now and switch to custom for the next run.
You want plain brown boxes
If nothing gets printed, a stock box supplier is cheaper and faster. We're worth it once the box carries your brand.
How many do you need?
Send the product's size and the quantity, even if it's under 50. Your specialist will tell you what's possible.
Start a projectPopular boxes
Related boxes.
Sleeve and drawer
Printed box sleeves
A printed band around a plain box. The cheapest way to brand stock packaging.
Paperboard
Mailer box
Mailer boxes
Self-locking corrugated boxes that ship without an outer carton and open like a lid.
Corrugated
Folding carton
Folding cartons
Tuck-end cartons for the shelf. Ship flat, fold in seconds, print edge to edge.
Paperboard