Mailer box
Mailer boxes
Self-locking corrugated boxes that ship without an outer carton and open like a lid.
Corrugated
Shipping box · Corrugated
Custom shipping boxes
Custom shipping boxes are corrugated flap-top cartons, drawn to your product's size and printed with your logo. We make them from 50 units per design, structural design is free, and production takes 10–12 days from proof approval.
- Over 30 years in print and packaging
- Free structural design
- From 50 units
- Plastic-free options
- Style
- Flap-top carton (RSC)
- Board
- E-flute or B-flute
- Best for
- Heavier, multi-item orders
- Minimum order
- 50 units
- Typical production window
- 10–12 days
- Paper-first materials
- 100% recyclable
- For structural design
- $0
Overview
What is a custom shipping box?
They're the right box for heavier orders, multi-item orders and anything that goes through a warehouse. If your product is light and the box is part of the unboxing, a mailer box usually does the job better. The comparison below shows where the line sits.
A shipping box is the brown carton most people picture when they think of a parcel. The trade name is a regular slotted container, or RSC: four flaps on top, four on the bottom, sealed with tape. The outer flaps meet in the middle, so it folds fast and packs fast on a warehouse line.
What makes it custom is the size and the print. Stock cartons come in fixed sizes, so most products rattle around in one with void fill. We draw yours around the product, so there's less empty space to pay for and less filler to throw away.
- Corrugated board. Two paper liners with a fluted layer between them. The flutes take the knocks in a delivery truck.
- Flaps. Four on top and four on the bottom. Tape seals them, so your packing line needs no glue.
- Print. Your logo and any handling marks on the outside. Inside print is possible, but most shippers don't need it.
- Dividers (optional). Corrugated or paperboard partitions that keep several items apart in one box.
Specifications
Custom shipping boxes: 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 |
|---|---|
| Style | Regular slotted container (RSC): four flaps top and bottom, tape sealed |
| Board | Corrugated, E-flute (roughly 1/16 inch per wall) or B-flute (roughly 1/8 inch per wall) |
| Liner | Kraft (brown) or white |
| Outside print, one color to full color. Inside print on request | |
| Dividers and inserts | Corrugated or paperboard, drawn to your products |
| Size | Drawn to your product. No size chart to pick from |
| Recyclability | 100% recyclable corrugated. Skip plastic lamination to keep it that way |
| Minimum order | 50 units per design |
| 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
E-flute or B-flute?
Flute size sets how thick the wall is and how much knocking it takes. Most custom shipping boxes use one of these two.
| Flute | Wall thickness | Use it for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-flute | Roughly 1/16 inch | Sharper, because the surface is flatter | Lighter products, smaller boxes, boxes where the print matters |
| B-flute | Roughly 1/8 inch | Fine for logos and bold type | Heavier products, larger boxes, stacking in a warehouse |
Not sure? Tell us the product weight and how it ships, and your specialist picks the flute. Thicker isn't always better. It adds to the outside size, and the outside size is what carriers bill on.
Compare
Shipping box or mailer box?
Both are corrugated and both can go in the mail on their own. They do different jobs.
| Shipping box (RSC) | Mailer box | |
|---|---|---|
| Closes with | Tape across the flaps | A self-locking tuck. No tape |
| Opens like | A carton: cut the tape, fold back the flaps | A lid: lift it and it's open |
| Good at | Heavier orders, several items, warehouse packing | Single items, gifts, subscriptions |
| Usually outside only | Inside and out, since the inside is what people see | |
| Packing | Fast with a tape gun | Slower to fold, quicker to close |
Heavy or mixed orders go in a shipping box. Single products that people film opening go in a custom mailer box. Plenty of brands use both: a printed mailer for one-item orders, a printed shipper for the rest.
Sizing
Sizing a shipping box, and why empty space costs money
Carriers price parcels on size as well as weight. UPS bills whichever is greater: the actual weight or the dimensional weight, which is length x width x height divided by 139 on daily rates, rounded up to the next pound, per its shipping dimensions and weight guide.
So a 12 x 10 x 8 inch box bills as 7 lb even with a 2 lb product inside. Cut it to 10 x 8 x 6 and it bills as 4 lb. On every order.
There's a ceiling too. Most parcels can't go over 108 inches in length and girth combined under the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, where girth is 2 x width + 2 x height.
Send the exact length, width and height of what goes in the box. Don't add clearance yourself. Structural design is $0, and we add clearance when we draw the dieline, based on the flute and any divider. If you're not sure which side is which, read how to measure a box.
Who orders custom shipping boxes
- E-commerce brands shipping bundles. Several products in one order, held apart with a divider.
- Subscriptions with heavier contents. Bottles, books or anything a mailer's tuck lid would strain against.
- Electronics and homewares. Products that need a thicker wall and room for an insert.
- Wholesale orders. Cartons that stack on a pallet and carry your name into the retailer's stockroom.
Finishes
Keep shipping box print simple.
Shipping boxes get scuffed, taped over and stacked. Print that survives that is bold and simple. Aqueous coating goes on every box by default.
Aqueous coating
On every box by default. Cuts scuffing and recycles with the board.
Spot UV
Works on a white liner for one logo. Skip it on brown kraft liner.
Soft-touch
Skip it here. It adds plastic to a box that's otherwise 100% recyclable, and it marks in transit.
Quote
Get a quote for custom shipping boxes
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 shipping boxes: questions.
What is the minimum order for custom shipping boxes?
50 units per design. That's enough to test a size with real orders before a bigger run.
What's the difference between a shipping box and a mailer box?
A shipping box is a flap-top carton sealed with tape. A mailer box has a self-locking lid and opens like a box lid. Shipping boxes suit heavier and multi-item orders; mailers suit single items and unboxing.
Which flute should I choose for a shipping box?
E-flute, roughly 1/16 inch per wall, for lighter products and sharper print. B-flute, roughly 1/8 inch per wall, for heavier products and larger boxes. Tell us the weight and your specialist picks.
How do I avoid paying to ship empty space?
Order the box around the product. UPS bills on dimensional weight when it's higher than the actual weight, so a box that's too big on each side costs you on every order.
Are custom shipping boxes recyclable?
Yes. Corrugated goes in curbside recycling with other cardboard, and paper and paperboard had a 68.2% recycling rate in 2018, according to the EPA. Plastic lamination makes recycling harder, so we don't recommend it on shippers.
How long do custom shipping boxes take?
10–12 days on most orders, counted from proof approval. Shipping time is on top.
Honest fit
When not to hire us.
Your product is small and light
A flap-top carton is more box than a single light item needs. A mailer box costs less to ship and opens better.
You need fewer than 50 boxes
Our minimum is 50 units. For 10 or 20, a stock box with a printed sticker will 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.
Got the product size?
Send the length, width and height of what goes inside, and how many you need. We'll draw the box and send a proof.
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