A good printed box turns a delivery into part of the brand, but the price depends on the box style, the print method and the quantity. Online shops use printed mailer boxes, retailers use folding cartons that stand on a shelf, and factories print shipping cartons with a one colour logo. Send a request with the product size, how many colours you want and the quantity, and box makers near you quote directly. It is free and there is no obligation to buy.
Which box style suits your product
A mailer box is a die-cut corrugated box that folds up with a tuck-in lid, ships without tape and prints well on the inside as well as the outside. A folding carton is made from thin paperboard (often called SBS or white board) and holds lighter retail items such as cosmetics, supplements and small gifts on a shelf. A printed shipping carton is a regular slotted box with a logo, used for cartons moving on pallets.
Plain white boxes are the cheapest way to look neat: a white board outside with no print needs no plates, and you can add a sticker or stamp. If you only need protection, plain cardboard boxes are cheaper.
Flexo, litho and digital printing
- Flexo prints one to three spot colours directly on brown or white corrugated board. It is fast and cheap per box on long runs, with a once-off plate cost per colour.
- Offset litho prints full colour on paper that is then laminated to the board, giving photographic quality for retail boxes. Set-up costs are higher, so runs start at about 1,000 to 3,000.
- Digital printing needs no plates, so runs of 50 to 500 boxes are possible, at a higher cost per box. It is good for testing a design or seasonal packs.
Matt or gloss lamination, foil and embossing add cost per box and are worth it only on retail display packaging.
Artwork, dielines and proofs
Every box has a dieline, a flat template showing the folds, cuts and the safe area for print. Ask the supplier for it before you brief a designer. Artwork should be supplied as a vector PDF in CMYK, with 3 mm bleed, and any text converted to outlines. Colours on screen never match print exactly, so ask for a printed or digital proof before approving. Your approval is final, and a mistake after the run starts is usually the buyer's cost.
Minimum orders, tooling and lead times
Expect once-off costs for plates (flexo) or a cutting die (any die-cut box), often R1,500 to R6,000 per job. Minimum orders for printed boxes are typically 250 to 1,000 for digital and flexo, more for litho. Lead times run two to four weeks after artwork approval; allow longer in the December rush. Keep reorders cheap by storing the plates with the supplier and ordering in repeat batches, and see our packaging suppliers page for other items to add to the same order.
What to include in your request
- Box style and inside size in mm
- Number of colours and print method
- Quantity and expected reorders
- Artwork ready or design help needed
- Delivery address and date needed
Custom Printed Boxes for different businesses
- Online shops and ecommerce: branded mailer boxes and printed shipping cartons that open well on a doorstep
- Restaurants, takeaways and food producers: printed bakery, snack and sauce cartons for retail shelves and hampers
- Shops and retail stores: full colour folding cartons and white boxes to display and carry products
- Factories and manufacturers: one colour printed cartons with handling marks for pallets of finished goods
- Warehouses, distributors and exporters: printed cartons with handling and orientation marks for export
- Households and offices moving: printed boxes for removal companies, with the room and logo marked
- Farms, packhouses and nurseries: printed fruit and vegetable cartons for packhouses and farm brands
- Cosmetics, candles and health products: printed folding cartons and rigid boxes for skincare, candles and perfume
Frequently asked questions
What is the smallest run of printed boxes?
How much do custom printed boxes cost?
What file do I send for printing?
Can I get a sample before I order?
Custom Printed Boxes by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg