Key Takeaway
A custom box is packaging manufactured to a brand's exact specification: dimensions, board grade, structure style, print and finish, rather than picked from stock sizes. Teal Packaging is a US manufacturer producing custom boxes across folding carton, corrugated, and rigid formats, with free dieline design, a digital proof and 2 revision rounds on every order. Runs start at 50 units with volume pricing from about $0.44 per unit at scale, and US shipping is free. Suits any brand outgrowing stock packaging.
Questions or ready for a quote? Contact Teal Packaging at info@tealpackaging.com or (224) 546-8325.
A custom box is built from a dieline drawn to your inside dimensions and printed with your artwork, instead of pulled from a stock size chart. Six choices define every one of them: the structural style, the board grade and caliper, the inside dimensions, the print method, the finish, and the run quantity. Get those six right and the rest is production detail.
The six decisions, in the order they matter
Style comes first because it sets the die, and the die sets the cost floor. Board follows, since a heavier caliper changes both the score allowance and the shipping weight. Dimensions come third, and they are always quoted inside the box. Print method, finish, and quantity are the three that move the unit price after the structure is locked.
Common box styles and what each one is for
| Style | Short name | Best fit | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight tuck end | STE | Retail cartons where the front panel stays clean | Both flaps tuck the same direction, so the back shows a seam |
| Reverse tuck end | RTE | Fast hand packing, lowest die cost | Flaps face opposite ways and one edge shows on the face |
| Auto bottom | 1-2-3 bottom | Anything over about 1 lb | Costs more board, sets up in one motion |
| Tuck top snap lock | TTSLB | Bakery and heavier retail goods | Locks by hand, no glue on the base |
| Sleeve and tray | Two piece | Gift sets and subscription boxes | Needs a fit tolerance drawn into the dieline |
| Die cut mailer | 0427 | Ecommerce shipping with interior print | E flute keeps the print sharp, B flute stacks harder |
| Two piece rigid | Setup box | Luxury and heavy gift packs | Starts at 100 units and runs a longer schedule |
Board grades and calipers
Paperboard is measured in points, where one point equals one thousandth of an inch. An 18pt board is 0.018 inches thick. Corrugated is measured by flute profile and by edge crush rating instead.
| Material | Range | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| SBS, bleached white | 14pt to 24pt | Cosmetics, supplements, retail cartons that need clean color |
| Natural kraft | 14pt to 24pt | Soap, candles, anything trading on an uncoated look |
| Chipboard, grey back | 16pt to 24pt | Budget cartons where the inside face is never seen |
| E flute corrugated | 1/16 inch wall | Mailers and light shippers with heavy print |
| B flute corrugated | 1/8 inch wall | Shippers that stack on a pallet |
| Greyboard, rigid | 1.5mm to 3mm | Setup boxes wrapped in printed paper |
Inside dimensions are the ones that count
Every dieline is drawn to inside measurements, because that is the space your product occupies. On 24pt board the outside of a carton sits about a twentieth of an inch larger on each axis, and on B flute corrugated the difference is closer to a quarter inch. Quote a supplier an outside dimension by mistake and the product arrives too tight to pack.
Give the product its clearance up front. An eighth of an inch on each face is standard for a folding carton around a rigid item. Flexible pouches and anything that bulges want a quarter inch. Where a product sits in an insert, measure the insert too, since the well walls eat into the interior.
Print method changes with quantity
Digital printing has no plate charge, which makes it the sensible route under roughly 500 pieces or for a run split into several artwork versions. Offset printing costs money to set up and then costs very little per sheet, so it wins above that line. Litho lamination puts an offset printed sheet onto corrugated when a shipper needs photographic artwork. Flexo prints directly on corrugated in one to three colors and suits plain shippers with a logo.
- Spot color matching is specified by PMS number. On uncoated kraft the same number prints darker and warmer than it does on coated white.
- Heavy solid coverage on kraft usually needs a white underprint, which adds a pass and adds cost.
- Artwork should arrive as vector files with fonts outlined, images at 300 dpi, and 1/8 inch bleed on every edge.
Finishes worth paying for
Soft touch lamination changes how the carton feels in the hand and is the single finish customers notice without being told. Spot UV reads only against a matte background, so pairing it with gloss lamination wastes the effect. Hot foil stamping needs a metal die and prefers simple shapes, since fine serifs fill in. Embossing works best on 18pt board or heavier, because thin stock cracks at the shoulder of the emboss.
What a run actually costs
Custom orders start at 50 units, with specialty rigid builds starting at 100. The die is a one time charge tied to a given size and style, so reusing one dieline across two products is the cheapest structural decision available. Pricing on the largest runs starts from about $0.44 per unit at volume.
| Run size | Print route | Cost behavior |
|---|---|---|
| 50 to 300 | Digital | Highest per unit, no setup to amortize |
| 500 to 1,500 | Digital or offset | Plate charge starts to pay for itself |
| 2,500 to 10,000 | Offset or litho lam | Per unit falls fastest across this range |
| 25,000 and up | Offset | Board and freight dominate the quote |
Timing and the information a quote needs
Eligible in house work may run in about 7 business days from proof approval, while specialty imported work may take about 12 weeks. Treat both as planning ranges rather than promises. Production is split between two facilities, West Chicago, Illinois and Guangzhou, and jobs are routed by spec and deadline rather than by default.
To get a number back the same day, send the inside dimensions, the product weight, the style by name, the quantity, and your artwork or logo files. Dieline drawing is free, a digital proof is issued before the press runs, and US shipping is included. A sample kit ships for $19.99 and that charge comes off your first order. Browse structures on the custom boxes range, or compare printed options on the printed box page before you specify.
Ben Russell
Ben is a Senior Packaging Strategist and writer at Teal Packaging, covering packaging materials, design strategy, and practical branding insights.
