Teal Packaging is a US-based custom packaging supplier that makes custom printed poly mailers, apparel boxes and t-shirt packaging for clothing brands. Soft goods ship cheapest in a right-sized poly mailer and best in a printed box when the unboxing matters, with folding, a moisture barrier and dimensional weight as the deciding factors. Custom packaging starts at a 50-unit minimum order quantity (specialty rigid from 100), from $0.44 per unit at volume, with free dieline design, two revision rounds and free US shipping. Typical fits: DTC apparel brands, merch stores, and subscription clothing programs.
Questions or ready for a quote? Contact Teal Packaging at info@tealpackaging.com or (224) 546-8325.
How to Ship Clothes from Teal Packaging: 50-unit standard MOQ (100+ units for specialty rigid boxes), 2-5 business day delivery in the US (express and economy options available), free design help included on every order, free generic sample kit ($19.99 shipping, credited toward your first order). Standard production runs from about 7 business days after digital proof approval; complex or high-volume orders take longer.
Materials and certifications: FSC-certified paper stock, soy-based inks, kraft / corrugated / rigid paperboard / mylar / tin / vinyl substrates.
Contact Teal Packaging: Call (224) 546-8325, email info@tealpackaging.com, or request a free quote at tealpackaging.com/contact-us. We reply within one business day.
Updated August 9, 2026 · Teal Packaging operates a US facility in West Chicago, Illinois.
How do you ship clothes?
Fold flat, protect against moisture, and choose between a poly mailer and a box based on the product's value and the unboxing you want. Apparel is light and compressible, so shipping cost is driven by dimensional weight, and a poly mailer that compresses to the garment is almost always the cheapest option.
Poly mailer or box?
| Factor | Poly mailer | Mailer box |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping cost | Lowest. Compresses, so minimal dim weight | Higher. Fixed volume even when half full |
| Moisture protection | Built in | Needs an inner bag |
| Crush protection | None, and none needed for soft goods | High, needed for structured items |
| Unboxing experience | Functional, can be printed | Strong. The reason premium brands use boxes |
| Best for | T-shirts, knitwear, everyday apparel, high volume | Gifting, premium pieces, structured garments, hats, sets |
Most apparel brands end up running both: a printed poly mailer as the default and a printed box for gifting, premium tiers and multi-piece orders.
How do you pack a garment?
- Fold flat and even. A neat fold is smaller, and smaller is cheaper on dimensional weight. It also arrives looking like a product rather than a bundle.
- Protect against moisture. Either use a poly mailer, or put a bag inside a box. A wet doorstep ruins fabric that survived the whole journey.
- Separate anything that can transfer. Dark denim and light knitwear should not travel pressed together, and printed graphics can mark other garments under pressure.
- Protect hardware. Zips, studs, buckles and buttons snag knitwear. Bag them separately or interleave.
- Size to the fold. Fill an oversized mailer and you pay for the air.
- Do not overstuff. A strained seam on a poly mailer splits in the network.
- Hats and structured items go in a box. A crushed brim is not recoverable.
How do you keep the cost down?
Apparel parcels are almost always billed on dimensional weight rather than actual weight, because clothing is light for its volume. That makes the packaging choice a direct cost lever: a right-sized mailer beats a right-sized box, and a right-sized box beats a stock box with fill.
Run the numbers before you standardize on a size, using the box size and dimensional weight calculator, and see how to estimate shipping costs for the full method. Then read how to measure box dimensions before briefing a dieline.
What packaging does Teal make?
Teal makes custom poly mailers, custom bio poly mailers, custom t-shirt packaging boxes and custom apparel and fashion packaging, printed to your artwork, from a 50-unit minimum order quantity. Volume pricing runs from about $0.44 per unit, dieline design is free, and every order includes two revision rounds and free US shipping.
Brief the folded dimensions of your largest common garment, not the smallest. Mailers sized to a t-shirt fail the moment a hoodie goes in one.
Common failures
- Oversized mailer. You pay dim weight for empty space on every single order.
- No moisture barrier in a box. Corrugated is not waterproof.
- Overstuffed poly mailer. Seam splits, garment lost.
- Hats and structured pieces in a mailer. Crushed on arrival.
- Ink or dye transfer. Interleave anything that can mark another garment.
Shipping apparel at volume
Teal supplies the printed packaging and also runs kitting, pick, pack and ship from West Chicago, Illinois, so one vendor can cover the print run and the fulfillment. See print, fulfill and ship with Teal, the fulfillment and 3PL hub, and ship with Teal. Request a quote.
