Guides
Everything we wish people knew before ordering boxes
Everything else
The rest of the shelf
Artwork
Custom window boxes: where to cut the window, which film, and what it costs
Custom window boxes explained: where to cut the window, PET or PLA film, how to design artwork around it, and real prices from 100 boxes.
October 15, 2026 · 10 min read
Materials
Custom bakery boxes: sizes, food safe board and real holiday prices
Custom bakery boxes sized for cupcakes, cookies, pies and cakes, with food safe board explained, real prices from 100 boxes and a Thanksgiving order timeline.
October 14, 2026 · 10 min read
Sizing
Shipping box sizes: a size chart built around USPS price tiers
Shipping box sizes that land under USPS cubic price lines, with inside and outside inches, real prices from 100 boxes, and the quarter inch that moves a tier.
October 13, 2026 · 9 min read
Artwork
Custom mailer box design: what to print on each panel, inside and out
Custom mailer box design panel by panel: what goes on the lid, the front flap, the sides and the inside, where the label lands, and what inside print costs.
October 12, 2026 · 11 min read
Sizing
Gift box sizes: a size chart for custom gift boxes, with real prices
Gift box sizes for jewelry, gift cards, candles, mugs, apparel and hampers, with inch dimensions and real prices from 100 boxes, plus the 2026 holiday order dates.
October 9, 2026 · 10 min read
Choosing
Custom packaging sleeves: what they are, what they cost, and when a sleeve beats a printed box
Custom packaging sleeves explained: how a printed sleeve and tray box works, what it costs from 100 boxes, the sizes that fit, and when a sleeve is the smarter buy.
October 8, 2026 · 9 min read
Artwork
Packaging finishes: matte, gloss, soft touch or foil, and which one is worth paying for
Packaging finishes compared: matte, gloss, soft touch and foil. What each looks and feels like, what it adds per box, where it fails, and which we would pick.
October 7, 2026 · 9 min read
Shipping
Custom candle boxes: which box survives the courier, and what it costs
How to pick custom candle boxes that get a glass jar through the courier: rigid, mailer or window box, why the insert matters, real prices and holiday timing.
October 6, 2026 · 8 min read
Materials
Custom rigid boxes: what they are, what they cost, and when they're worth it
What custom rigid boxes are, how they're made, what they cost per box from 100 to 1,000, and the honest test for when a rigid box is worth it over a carton.
October 5, 2026 · 10 min read
Shipping
Custom shipping boxes for small business: what to buy and what to skip
Custom shipping boxes for small business, priced honestly: what a printed shipper costs at 100 to 1,000, which upgrades matter, and what to skip.
October 2, 2026 · 8 min read
Choosing
Types of folding cartons: which closure to pick, and why it matters
The main types of folding cartons explained: reverse tuck, straight tuck, auto lock and snap lock bottoms, sleeves and gable tops, with real prices per box.
October 1, 2026 · 9 min read
Buying
Custom boxes with no minimum: what a small run really costs
Custom boxes with no minimum sound ideal until you see the unit price. Real prices from 100 boxes, why setup drives them, and when a sticker wins.
September 30, 2026 · 9 min read
Choosing
Custom packaging for clothing brands: what to order and what it costs
Custom packaging for clothing brands: which box fits folded apparel, real prices at 100 to 1,000, and why a high return rate changes what you order.
September 29, 2026 · 8 min read
Materials
ECT rating explained: 32 ECT vs 44 ECT and which box strength you need
What an ECT rating means, 32 ECT vs 44 ECT weight limits, what UPS requires, and how to pick the right box strength for your product.
September 28, 2026 · 9 min read
Sizing
Custom mailer box sizes: a size chart with real prices
Custom mailer box sizes from 6 x 4 x 2 to 14 x 10 x 4 inches, what fits in each, real prices at 250 to 1,000, and how to pick yours.
September 25, 2026 · 10 min read
Artwork
CMYK vs Pantone for custom boxes: cost, colour match and which to pick
CMYK vs Pantone for printed boxes: how each works, what one colour and full colour cost at 250 to 1,000, and which to pick for your brand colour.
September 24, 2026 · 6 min read
Choosing
Custom box inserts: what they cost, cardboard vs foam, and when you need one
Custom box inserts cost about $1.39 each at 100 and $0.66 at 500. Cardboard vs foam, mailer boxes with inserts, and when you can skip one.
September 23, 2026 · 6 min read
Buying
Wholesale custom boxes: bulk pricing, and where the discount stops
Wholesale custom boxes: a logo mailer is about $2.87 at 100, $1.28 at 500 and $1.15 at 1,000, then flat. Real bulk prices and how many to order.
September 22, 2026 · 8 min read
Buying
Custom boxes with logo for a small business: what your first 100 actually cost
Custom boxes with logo for a small business: a one colour mailer is about $2.87 a box at 100 and $1.82 at 250. Real prices, and the extras to skip.
September 21, 2026 · 9 min read
Shipping
Dimensional weight in 2026: how a quarter inch of board adds a pound to your shipping bill
USPS now works out dimensional weight the way UPS and FedEx do: round every side up, divide by 139. What that does to real box sizes, and how to size yours.
September 15, 2026 · 9 min read
Sizing
How to measure a box (and why your first one is usually wrong)
Length, width and depth in the right order, measured on the inside, with the common mistakes that turn a 250 box run into landfill.
August 12, 2026 · 6 min read
Artwork
What a dieline is, and how to send artwork that actually prints
A plain explanation of dielines, bleed, safe zones and why your printer keeps asking for a vector file. Includes free dieline templates.
August 5, 2026 · 7 min read
Choosing
Mailer box vs shipping box vs folding carton
Three box types that look similar, cost very different amounts, and fail in different ways. Which one your product actually needs.
July 29, 2026 · 6 min read
Buying
Six things brands get wrong on a first packaging order
Six common first run mistakes on custom boxes, what each one costs you, and how to avoid them before you approve a proof.
July 22, 2026 · 7 min read
Buying
How to choose a custom packaging supplier
The questions worth asking any packaging supplier, including us. Covers minimums, proofs, lead times, reprints and who owns your artwork.
July 15, 2026 · 8 min read
Materials
Eco friendly packaging, minus the greenwashing
Which sustainable packaging claims mean something, which are marketing, and what recyclable actually requires from your box.
July 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Free tools
Or skip the reading
Two things on this site answer the two questions the guides answer, and both work right now without an email address.
Free dieline generator
Put in your dimensions, download a true to scale SVG template, and fold the box out of paper before you order it.
Open the tool →
What custom boxes actually cost
Real prices by quantity, what pushes the number up, and the easiest places to spend less on a first run.
Read the cost guide →
Still not sure what you need?
Rather just email? hello@boxcrisp.com