Custom Air Filter Boxes

Part Number Panels and Shelf Picking

A parts counter works from codes, not pictures. The end panels of your box are what a picker sees when filters are stored side on, so we recommend putting the part number, vehicle fitment and barcode there in large, dark type. Many brands keep the main faces for the logo and a photo of the filter, then repeat the part number on two ends so the box reads correctly whichever way it was shelved.

If you sell hundreds of part numbers, printing each one separately is rarely practical. A common approach is one printed box design per size with a blank white panel left for a printed sticker. Your warehouse labels the box as it is packed, and the outer print stays the same across the range. We can supply matching labels for that panel if it helps. If part numbers change often, printed part number labels on plain cartons keep the stock of boxes flexible.

Board Choices for Custom Air Filter Boxes

Light car filters travel happily in a thick folding board. It takes a sharp print, folds cleanly and stacks well on a retail shelf. For commercial vehicle and agricultural filters, which can be large and heavy, single wall E-flute or B-flute corrugated board gives far better crush strength while still printing well enough for a clear logo and code panel.

White board shows bright brand colours and photos. Kraft board has a plain, workshop look that some trade brands prefer, and it hides scuffs from handling. Either can be printed in full colour, though dark colours on kraft look more muted than on white. The differences between corrugated flutes and folding boxboard are set out in our plain-English guide to board grades.

Print, Coatings and Handling

Parts boxes get handled with oily fingers, so a gloss or matt coating over the print is worth having. It wipes clean, resists scuffing and keeps the barcode readable after weeks in a stores bin. A gloss coating gives a stronger shine on photo panels, while matt suits a restrained, technical look.

Keep fitment tables and small print to the side panels where they have room, and keep text at a size a fitter can read at arm's length. Spot colour print for a logo and code is the most economical option for large runs; full colour suits brands that show a product photo on every face. Our side-by-side look at coatings shows how varnish, matt and gloss laminations handle oily hands.

Keeping Pleats Safe Between Warehouse and Workshop

Most damage to filters happens after they leave your building. A box of filters might go from your warehouse to a distributor, then to a motor factor, then onto a delivery van that visits a dozen garages before lunch. Each step adds a knock or a stack. A snug box with firm flaps takes most of that punishment, but a few small details help a great deal.

For round filters, a simple card disc in the top and bottom stops the seal from rubbing against the flaps. For deep panel filters, a crash-lock base gives a flat, rigid floor that does not open under weight. And for any filter going out by parcel carrier on its own, a corrugated box is safer than folding board, because couriers rarely treat a small carton gently.

If you are unsure what level of protection a filter needs, tell us how it travels and how it is stored. We will suggest a board and style on your quote and explain why, so you can weigh the cost against the returns you are trying to avoid. Small items that travel with filters, such as bulbs, use the same board thinking on our car light bulb box page.

Start With the Pleat Height, Not the Box Size

Filter cartons are easiest to get right when you work from the filter outwards. Measure the pleat pack at its tallest point and the frame at its widest, then add 3 to 5 mm on each side so the filter slides in without the pleats scraping the board. If you sell a family of sizes, send the full list and we will tell you where two or three part numbers can share one carton with a different label. Choose the board next: single-wall corrugated for heavy truck filters, folding boxboard for light panel filters that sit on a retail shelf. Artwork needs a clear part number panel, a barcode at the right size and your logo as a vector file. We send a free proof showing the dieline and print, quote by email within one working day, and run production over 4 to 7 working days once the proof is approved. Misprinted or crushed cartons reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded. Trade customers posting filters out also use our heavier automotive shipping boxes as the outer carton.