Custom Book Shipping Boxes

Sizing Book Shipping Boxes Around Your Formats

Publishers and booksellers deal in standard trim sizes, which makes boxing easier. A-format paperbacks are around 110 x 178 mm, B-format around 130 x 198 mm, and trade paperbacks and many hardbacks around 156 x 234 mm. Large-format art and cookery books vary much more, so it is worth measuring your bestsellers before choosing sizes.

Measure height, width and thickness, then add a few millimetres to height and width. Thickness is where book wraps shine, because the adjustable sides handle a slim novel and a chunky one in the same box. For mailers, choose a depth that matches your most common thickness and use a card insert for thinner books.

Most shops find that three or four box sizes cover almost everything they send. Ordering more of fewer sizes lowers the unit price and makes your packing bench simpler.

Board Strength and Corner Protection

E-flute corrugated board is thin, smooth and prints well, which makes it a good choice for single books and gift mailers. B-flute is thicker and better at absorbing knocks, so it suits heavy hardbacks, collector's editions and multi-book orders. For bundles of large books, a double-wall board is worth the extra cost.

The design of the box matters as much as the board. A wrap or mailer with folded-in end panels gives the corners an extra layer, which is exactly where books get damaged. Kraft board has a classic bookseller look, while white board shows printed artwork brightly.

Printing for Bookshops and Publishers

Independent bookshops often keep it simple, with a logo on the lid and a short line such as 'Happy reading' inside. Publishers might print the imprint logo and a series design, while authors selling signed copies directly sometimes put a quote from the book on the inner flap. Subscription clubs print the month's theme or a pattern that changes with every collection.

Inside printing is especially effective for books, because the reader opens the box and sees the message before the book itself. It is also a good place for a QR code to your reading guide, events page or newsletter sign-up.

Think about the outside too. A parcel that sits in a post room or on a doorstep is seen by other people, and a well-printed logo turns it into a small advert for your shop. Keep the outer design simple enough that a courier's label does not cover the key part of it. Publishers sending catalogues with the books often use the same artwork on literature mailers for catalogues and brochures.

• Logo or imprint on the outside
• Message, quote or pattern inside the lid
• QR codes to reading guides or newsletters
• Printed 'Books inside, please handle with care' panel

Packing Books So They Arrive Like New

Wrap the book in a thin layer of tissue or place it in a clear sleeve if the cover is matte or soft-touch, since these finishes mark easily. Put it in the box spine first, so the spine sits against the strongest fold. Close the box and check that the book cannot slide; if it does, add a card pad or choose a smaller size.

For multi-book orders, stack books with the largest at the bottom and place spines on alternate sides so the stack sits flat. A tear strip saves your customer from cutting through the box near the book's cover. Peel-and-seal strips save you time and tape at the packing bench. Large art books and atlases that lie flat need the broader footprint of our flat boxes for large format books.

Sort Your Titles by Format Before You Order

Bookshops that order well start with a list of their formats rather than a list of boxes. Group what you post into A-format and B-format paperbacks, royal and demy hardbacks and anything oversized, then count how often each group ships. That tells you which two or three sizes earn a printed box and which rare formats can go in a plain outer. Measure a typical book from each group, spine to fore-edge and head to tail, plus thickness, and we add the clearance for a wrap or a padded mailer. Artwork for a book box is usually a single logo and a line of text on the lid, so a vector file is enough. The quote arrives by email within one working day, the proof is free, and minimums are low, which suits a self-published author as much as a chain. Boxes take 4 to 7 working days to make after approval and reach UK mainland addresses on free tracked delivery. Multi-volume sets are covered on our boxes for boxed book sets page.