Custom Can Carriers

Sizing for Your Can Format

Cans come in several formats: standard, sleek and slim, each with different diameters and heights. A carrier made for standard cans will be loose with sleek cans and too tight for anything wider. Give us your can format and we will size the cells accordingly.

Cell count is a commercial decision. Four-packs suit premium craft beers and more expensive drinks. Six-packs are a familiar format for most soft drinks and lagers. Eight and twelve-packs suit supermarket multipacks and value ranges, though they need heavier board.

If you pack by hand, a carrier that loads from the top is quicker. If you have a packing line, share its specification so we can match the carrier to the machine.

Height matters for the handle. A carrier that is too short leaves the handle pressing on the can tops, and one that is too tall wastes board and wobbles. We set the handle height so fingers fit comfortably above the rims. Our guide to measuring cans for a snug cell covers the lid rim, which is wider than the body.

Strength When Cans Are Wet

Cans live in fridges and coolers, where condensation forms as soon as they come out. Ordinary board softens when damp and handles can tear. Can carriers are made from heavier boards with a moisture-resistant coating or varnish, so the handle stays strong even when cans are sweating.

The handle area is reinforced and the cut-out is shaped to spread the load across the hand. For heavier multipacks or glass bottle carriers, a corrugated board adds extra strength.

We recommend a quick fridge test with a filled sample carrier before a full order: chill it, take it out, carry it around and check how the handle holds up.

Ice buckets at events are the harshest test of all. If your carriers will sit in ice or meltwater, mention it and we will recommend a fully coated board, or suggest decanting cans into the bucket and keeping the carrier dry. The board grades that resist moisture are listed in our board guide.

Designing for the Fridge Door

Most carriers are seen in a chilled cabinet, from a short distance, behind a glass door. Bold, simple designs read best: a large logo, a clear range or flavour name and a strong brand colour. Fine detail and small text are lost behind condensation and reflections.

The end panels matter as much as the front, because carriers are often stacked side by side with only the end showing. Repeat the logo and flavour name there.

Brewers often use the carrier to tell the beer's story with a short paragraph, tasting notes and food pairings on the side panel. Kombucha and soft drink brands highlight flavours and ingredients.

Core designs with a changeable sticker are a smart approach for small brewers. One printed carrier carries the brewery brand, and a sticker on the end panel names each new beer, so limited releases do not each need a fresh print run. Shelf-ready energy drink boxes for shelves use the same fridge-door thinking with a tear-off front.

Who Packs Cans in Branded Carriers

Craft breweries are the largest buyers, using four-pack carriers for limited releases and six-packs for core ranges. Soft drink and mixer brands use carriers for supermarket and convenience store distribution. Kombucha, cold brew coffee and functional drink brands package cans in carriers for farm shops, delis and online sales.

Event organisers and festivals commission branded carriers for sponsor drinks, and corporate clients order them for gift packs with a few cans and a branded glass.

Taprooms and bottle shops often order their own house-branded carriers as well. Customers who buy a mix of cans to take home leave with a neat branded pack rather than a plastic bag, and the shop name goes with them. Cafés and bars serving cans to go often add drinks carriers for takeaway cups from the same supplier.

Tell Us the Can Format and How You Load It

A carrier is cut to the can, so the first thing we need is the format: standard, sleek or slim, and the volume. Measure the can diameter and height with the lid on, and tell us whether staff load by hand or a machine does it, because machine-fed carriers need tighter tolerances and a different glue line. Say if the packs sit in a chiller, since wet cans need a heavier board with a moisture-resistant coating and a reinforced handle. If you also sell bottles, a cardboard carrier cut for bottles can share the same print so the fridge looks tidy.

Send the format, pack size, loading method and artwork, and a custom quote comes back by email within one working day. The free proof shows the flat carrier with every printed panel, including the end panels that face out of a fridge. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval, carriers arrive flat by tracked courier, and misprints or crushed bundles reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.