Custom Cardboard Carriers

Weight, Handles and Board Strength

The handle is where carriers fail. Six full beer bottles weigh well over two kilos, and all of that hangs from a few square centimetres of board. For heavy loads we use corrugated board or a double layer of folding board at the handle, with rounded cut-outs so there are no corners for a tear to start.

Light loads, such as two coffees or a pair of small jars, are fine in a single layer of folding board. It prints sharply and folds flat, which suits a busy counter. We will suggest the right board when you tell us the contents and total weight.

Handle comfort deserves a thought as well. A slot that is too narrow digs into fingers when the load is heavy, so we make handle holes wide enough for four fingers and round off the top edge. For gift carriers, a rope or ribbon handle threaded through the top can replace a cut-out altogether and adds a premium touch. The difference between board grades is explained in our board strengths explained guide.

Custom Cardboard Carriers for Drinks

Drinks are the most common reason people order carriers. Craft breweries and cider makers use six-pack and four-pack baskets to sell bottles off the shelf in multiples, often with a window in the side so the labels show through. Wine shops and gift businesses prefer two- or three-bottle carriers with a tall gable handle that looks smart as a present.

For takeaway coffee, flat-pack cup carriers with die-cut holes keep cups upright on the way back to the office. Measure the base and widest point of your largest cup and we will size the holes so lids do not catch.

Bottle gifts benefit from a divider that holds each bottle apart, so glass does not knock together as the carrier swings. Dividers can be printed too, which is a nice way to add tasting notes or a short story about the producer without crowding the outside of the pack. Breweries selling four-packs usually choose the open-top can carriers for four-packs.

Printing and Finishing

A carrier is a moving advertisement. People carry it down the street and set it on a table, so it is worth printing on every outside face. Many breweries print a different colour or illustration for each beer, while keeping the same carrier shape, which makes a shelf of mixed packs look lively.

Gloss or matt coating protects the print from condensation and spills, which matters when bottles come straight from a fridge. Kraft board printed in a single dark ink suits a rustic, handmade feel and hides scuffs from handling.

If you change products often, consider printing the carrier with your brand only and adding a product sticker for each variety. One printed carrier then serves the whole range, and stickers can be changed every week if needed. This works well for farm shops and delis whose stock shifts with what is available. Our print finishes compared page shows how each coating handles condensation marks.

Sizing a Carrier

Measure the items exactly as they will be packed, including caps, corks and lids. For bottles, note the diameter at the widest point and the total height. For cups, measure the base, the rim and the height with the lid on. Give us the number of items and how they should be arranged, for example three by two or two by two.

Leave a little room above the tallest item so the handle can be gripped without fingers pressing on caps. We set this on the dieline and show it clearly on the proof.

Where items differ slightly, such as bottles from different suppliers, size the cells for the largest and add a thin card collar for the smaller ones. It keeps one carrier in stock rather than three, and the customer never notices the difference. If you are unsure where to measure from, follow our steps for measuring items for a carrier.

Load a Prototype and Lift It by the Handle

The best test of a carrier is a real load, so give us the total weight of what it will carry, not just the item sizes. Four full pint cans weigh more than people expect, and two wine bottles with a gift bag more again. Tell us the heaviest combination and we specify the board and the handle reinforcement for that. Decide whether the handle is die-cut into the board or a separate rope or tape handle, because the first folds flat and the second is fitted on the counter. Measure the items grouped as they will be carried, or photograph them together, and we draw the carrier around that footprint. Artwork is usually a logo and one or two flat colours on kraft or white. A quote comes by email within one working day, the proof is free and shows the flat carrier with the handle cut in place, and production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval. UK mainland delivery is free and tracked, with carriers packed flat. Takeaway cups go in our drinks carriers for takeaway cups instead.