Custom Corrugated Literature Mailers

Sizing Around Your Books and Prints

Measure the height, width and thickness of what you send most often. For books, use the finished size with dust jacket. For prints, measure the print and any backing board or protective sleeve. Add a small margin on each side so items slide in without scuffing, but not so much that they shift during transit.

If you post a range of items, a set of two or three mailer sizes often covers everything. Variable depth book wraps adjust to different thicknesses within the same footprint, which suits publishers sending single books and small bundles. For prints, a mailer with a fixed depth and a backing board holds the print flat whatever the paper weight.

Weigh a packed mailer before ordering a large run. Postal services set price bands by weight and size together, and a slightly smaller mailer or lighter board can sometimes bring a heavy book into a cheaper band.

Catalogues sent to trade buyers often go out in bundles, so a deeper mailer that takes five or ten catalogues stacked flat can be more efficient than individual envelopes. Our guide on how to measure a book with its jacket explains where to allow clearance.

Board Grades and Protection

Most literature mailers use E-flute or B-flute corrugated board. E-flute is thinner, prints beautifully and suits books and brochures sent by post. B-flute is thicker and gives more crush resistance for heavy stock, bulk catalogues or parcels going through courier networks with more handling.

For valuable prints and signed editions, add a protective layer: tissue paper, a clear sleeve or a sheet of card between the print and the box wall. Corner protectors are rarely needed in a well fitted mailer, as the folded corners themselves are strong.

Damp is the main enemy of corrugated board in storage. Keep stock off concrete floors and away from outside walls, and flat mailers will stay crisp for a long time.

Ask for a sample if you are unsure which flute suits your heaviest title. You can see E-flute and B-flute compared in our board guide.

Plain, Printed or Branded Inside

Many printers and publishers use plain brown or white mailers with a printed label, which is economical and works well for trade orders. Others print a logo on the lid in one colour, so the parcel is recognisable in a pile of post. Direct-to-reader publishers often go further with full-colour outside print and a printed inside lid that greets the reader with a message or illustration.

White mailers show colour print more brightly; brown kraft mailers suit one or two colours and a natural look. Inside print is especially popular for book subscription services and crowdfunded editions, where the opening is part of the product.

If you send both retail and trade orders, two print versions on the same mailer size work well: a fully branded version for readers and a plain one with a small logo for shops and distributors. A plain mailer with a one-colour logo is the lowest-cost branded option.

Speeding Up the Packing Bench

If you send a lot of parcels, the time spent closing each one adds up. Self-seal strips save tape and time, and tear strips let recipients open the box cleanly without a knife, which matters when the contents include delicate prints. Pre-folded mailers are not usually needed; most designs fold flat to fully formed in a few seconds.

Keep mailers flat in a stack beside the packing bench, sorted by size. Labels stick best to the smooth lid surface, so leave a plain area for the shipping label if your design is fully printed.

Insert cards fit neatly on top of the contents in a literature mailer. A thank-you note, a reading list or a discount code for the next order adds very little weight and reaches the reader at exactly the right moment. Prints and posters larger than A3 move to our art print shipping boxes, which hold a backing board.

Send the Thickest Book and the Thinnest, Not an Average

Literature mailers fail when they are sized to an average. Measure the thickest and thinnest items you post, including jackets, slip cases and any backing board for prints, and tell us both. If the spread is wide, a variable-depth book wrap with crash-lock folds covers it; if it is narrow, a fixed-depth mailer with a tear strip is simpler and cheaper. Say how the parcel is handled, because a mailer that goes through a sorting hub needs B-flute where a courier collection can use E-flute. Publishers sending several titles together often add a deeper book shipping box for bundles.

Send the sizes, the board you prefer and any print, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day. The free proof shows the mailer folded and flat, with the label area marked. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval, mailers arrive flat by tracked courier to UK mainland addresses, and we hold your dielines so reorders go straight to production. Damage or print faults reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.