Custom Cookie Sleeves

Full Wrap, Partial Wrap and Belly Bands

A full sleeve covers the whole tray or box on four sides, leaving only the ends open. It gives the most space for artwork and information and makes the pack look like a printed box from the front.

A partial sleeve or belly band wraps around the middle, leaving the product visible above and below. It is a popular choice for clear trays, because shoppers can see the cookies themselves while the band carries the branding. Bands also use less board, which helps keep costs down further.

Some brands use a sleeve with a die-cut window, so the cookies show through a shaped opening in the middle of the printed panel. A round window echoing the shape of a cookie is a simple, effective idea.

Think about how the pack will be displayed before choosing. If cookies are stacked flat on a shelf, the top of the sleeve is what shoppers see, so a full sleeve with the flavour name on the top panel works hard. If packs stand upright in a crate or basket, the front face matters most and a belly band may be all you need. The same constructions are described on our belly bands and full sleeves page.

Getting the Fit Right

A sleeve that is too loose slides off; one that is too tight crushes the tray or tears when pulled on. The right fit is snug, with just enough room to slide on by hand.

Measure the outside of the tray or box carefully, including any lip around the top of a tray. Clear trays often flex slightly when filled, so measure a filled pack rather than an empty one. Tell us the width, depth and height and we will add the correct allowance for the thickness of the card.

If you stack cookies in a tube rather than a tray, a sleeve can be made as a cylinder band. It needs a slightly different construction, which we can quote if you send the diameter and height.

Before ordering a full run, slide a printed paper mock-up over a filled tray. It takes a few minutes and quickly shows whether the fit, the window position and the overall look feel right in the hand. Our guide on how to measure the outside of a tray covers lips and lids.

Board, Print and Finish

Sleeves are usually printed on a light folding board that wraps neatly and holds a crisp fold. White board shows colours brightly and suits bold, playful designs. Kraft board gives a homemade, artisan feel that pairs well with brown cookie boxes and rustic bakery branding.

Because a sleeve is a small surface, clarity is everything. Use one strong focal point, usually the brand or flavour name, with supporting details smaller. Product photography of a cookie broken in half, showing the inside, tells shoppers exactly what they are getting.

A matte laminate or a simple coating keeps the print clean when packs are handled. Foil on the logo or a spot UV highlight on the flavour name adds a premium touch for gift ranges.

If your cookies are sold as gifts, a darker board with a metallic ink or foil detail lifts the sleeve without moving to a full box, and it still slides over the same tray used for everyday packs. You can see kraft and white board compared in our board guide.

Information to Include

Sleeves often carry the labelling information that the inner pack lacks. Plan space for the product name, weight, ingredients, allergen information, a best-before area, storage advice and your business name and address. We print exactly the text you supply, so check it carefully against your own requirements on the proof.

Leave a clear area for a batch code or best-before date if you add these by hand or with a label. A small plain box on the back or base keeps it tidy.

If you sell in shops, a barcode on the back or base panel lets retailers scan the pack easily.

Many bakeries find it helpful to design the back panel as a template, with the same layout for every flavour and only the ingredient list and colours changing. It keeps the range consistent and makes it much quicker to add a new flavour later. Dates and batch codes are best added as a small label at packing on a plain back panel.

Measure the Outside of the Tray, Then Decide How Much to Cover

A sleeve is sized from the outside of whatever it wraps, so measure the tray or box with cookies inside: length, width and height, plus any lip on a clear tray. Then choose how much to cover. A full sleeve hides the whole pack and carries the most print; a belly band leaves the ends open and shows the cookies; a narrow band suits a single stack. If you run several flavours, keep one tray size and print a sleeve per flavour, with the best-before label on the back applied at packing so dates never go in the print.

Send the tray measurements, the number of flavours and the quantity per flavour, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day. The free proof shows each sleeve flat with fold lines marked, so the fit can be checked against your tray before anything is printed. Sleeves are made in 4 to 7 working days after approval, arrive flat by tracked courier to UK mainland addresses, and misprints or damage reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.