Custom Packaging Sleeves

Getting the Measurements Right

A sleeve only looks good if it fits snugly. Too loose and it slides off when the box is picked up; too tight and it scuffs or buckles as it goes on. Measure the outside of the box you will sleeve, not the inside, and tell us the length around the box and the width of the sleeve you want. We add a small allowance for the thickness of the box board so the sleeve slips on smoothly but still grips.

If your boxes come from a different supplier, send us one, or at least an exact measurement taken with a ruler rather than the supplier's catalogue size, because stock boxes often differ by a millimetre or two from their listed dimensions. For trays and drawer packs, we can make the tray and sleeve together, size them as a pair and show the fit on your proof.

Decide early where the join will sit. Most sleeves have a glued seam on the back or base, which keeps the front clean for your artwork. p2 The guide to measuring for a custom box explains outside versus inside figures.

Board, Print and Finishing

Most sleeves are printed on a folding boxboard between 300 and 400 gsm, which is stiff enough to hold its shape but bends cleanly at the corners. Kraft board suits natural and handmade products, while a smooth white board gives the brightest colour. For a premium look, a heavier board with soft-touch lamination and hot foil makes the sleeve feel like part of a gift box.

Because a sleeve is a narrow surface, strong, simple artwork works best. A clear logo, the product name and one or two key details are usually enough, with ingredients or care information on the back. Embossing the logo, adding a spot UV highlight or using a single metallic foil can make even a one-colour design feel expensive.

Printing the inside of a sleeve is possible too, and it is a nice touch when the sleeve is slid off by hand and the customer sees a message underneath. p2 Foil and soft-touch options are compared on our board and finish page.

Who Uses Packaging Sleeves

Sleeves suit almost any product that already sits in a box or tray. Soap makers use them over plain boxes or even over the bare bar. Candle makers sleeve stock gift boxes. Clothing and sock brands use belly bands around folded garments. Bakers and chocolatiers sleeve plain boxes for each flavour. Corporate gift teams use sleeves to brand standard boxes for different events without ordering new boxes each time.

They also suit limited editions and collaborations. A small run of special sleeves over your usual boxes lets you test a new design or celebrate a partnership without committing to a full printed box.

Applying Sleeves Without Slowing Down

For small businesses, sleeving is usually done by hand at the packing bench, so the fit and the board weight make a real difference to speed. A sleeve with a slight allowance slides on in a single movement, while one that is too tight needs coaxing and can crease at the corners. We set the allowance with this in mind, and we can make a few test sleeves for you to try on your boxes before printing the full run.

If you pack in larger numbers, keep the sleeves stored flat and away from damp so they stay square. Board that has absorbed moisture can curl slightly and become harder to open. Opening a stack of sleeves before a packing session, and keeping them by design so the right sleeve goes on the right product, helps avoid mix-ups when you sell several variants in the same box size.

Finally, think about where any product stickers, barcodes or batch labels will go. If they sit on the box itself, make sure the sleeve leaves them visible, or move the barcode onto the sleeve artwork so the shop can scan the product without sliding anything off. p2 Sock and hosiery brands use the same idea on our printed sleeves for folded socks.

Post Us One of the Boxes You Already Use

A sleeve is only as good as its fit, and catalogue sizes for stock boxes are often a millimetre or two out. The surest brief is one of your actual boxes in the post, assembled; we measure its outside, set the allowance for the board thickness and send a couple of test sleeves back before the run. If posting is awkward, measure the outside with a ruler, not the inside, and photograph the box with the ruler across it.

Tell us where the seam should sit, usually on the back or base, and whether any barcode on the box must stay visible. Send one artwork per variant; several designs in the same size are quoted together. The custom quote arrives by email within one working day, from £0.25 a sleeve, with the minimum set per job.

The free proof shows the flat sleeve with fold and glue lines marked, so you can see where each panel falls. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and the pre-glued sleeves reach UK mainland addresses flat by free tracked delivery. Brands that want the tray made as well usually order our tray and sleeve box sets so both are cut together.