Custom Portfolio Boxes

Sizing Around Your Prints

Portfolio boxes are sized from the largest print they will hold. Common sizes include 6 x 4 inch prints, 7 x 5 inch, A5, A4 and A3, along with square formats for fine art and Instagram-style sets. Allow a few millimetres around the prints so they can be lifted out without catching, and enough depth for the number of prints you deliver, plus any mount boards or interleaving tissue.

If you deliver a mix of sizes, size the box to the largest and add a card mount or an insert for the smaller ones. A box that is too deep lets prints slide around, so it is better to order the depth you need.

Mounted prints change the maths considerably. A print on a mount board can be several times the thickness of an unmounted print, so a box that holds a large stack of loose prints may only take a handful of mounted ones. Count your mounts separately when you work out the depth, and add a little extra if you include a title sheet or a printed contents card on top. Flat sheets that do not need a lidded box fit our A3 presentation folders for flat sheets.

Coverings and Finishes

The covering wraps the rigid board and gives the box its character. Smooth printed papers carry full colour designs. Linen and buckram cloths give a traditional, bookbinding feel that photographers and fine art printers love. Leatherette and faux suede add a premium, tactile surface. Plain kraft or coloured papers give a simple, modern look.

Debossing or foil stamping your logo on the lid is the most popular finish. Some photographers add the client's name and wedding date, turning the box into a keepsake. A printed inside lid with your contact details or a short note completes the presentation.

Consider how the box looks on a shelf as well as on a table. Many clients store a portfolio box upright like a book, so a printed or foiled spine with your name or the project title makes it easy to find later. A spine detail also helps galleries and agencies who keep several portfolios side by side. Our coverings and finishes compared guide shows a logo on each surface.

Who Uses Portfolio Boxes

Wedding and portrait photographers use them to deliver prints to clients. Fine art photographers and printmakers use them to present limited editions. Illustrators and artists use them to show originals to galleries and clients. Design studios and agencies use them to present brand proofs and printed samples. Architects and interior designers use them for presentation boards. Art students use them to submit portfolios for assessment.

Each group has different priorities. Photographers want a box that feels like part of the gift. Designers want a clean, professional presentation. Artists want protection for originals.

Teachers and course leaders sometimes order portfolio boxes for a whole class, giving each student a consistent, professional way to present their final work. A shared design with a space for each student's name keeps the order simple. Studios that send prints to customers by post use our photo print boxes for client orders.

Protecting Prints and Originals

Prints and originals need protection from bending, scuffs and fingerprints. A rigid board box gives the structural protection, and interleaving tissue between prints stops surfaces rubbing. If long-term storage matters, ask about acid-free board and tissue options for the inside of the box when you request a custom quote.

For travel, a magnetic clamshell or a box with a closure keeps the lid on, and a padded outer mailer protects the box in the post.

Handle prints with clean, dry hands or cotton gloves when packing, and avoid sliding them across each other. Originals and signed editions that must stay flat for years go in archival book boxes for originals.

Decide the Print Size the Box Must Protect

A portfolio box is built around the largest print it will ever hold, so settle that first: A4, A3, 11 x 14 inch or a square format. Then count the prints in a typical set and add any mounts or tissue, because the stack height sets the box depth, and a box that is too shallow for a client's full order is useless. Choose the style by how the prints come out: a lift-off lid for a studio shelf, a clamshell with drop sides for prints that must slide out flat. Pick the covering, linen, buckram or leatherette, and the branding, usually a blind deboss or a foil on the lid. Send a vector logo and the print size and count, and we return a free proof showing the box, the covering and the foil or deboss. A custom quote comes by email within one working day and minimums are set per job, which suits a photographer ordering a modest number. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval with free tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses. If you are unsure how to measure a mixed set, our guide to measuring a stack of prints helps.