Custom E-Commerce Packaging Inserts

Matching the Insert to the Outer Box

An insert only works if it fits the box it goes into. If you already use a standard mailer, send us its inside dimensions and we design the insert to sit tightly within it. If you are ordering new mailers at the same time, we can design both together so the box and insert are sized as a pair. This is usually the better option because it lets us trim any wasted space and keep the parcel as small as possible.

Cut-outs should be sized to the product, not rounded up. Measure each item at its widest point and allow about 1 to 2 mm of clearance for card and slightly more for corrugated, which is less precise at the cut edge. For bottles with a narrow neck, a two-level insert that holds both the base and the shoulder stops the bottle from tilting.

Depth is the dimension most often overlooked. If the insert sits lower than the top of the box, products can lift out of their cut-outs when the parcel is turned over. Aim for the lid to rest lightly on the tallest product or on the top edge of the insert, so everything is held from above as well as from the sides. A thin top card can close any small gap that remains. Our guide to measuring a product for a box explains the clearance a cut-out needs.

Branding Inside the Box

Inserts are a second canvas. A printed insert can show your logo, a thank-you line, a short how-to guide or a prompt to follow you on social media. Because the customer lifts the insert to reach the products, it is one of the few places where you have their full attention. Even a single colour print on kraft board looks deliberate and finished.

Some brands print a QR code on the insert that links to a set-up video, a reorder page or a care guide. Others print the name of each product next to its cut-out, which helps when a box contains several similar looking bottles. Keep the message short; a customer opening a parcel is excited to see the product, not to read a paragraph. Printing on the insert is compared with a loose card in the print and finish options guide.

Packing Speed and Storage

Inserts arrive flat and need to be folded or slotted together before packing. A well designed insert takes seconds to assemble and does not need glue or tape. If you pack a lot of orders each day, tell us; we can simplify the fold or design the insert to arrive part-glued so your team works faster.

Flat inserts also store neatly. A stack of several hundred takes up little shelf space, which matters for small brands working from a spare room or a shared unit. When you plan your order, think about how many you use in a typical month and how much storage you have, and we will quote quantities that suit both. Flat punched sheets that store in a smaller space are covered under punched card inserts that ship flat.

Products That Benefit Most

Skincare and cosmetics sets, candles, spirits and wine miniatures, coffee and tea gift sets, electronics accessories, small homeware and subscription boxes are the most common users of e-commerce packaging inserts. Any brand sending more than one item per box, or anything made of glass, will usually see breakages drop after switching to fitted inserts.

Brands sending a single robust item, such as a folded garment, rarely need a full insert. A printed card on top of the product may be all you need to make the box feel considered.

Send One of Each Product With the Outer Box

Inserts are cut to products, not to drawings, so the single most useful thing you can do is post us one of each item you pack, along with the outer box or its internal size. Bottles have shoulders, jars have lids wider than their bodies, and a cut-out drawn from a product listing is often a few millimetres out. With the samples in hand we test the fit, check that nothing rattles, and show the layout on the free proof before any board is cut.

Tell us what goes in each box, the outer size and roughly how many orders you send a month, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day with minimums worked out per job. Production follows approval and takes 4 to 7 working days, and free tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses usually takes 2 to 3 working days; inserts that arrive damaged or misprinted are reprinted or refunded if reported within 10 days. Brands that want the insert and the box quoted as one piece can start from the mailer boxes with fitted inserts page.