Custom Hang Tab Lipstick Boxes

Sizing Around the Lipstick Case

Start with the case, not the bullet. Measure the diameter of the widest part of the lipstick, which is often the cap, and its full length with the cap on. Add around 1 to 2 mm to the width and depth so the case slides in without force, and a few millimetres to the height so the tuck flap closes cleanly over the top.

Square cases and magnetic cases are wider than standard round bullets, and a slanted or faceted cap may need a slightly taller box. Send us the product or its drawing, and we will build the dieline around it. The tab height is usually between 25 and 40 mm; a taller tab gives more room for your logo, while a shorter one keeps the hanging row compact. Our method for measuring a lipstick case covers caps and magnetic closures.

• Measure the cap diameter, not just the body
• Allow 1 to 2 mm clearance on width and depth
• Check the peg spacing on your stockists' display
• Pick round hole or Euro slot to match the hooks they use

Board and Print for Small Cosmetic Cartons

Most hang tab lipstick boxes are made from 300 to 350 gsm white folding board. That weight is stiff enough to keep the tab from curling under the lipstick's weight, yet thin enough for sharp folds on such a small carton. For heavier metal cases, we can step up the board or add a reinforcing fold behind the hang hole.

Because the box is tiny, artwork has to work hard. Put the shade name and a true colour swatch on the front face and repeat the shade on the bottom flap, where staff look when they restock. Keep regulatory text on the back panel at a legible size. Full colour print handles shade swatches well, and we can match a brand colour more closely with a spot ink if accuracy matters.

Finishes That Look Right Under Shop Lighting

Retail lighting is bright and often comes from above, so a high gloss box can glare at eye level. A soft-touch or matt lamination gives a calm, premium feel and makes small text easier to read. Gloss still has its place on bold, colourful ranges aimed at a younger market.

Hot foil on the logo or shade name catches light without needing a large area. Spot gloss over a swatch is another popular touch: the colour block shines while the rest of the box stays matt. Embossing works on lipstick cartons but needs to be kept away from fold lines, because the panels are narrow. Our finishes under shop lighting compared guide shows which laminates glare.

Information Every Lipstick Carton Should Carry

A cosmetic carton has a legal job as well as a selling one. The back panel usually carries the ingredients list, the net weight or volume, the name and address of the responsible person, a batch code area and a period-after-opening symbol. Lipstick boxes are so narrow that this text can easily become cramped, so plan the back panel early and let the front stay clean.

Leave a clear, unprinted or light-coloured patch where batch codes will be stamped or inkjet printed on your filling line. Dark, heavily laminated areas make those codes hard to read. Barcodes need a quiet zone around them and should sit on a flat panel rather than wrapping a fold, or scanners at the till will struggle.

We check these practical points on your free design proof, but the wording itself is your responsibility, so have your compliance text finalised before artwork goes to us. Changing a single line after printing means a full reprint of that shade.

Print One Shade First, Then the Range

A lipstick range can run to twenty shades, and the sensible order is a master layout proved on one shade before the rest are added. Settle the carton on your best seller: measure the case with its cap on, at its widest and its full height, choose the tab shape your stockists' pegs take, and decide if a window shows the bullet. Once that proof is approved, the shade name, the swatch and the barcode change per version and the rest stays fixed, so the whole range is quoted as one job with several versions and a popular shade can be reordered on its own later. Artwork is the master design as a vector file plus a list of shade names and swatch references, and the free proof shows the dieline with the tab and the variable panel marked. A custom quote comes by email within one working day, minimums are quoted per job across the versions, and cartons are produced in 4–7 working days after approval with free tracked UK mainland delivery. Glosses in the same range use our lip gloss boxes in the same layout.