Custom Matchbox-Style Slide Boxes

Getting the Proportions Right

A matchbox-style box should feel slim. The classic look comes from a tray that is shallow relative to its length and width, and a sleeve that fits snugly enough to hold the tray in place but loosely enough that it slides with a light push. We build in a small clearance between tray and sleeve and set the depth to suit your product with a few millimetres to spare.

To size it, lay the product in the position you want it seen, add any insert or tissue and measure the length, width and height. Business cards, for example, need a tray just over 85 x 55 mm with enough depth for the number of cards you want to include. Jewellery usually sits on a card or foam insert, so measure the insert rather than the piece itself. If you want a ribbon pull or a thumb notch on the tray, tell us and we will allow for it.

Think about how the box will be held, too. A very long, thin tray can twist when pushed, so for items over about 150 mm long we usually suggest a slightly heavier board or a rigid build. Square formats slide just as well as oblong ones and can look more modern, especially for jewellery and favours. If the product is heavy for its size, such as a metal keyring or a stone pendant, a tighter sleeve keeps the tray from slipping out when the box is tipped. p2 The guide to measuring a product covers items that sit on an insert.

Board and Print Choices

Most slide boxes are made from folding board in white or kraft. White board takes full colour beautifully and suits bold patterns and photographic designs. Kraft board has a natural, handmade look that suits makers, florists and artisan food brands, and it pairs well with one colour of dark ink or a white print. For a more luxurious feel, rigid slide boxes made from greyboard wrapped in paper offer a solid, weighty result that suits higher value jewellery and keepsakes.

Print the sleeve with your brand, product name and a pattern that wraps all the way round. Print the tray inside with a contrasting colour, a pattern or a short message. Many brands print a thank you on the tray base or the line "Made for you" so the customer sees it as the box opens. Because the tray and sleeve can be printed differently, you can also use one sleeve design with several tray colours to signal different products. p1 The rigid version is built like our sliding drawer rigid boxes at a smaller size.

Finishing Touches That Suit Small Boxes

On a small surface, a single special finish goes a long way. A foil logo in gold or copper on the sleeve catches the light and makes a tiny box look precious. Blind embossing adds a raised texture that people tend to run a finger over. A soft-touch laminate gives a velvety feel that pairs well with jewellery. A die-cut window in the sleeve lets part of the tray design or the product peek through, which invites someone to slide it open.

Thumb notches cut into the sleeve edge make the tray easier to push out, and a ribbon pull fixed to the tray adds a gift-like detail. A small sticker seal across the tray and sleeve shows the box has not been opened, which is useful for samples and favours. p1 Foil and emboss on a small face are compared in the guide to print and finish options.

Matchbox-Style Slide Boxes for Events and Retail

For weddings and parties, slide boxes make lovely favours. Print the couple's names or the event theme on the sleeve and fill the tray with sweets, seeds or a small keepsake. For shops, they sit neatly on a counter or in a display and stack well. For brands that post small products, they slip into a padded envelope or a small mailer and arrive looking considered, not thrown together.

Corporate customers use them for business cards, USB sticks and branded pins handed out at meetings and events. A slim sleeve printed with the company logo turns a simple handout into something people keep on their desk. p1 Pins and USB sticks for events sometimes go in our swag boxes for corporate gifts when the set is larger.

Measure the Insert, Not the Earrings

Slide boxes for jewellery are sized from the card or foam insert the piece sits on, not from the piece itself, and a tray cut to a pendant will not take the card behind it. Lay the product on its insert, add any tissue, and measure length, width and height; for business cards, count the cards you want in the tray, since fifty is twice the depth of twenty-five. Say if you want a thumb notch or a ribbon pull.

Choose the board from the product's weight: folding board for favours and cards, a tighter sleeve or a rigid build for a metal keyring that would slide the tray out when tipped. Send the sleeve artwork and the tray colour, and the custom quote arrives by email within one working day, from £0.25 for a simple printed box.

The free proof shows both the sleeve and the tray flat. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and the flat parts reach UK mainland addresses by free tracked delivery. Jewellers who want a hinged alternative for rings usually add our small boxes for earrings and studs in the same wrap.