Custom Media Mailer Boxes

Board Choice for Books, Records and Games

E-flute corrugated board around 1.5 mm thick is the usual starting point. It is thin enough to keep Large Letter boxes under the depth limit while still giving genuine corner strength. B-flute, around 3 mm, is better for heavy hardbacks, art books and vinyl, where the extra cushioning in the walls is worth the slight increase in size.

Kraft board gives a classic bookshop look and hides the scuffs of transit well. White board shows full-colour print more brightly and makes a strong first impression for publishers and subscription book clubs.

Weight matters as much as size for Large Letter post. A paperback of around 350 g plus an E-flute box of roughly 60–80 g leaves comfortable headroom under the 750 g limit, but a heavy hardback may tip a parcel into the next band. Weighing a packed sample before you commit to a size saves surprises at the post office counter.

Print That Suits a Book Brand

Many independent sellers keep the outside simple: a one-colour logo on the lid, perhaps a short line along the side. The inside of the lid is where personality can come through, with a pattern, a favourite quote or a thank-you message that the reader sees as the box opens.

Publishers and book clubs often go further, printing the outside in full colour to match a monthly theme. If the box is posted naked with a label, leave a clear flat area on the lid around 100 x 150 mm for the shipping label so it does not cover your artwork.

Record shops sometimes print a fragile and this way up mark discreetly along one side, which helps couriers handle the box with care without spoiling the design. Our one colour print on kraft guide shows how a logo sits on brown board.

Closing Styles and Extras

The classic roll-end tuck-front style closes with a tuck flap and two side dust flaps, giving a neat box that opens like a lid. A crash-lock wrap style folds around the book from a flat base, which suits varying book thicknesses because the wrap adjusts slightly. Tear strips make opening easy, and self-seal adhesive strips speed up packing and show if a box has been tampered with.

For return-friendly boxes, add a second adhesive strip so customers can reseal the box if they need to send a book back. Thumb holes on the side help readers lift a heavy art book out without damaging the dust jacket.

For collectors' items, a thin card insert or a sheet of tissue around the book adds a final layer of care. It costs very little and shows buyers of rare or signed editions that their purchase was packed by someone who understands its value.

Books, Records, Games and More

Independent bookshops and second-hand book sellers are the core buyers, along with record shops posting vinyl and CDs, games shops sending board games and video games, and comic shops shipping graphic novels. Self-published authors use them for signed copies, and subscription book clubs use printed versions for their monthly box.

Universities and training providers post course books in them, and museums and galleries use them for exhibition catalogues sold online.

Charity shops selling donated books online have found media mailers particularly useful, because one or two standard sizes cover most of the stock that comes through the door, and volunteers can pack quickly without measuring every title. Single issues and graded comics use the slimmer comic book boxes for single issues.

Check the Postage Band Before You Fix the Depth

Media mailers are sized to postage bands as much as to books, so before anything else, measure the thickest item you post regularly and check it against the band you want to hit; a few millimetres of depth can move a parcel from one band to the next and cost more than the box saves. Tell us the item dimensions, the band, and whether one box should cover both paperbacks and hardbacks with a card insert taking up the difference. Choose kraft or white board by your branding and decide whether the box needs a tear strip and a second adhesive strip for returns. Artwork is a logo and any message inside the lid, sent as vector files, and the free proof shows the dieline with the print layout. A custom quote comes by email within one working day, minimums are quoted per job, and boxes are produced in 4–7 working days after approval, delivered flat with free tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses. Boxes closed with a tuck rather than adhesive are our tuck top mailers without adhesive.