Custom Paper Tube Containers

Lids, Liners and Closures

The lid style changes how the tube feels. A telescope lid slides over the body and covers most of it, giving a smooth, slow opening. A shoulder lid sits on an inner collar, so the lid and body line up flush. A simple cap lid is cheaper and suits smaller tubes.

Inner liners are important for food and powder products. Foil-lined paper keeps out moisture and light, protecting tea, coffee and spices. Grease-resistant liners suit products with oils. A peelable seal under the lid shows the tube has not been opened and keeps the product fresh until first use.

For loose powders, a sifter insert under the lid lets customers shake out small amounts. Food-contact grade board and liners are available on request. Plain brown tubes without a printed wrap are the kraft paper tubes with a push lid.

Sizing and Shape

Tubes are measured by inside diameter and height. Decide how much product goes in each tube and choose a size with a little headroom at the top. For tea and loose products, weigh a sample and measure its volume, because different blends fill tubes differently.

Short, wide tubes are stable on a shelf and easy to scoop from. Tall, slim tubes look elegant and save shelf space. For gift sets, several small tubes can sit together in a box or a larger tube.

If you sell several sizes, keep the same diameter and change only the height, so lids are interchangeable and your range looks consistent.

Bring a sample of your product to the measuring stage. Loose tea with large leaves takes up far more space than finely cut blends, and bath salts with dried petals behave very differently from plain crystals. A quick fill test with a mock tube of the right diameter is the most reliable way to set the height.

Think about the scoop, too. If customers use a spoon or scoop inside the tube, a wider diameter makes it much easier to reach the last of the product. The volume method is set out in our guide to measuring for a box.

Printing All the Way Round

Paper tubes are wrapped in a printed label paper, so the design can cover the whole tube with no gaps. Full colour printing, foil, embossing and soft-touch finishes all work well. The lid can be printed separately, which is useful for showing flavour or variety on the top of the tube.

Because the tube is round, only part of the design is visible at once. Put the brand name and product name where they face forward on the shelf, and use the rest of the wrap for patterns, ingredients and directions. A colour band or lid colour that changes by variety helps shoppers find their favourite.

Tubes also work well with a short story printed on the back of the wrap: where the tea is grown, how the bath soak was blended or what inspired a fragrance. It turns the container into something people read while the kettle boils.

Shipping and Storage

Paper tubes are strong and resist crushing well, so they travel safely in a mailer or outer carton. Unlike flat-packed boxes, they arrive assembled, so allow for storage space when you order.

Keep tubes in a dry place, as card can absorb moisture. If you fill tubes with hygroscopic products like bath salts, use a liner and seal to keep the contents dry.

For online orders, a tube can travel in a simple corrugated sleeve or a small box with a little paper fill. Because the tube is already strong, you need much less padding than you would for a glass jar. The free proof shown as the flat wrap marks the seam so the logo is placed clear of it.

Work Out the Fill Volume Before the Tube Height

A paper tube is quoted by inside diameter and height, and height follows from volume, so start there. Weigh the portion you sell and measure it in a kitchen jug to get its volume in millilitres; a 75 mm tube holds roughly 44 ml per 10 mm of height, so 200 ml of loose tea needs about 45 mm plus 15 mm for the liner and clearance. Short and wide for anything scooped, tall and slim for anything poured or lifted out. Choose the liner by the product: foil for tea and coffee, grease-resistant for anything oily, a sifter insert for powders. Solid balms that are pushed up from the base use the push-up paper tubes with a sliding disc instead.

Email the product, amount per tube, diameter, height, lid, liner and artwork with the quantity, and a custom quote comes back within one working day with a free design proof after it. Tubes are made in 4 to 7 working days once approved and delivered built, free and tracked, on the UK mainland in 2 to 3 days. Tubes that arrive dented or misprinted are replaced or refunded when reported within 10 days.