Custom Paper Tubes with End Caps

Working Out Length and Diameter

Length should be the width of the rolled item plus enough to fit the caps and a small margin. A poster printed at A2 is 420 mm on its short side, so if you roll it along that side you need a tube a little longer than that once the caps are in place. Roll along the long side and you need a longer tube but a smaller diameter.

Diameter depends on how thick the rolled item is. Thin paper prints roll tightly into a narrow tube, but heavy art paper and canvas resist rolling tightly and need more room. Too tight a roll can mark the paper, so it is better to choose a slightly wider tube than force a print into a narrow one. If you send us the paper weight and number of sheets per tube, we will suggest a suitable inside diameter.

For multiple prints in one order, roll them together with the largest on the outside, interleaved with tissue so the printed surfaces do not rub. Allow a little extra diameter for the tissue layers.

If your catalogue covers several print sizes, two or three tube lengths usually cover everything. Fewer sizes means simpler stock control and a better price per tube on each run. Our notes on how to measure your product for packaging help with rolled items too.

Plain Kraft or Printed Wraps

A plain brown kraft tube is the workhorse for postal use. It is strong, cheap and takes a shipping label well. Many print shops and illustrators add a printed sticker or a branded tape to plain tubes and leave it there.

For retail and gift use, a printed outer wrap changes the tube completely. A full-colour wrap can carry artwork, product information and branding round the whole circumference. Matt, gloss and soft-touch finishes are available, along with foil blocking on a logo. White tubes give a clean base for bright print; black tubes suit premium art prints and photography.

A printed wrap also suits limited edition prints, where the tube becomes part of what the collector keeps. For a sturdier shelf tube rather than a posting tube, rigid paper tubes for retail take the same printed wraps.

Textiles and Fabric Rolls

Fabric shops, upholsterers and textile designers use capped tubes for two jobs: as a core for rolling fabric onto, and as a protective tube for sending swatches and short lengths. A core tube needs a rigid wall so the fabric can be wound tightly without the tube collapsing. A protective tube needs a wider bore and secure caps so the fabric stays clean and does not shift.

For delicate textiles such as silk scarves or vintage prints, we can add a tissue wrap and a printed label to the cap. For heavier fabrics, crimped metal ends give the strongest closure.

Swatch tubes sent to interior designers often carry a printed label on the cap listing the fabric name and colour reference, so the tube can be identified on a shelf without opening it. Rolls that need a wider core can use wide cylinder postal tubes instead.

Posting Tubes Without Surprises

Long, narrow parcels often fall into a separate postal category, and charges can jump once a tube passes a certain length. Check the size limits of the service you use before settling on a length. Sometimes rolling a print along its other side, or folding a small border under, brings the tube into a cheaper band.

Triangular and square tubes do not roll off a sorting belt and are sometimes preferred by couriers, but round tubes remain the most widely accepted. Whichever you choose, write the contents on the label as rolled prints or textiles so handlers treat it with a little care.

For framed artwork or anything that cannot be rolled, a capped tube is the wrong format, and a flat art print box will serve you better. We are happy to quote both if your range includes rolled and flat items. If you take the flat route, art print shipping boxes hold prints flat and protected.

Ordering Capped Tubes

Tell us the inside diameter, the length, the cap style, the wall strength and whether you want plain or printed tubes. We reply with a custom quote within one working day and send a free design proof for printed wraps showing how the artwork wraps round the tube. Production follows in 4 to 7 working days after approval, with free tracked delivery to the UK mainland. Low minimums are quoted per job, and any tubes that arrive misprinted or damaged can be reported within 10 days for a reprint or refund.