Custom Seal End Boxes

Glue Lines, Hot Melt and Hand Packing

Brands filling on a production line usually seal the ends with a hot melt glue unit. Smaller producers filling by hand often use a cold glue, a glue gun or double-sided tape strips applied to the flaps. All of these work with seal end cartons, but it helps to tell us which method you will use, because the coating on the board can affect how well the glue grips.

For hand packing, we can leave the inside flap areas uncoated or add a glue-friendly panel so adhesive bonds properly. If you are moving from hand packing to a machine later, mention it now; the carton can be made to run on both, which saves a redesign when you grow.

Whichever method you use, glue placement matters more than quantity. A couple of short beads near the centre of the outer flap hold far better than a thick smear near the edge, which tends to squeeze out and mark the printed panel. Press the sealed end flat for a few seconds, or stack filled cartons on their sides briefly, so the bond sets before the box is moved. If you find the top flaps springing open on a cold morning, the glue may be chilling too fast; a slightly warmer packing area usually cures it. Hand packers who do not want glue at all use auto-lock bottom boxes for hand packing.

Easy Opening Without Tearing the Box Apart

The one drawback of a fully glued carton is that customers can end up ripping the top off. A few small features solve that neatly. A perforated tear strip along the top lets the lid lift away cleanly, and a pour spout panel on one side works well for oats, rice and granola. A reclose tab, where a small slot and tongue hold the top shut after opening, is welcome on cereals that last a week or two.

These features cost little and change how customers feel about the product every morning. A clean open and a reclosable top are far more likely to keep the carton on the shelf, with your branding facing outwards, until it is empty.

Mark the opening point clearly with a small printed arrow or the words open here, so customers start in the right place. A perforated strip follows the same idea as our easy tear boxes with a strip.

Planning Size and Board

Size the carton from the filled inner bag or the product stack, not from the volume on paper. Fill a bag to your target weight, let it settle, then measure its width, depth and height. Add 3 to 5 mm on width and depth and a little more on height so the bag slides in without catching. Classic cereal proportions are tall and slim, which gives a large front panel for branding.

Most dry food seal end cartons are made from 300 to 400 gsm folding boxboard. Lighter board suits small packs of crackers, while larger family packs or heavier products such as dishwasher tablets need the stiffer grades. Food-contact grade board is available on request where the product may touch the inside of the carton. Our board guide lists the board weights for family packs that stack without bowing.

Making the Most of Five Printed Faces

A seal end carton gives you a big front, a back, two sides and a top, so there is space to tell a proper story. The front carries the brand, product name, flavour and pack weight. The back is the natural home for nutrition information, ingredients, allergens and a serving suggestion. Side panels suit a recipe, a fun fact or your brand story, and the top is handy for a short brand mark visible when cartons are stacked flat.

On a busy grocery shelf, colour blocking per flavour helps shoppers find their usual pick quickly. If you sell several varieties, keep the layout identical and switch the main colour and photography for each. A gloss or satin varnish brings out food photography and also helps the carton resist splashes in the kitchen. White board carries five faces of full colour print plus the small top panel.

Tell Us Your Gluing Method, Then Test a Handful Before the Line Runs

Seal end cartons are only as good as the glue line, so the first thing we need is how you close them: hot melt on a cartoner, cold glue by hand, a glue gun or double-sided tape. Each needs the flaps left slightly different, and a carton that will move to a machine later can be made to run on both. Measure the filled inner bag or the stack it holds, say whether an easy-open strip or pour spout is wanted, and reserve the top panel for the small logo that reads on a shelf. Family-size packs need stiffer board. When the cartons arrive, glue and fill a handful with your usual method before the full run starts, and keep cereal cartons with a sealed inner bag in mind if the product is loose.

Send the product, the filled bag or stack size, the closing method and the quantity per variety, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day. The free proof shows the full dieline with the glue flaps. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval, cartons arrive flat by tracked courier to UK mainland addresses, and misprinted or damaged cartons reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.