Tray and sleeve packaging boxes are two bits, a stiff inner tray holding the product and a printed sleeve you slide over the top. Soap, chocolate, socks, little gift sets, they all suit it. We make them in kraft or SBS, or rigid board for the fancy stuff, and most can go in the recycling.
Your time is very important to us so we have kept it short.
Two pieces. A tray, then a printed band of board that slides over it, and that really is all tray and sleeve packaging boxes are, which is kind of why brands love them, you get a proper little reveal moment without paying for (or storing) a chunky magnetic box.
Who uses them? Soap makers, a lot. Chocolatiers and sock brands and tea people too, plus anyone putting together a small gift set. And if you’re trying to get plastic out of your packaging, it’s mostly just paper and board here, nothing to peel off before it goes in the bin.
We fold the tray out of one sheet, usually with locking corners, so no glue. The sleeve is just a printed tube open at both ends.
Fit is where it gets fiddly, honestly, because if the sleeve’s even a little loose the tray drops straight out onto the floor when somebody picks the box up by the sleeve, and if it’s tight your customer is wrestling it at the kitchen table, so we go for a light friction fit and cut a thumb notch at one end so you can push the tray out easily.
Thicker board changes all of that. A kraft version and an SBS version of the same box can need slightly different sleeve sizes, and we work that out on the dieline so you don’t have to.
Kraft’s the favorite for this style. People like the brown look, and most kraft boxes are recyclable anyway (skip the lamination, use our soy or water-based ink, and the whole thing can go in the paper bin). We wrote a bit on what kraft paper is and why it’s used in packaging if you’re curious.
Want brighter colors? SBS. Want it to feel like a real gift when someone lifts it? Rigid tray, printed sleeve. Mixing works too. We like a plain kraft tray with a white printed sleeve, it looks smart and it’s cheaper than printing both. The full eco-friendly boxes range has similar options.
The sleeve does most of the talking. Four clean sides and no flaps chopping up your artwork, so it’s a lovely canvas, and you can cut a window in the front if people should see the soap or the chocolate. The tray? Leave it plain, or print a little message on the inside base that shows up once the sleeve slides off.
Here’s a money saver we mention to everyone. Change the sleeve for Christmas or a limited flavor and keep the tray exactly the same, so one stock of trays lasts you the whole year.
Need dividers, say for truffles or three little bottles? An insert drops into the tray. If you only need one of the two parts, our custom sleeve boxes and custom tray packaging are available on their own. Design help costs nothing, and you’ll see a digital proof before we print.
It shouldn’t, if we’ve got the fit right. For heavy products we can add a small tab lock too.
Yep, inside the sleeve and inside the tray both. It’s a nice spot for a thank you note.
About 10 to 12 business days after you approve the proof, with free ground shipping in the USA. Ask for a quote with your product size.
Building a full product line? Take a look at window tie boxes and custom eco friendly packaging boxes. Everything in this range is listed under eco-friendly boxes.
