Sample Pack

Board, finishes and print quality are hard to judge on a screen. Hold them instead.

Free to businesses in the 24 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, delivery included. Despatched within 2 business days. We ask for a company name and business address because the pack is a sourcing tool for people specifying packaging.

What is in the pack

Corrugated flute swatches

E, B, C and BC double-wall so you can feel the wall thickness difference before specifying a grade.

Board stocks

Bleached SBS, coated recycled board, kraft and greyboard, in the calipers we most commonly run.

Coating and finish chips

Matte, gloss and soft-touch lamination, anti-scuff varnish, spot UV, emboss and deboss on the same stock for comparison.

Foil swatches

Gold, silver, rose gold and holographic hot foil, on both light and dark board.

Print comparison card

The same artwork printed digitally, flexographically and by offset litho-lamination, so the quality difference is visible rather than described.

Miniature structures

Folded examples of a roll-end tuck-top mailer, a reverse tuck carton, a rigid lid-and-base and a sleeve-and-tray.

Why it is worth the wait

Three decisions account for most of what a custom box costs and how it performs: flute or caliper, print method, and finish. All three are tactile. The difference between E-flute and B-flute is obvious in the hand and invisible in a specification table; soft-touch lamination either reads as premium to you or it does not; and the gap between flexographic and litho-laminated print is much smaller in person than most people expect, which frequently saves money.

If you are choosing between constructions, read rigid vs folding carton vs corrugated alongside the pack, and corrugated flute types explained for the board grades.

How to request a pack

  1. Email sales@boxes-custom.com with the subject "Sample pack request", or call +44 7362 032578.
  2. Include your company name, business delivery address and country.
  3. Tell us the formats you are considering, if you know — we add the relevant structures and finishes rather than sending a generic pack.
  4. You can also use the contact form and mention the sample pack in your message.

Production samples of your own box

A sample pack shows materials; a production sample shows your box. For colour-critical work, unusual structures or first orders at volume, we recommend one before the full run.

Sample type What it shows Typical lead time
Material sample pack Board grades, coatings, foils, print comparison Despatched in 2 business days
Plain structural sample Fit, size, board feel and closure on your dieline, unprinted 3–5 business days
Printed prototype Colour, finishing and artwork on your production stock 5–8 business days

Frequently asked questions

What does the sample pack cost?
The standard material and finish sample pack is free to businesses in the 24 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, including delivery. We ask for a company name and a business delivery address because the pack is a sourcing tool rather than a giveaway.
How long does it take to arrive?
Packs are despatched within 2 business days of your request and typically arrive within 3 to 7 business days depending on country. You will get a tracking number when it ships.
Can I get a sample of my own box before a production run?
Yes, and for anything colour-critical or structurally unusual we recommend it. A plain structural sample shows fit and board feel; a printed sample shows colour and finishing on your actual production stock. Both are produced individually and quoted separately from the run.
How much does a printed prototype cost?
It depends on the format and finishing, and it is quoted with your order rather than priced from a list — a single hand-made unit carries the setup of a full job. Plain structural samples are considerably cheaper than printed ones.
Are samples returnable?
Samples and prototypes are made individually and are not returnable. If a sample is not what you expected, tell us — correcting the specification at sample stage is exactly what samples are for, and far cheaper than correcting it at production stage.
Do you ship sample packs outside all 24 markets we serve?
No. We manufacture and deliver to those 24 markets only, so we cannot send sample packs elsewhere.

Request your pack: sales@boxes-custom.com · +44 7362 032578. Packs are sent from Manchester, United Kingdom.

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