Sleeve and tray
Open-top tray inside a full-wrap sleeve; the standard build.
Specialty Shapes
Sleeve Boxes
$66.00 per pack of 100 boxes · $0.66 per box Tax added at invoicing
Free delivery to 23 markets
Total: $66.00 for 100 boxes
No payment is taken online. Add your boxes and submit the request — a packaging specialist confirms sizing, artwork and freight, then we get back to you with the final invoice and payment options once the details are confirmed.
- Free standard DHL delivery
- Free dieline, digital proof and artwork check
- 8–12 business days production, then 3–6 days transit
- 30-day replacement guarantee on print and manufacturing defects
Need a different size, quantity or finish? Build a custom spec or email sales@boxes-custom.com.
A sleeve box is a two-part package: an inner tray or drawer that holds the product, and an outer printed sleeve that slides over it. The sleeve carries the branding and the tray carries the structure, which lets one base box serve many seasonal or SKU-specific designs.
- One tray, many sleeves. Version artwork cheaply without re-running the structural component.
- Engineered slide clearance. 0.5–1 mm per side plus an anti-scuff inner face for a smooth, non-jamming glide.
- Cheapest premium reveal. A slide-off sleeve delivers a gift-like moment at folding-carton prices.
- Windows without weakening the box. Cut the aperture in the sleeve, leave the load-bearing tray intact.
What are sleeve boxes?
The versioning advantage is what makes sleeves commercially interesting. Print a neutral tray once at volume, then run short sleeve runs for each variant, season or campaign. A brand with eight flavours can hold one tray inventory and eight cheap sleeve runs instead of eight full box runs.
The slide is the quality signal. Too tight and the sleeve scuffs and jams; too loose and it falls off in transit. A 0.5–1 mm clearance per side over the tray, plus a matte or anti-scuff coating on the inner sleeve face, gives the smooth glide that reads as premium.
Sleeves also solve a print problem. Wrapping print around a tray is awkward and expensive; printing a flat sleeve is trivial. That is why the format shows up constantly in candles, confectionery, tech accessories and subscription packaging.
Sleeve Boxes at a glance
| Box category | Specialty Shapes |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | 100 boxes |
| Unit price from | $0.66 per box |
| Production time | 8–12 business days after artwork approval |
| Printing | Digital CMYK, flexographic spot colour, offset litho-lamination |
| Materials | SBS 300–400 gsm sleeve, E-flute corrugated tray, Kraft board, Greyboard rigid tray |
| Finishing | Soft-touch lamination, Anti-scuff varnish, Foil stamping, Emboss, Spot UV, Die-cut sleeve windows, Ribbon pull tabs |
| Ships to | 24 countries by DHL — free to 23, Japan quoted separately |
Sleeve Boxes: styles and constructions
The construction decides how the box closes, how much it protects and what it costs. These are the formats we produce most often for sleeve boxes.
Sleeve and drawer
Tray pulls out sideways, often with a ribbon tab.
Belly band
Narrow partial sleeve across the middle — the cheapest versioning layer.
Sleeve over rigid base
Printed sleeve on a greyboard tray for a luxury build.
Materials
- SBS 300–400 gsm sleeve
- Bright white, best print and coating performance.
- E-flute corrugated tray
- Adds protection where the contents need it.
- Kraft board
- Natural finish sleeve or tray for eco positioning.
- Greyboard rigid tray
- Premium non-collapsible base for luxury products.
Printing & finishing options
- Soft-touch lamination
- Anti-scuff varnish
- Foil stamping
- Emboss
- Spot UV
- Die-cut sleeve windows
- Ribbon pull tabs
Who orders sleeve boxes
- Brands with many flavour, scent or colour variants
- Candle, chocolate and confectionery makers
- Tech accessory brands wanting a premium slide reveal
- Subscription boxes refreshing artwork every cycle
Popular sleeve boxes sizes
Every order is cut to your interior dimensions — these are the sizes customers request most often, and a useful starting point if you are not sure where to begin.
| Size (L × W × D) | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 4 x 4 x 2 in | Single candle, small confectionery |
| 6 x 4 x 2 in | Cosmetics sets, tech accessories |
| 8 x 6 x 2 in | Chocolate boxes, gift sets |
| 10 x 7 x 3 in | Multi-item curated packs |
| 12 x 9 x 3 in | Subscription and hamper formats |
How to choose sleeve boxes
-
Get the clearance right
Ask for a physical fit sample. Sleeve tolerance is the one thing a PDF proof cannot show you.
-
Coat the inside of the sleeve
An uncoated inner face scuffs the tray print after a few slides.
-
Use a belly band to test
If you are unsure about sleeve versioning, trial it with a cheap belly band first.
-
Print the tray neutral
A single neutral tray run at volume plus short sleeve runs is nearly always cheaper than versioned full boxes.
Sleeve Boxes pricing by market
We manufacture for brands in 24 markets. Prices below are for one pack of 100 boxes at the standard specification. Delivery is free everywhere except Japan, where air freight is quoted separately.
| Market | Currency | Per box | Pack of 100 | Excl. tax | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | USD | $0.66 | $66.00 | — | at invoicing |
| United Kingdom | GBP | £0.63 | £62.57 | £52.14 | included |
| Canada | CAD | CA$0.90 | CA$90.42 | — | at invoicing |
| Australia | AUD | A$1.10 | A$110.35 | A$100.32 | included |
| Ireland | EUR | €0.75 | €74.69 | €60.72 | included |
| New Zealand | NZD | NZ$1.25 | NZ$125.23 | NZ$108.90 | included |
| Singapore | SGD | S$0.96 | S$96.40 | S$88.44 | included |
| Market | Currency | Per box | Pack of 100 | Excl. tax | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | EUR | €0.72 | €72.26 | €60.72 | included |
| France | EUR | €0.73 | €72.86 | €60.72 | included |
| Netherlands | EUR | €0.73 | €73.47 | €60.72 | included |
| Belgium | EUR | €0.73 | €73.47 | €60.72 | included |
| Austria | EUR | €0.73 | €72.86 | €60.72 | included |
| Italy | EUR | €0.74 | €74.08 | €60.72 | included |
| Spain | EUR | €0.73 | €73.47 | €60.72 | included |
| Sweden | SEK | 8.66 kr | 866.25 kr | 693.00 kr | included |
| Denmark | DKK | 5.65 kr | 565.13 kr | 452.10 kr | included |
| Norway | NOK | 8.91 kr | 891.00 kr | 712.80 kr | included |
| Finland | EUR | €0.76 | €76.20 | €60.72 | included |
| Switzerland | CHF | CHF 0.63 | CHF 62.78 | CHF 58.08 | included |
| Market | Currency | Per box | Pack of 100 | Excl. tax | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | JPY | ¥109 | ¥10,890 | ¥9,900 | included |
| South Korea | KRW | ₩980 | ₩98,010 | ₩89,100 | included |
| Hong Kong | HKD | HK$5.15 | HK$514.80 | — | n/a |
| United Arab Emirates | AED | AED 2.54 | AED 254.33 | AED 242.22 | included |
| Israel | ILS | ₪2.88 | ₪288.16 | ₪244.20 | included |
The headline price includes local VAT or GST where that market requires it. If you are VAT-registered you reclaim that, so the excl. tax column is your real cost. US and Canadian prices add sales tax at invoicing instead. Volume pricing improves at 250, 500, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 units — see wholesale custom boxes for the volume tiers.
Further reading
Guides from our structural, prepress and production teams that are directly relevant to specifying sleeve boxes.
Rigid vs folding carton vs corrugated: choosing a construction
A structural comparison of cost, strength, print quality, freight and lead time across the three board families.
Read the guide →How to read a dieline and supply artwork that prints first time
Bleed, safe zones, glue-tab knockouts, grain direction and barcode quiet zones — the ten-point pre-flight list.
Read the guide →Custom box minimum order quantities explained
Why minimums exist, where the price tiers actually step, and how to buy branded boxes at 50 to 100 units.
Read the guide →FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sleeve box?
A sleeve box is a two-piece package: an inner tray or drawer holding the product, and a printed outer sleeve that slides over it. The sleeve carries the branding, so one tray design can serve many product variants.
Why use a sleeve instead of a printed box?
Versioning. Printing a neutral tray once at volume and running short sleeve runs per flavour, scent or season costs far less than running a separate fully-printed box for each variant.
How tight should a sleeve fit?
About 0.5–1 mm of clearance per side. Tighter and the sleeve scuffs and jams; looser and it slides off in transit. We recommend approving a physical fit sample before the full run.
Can a sleeve box have a window?
Yes, and it is the ideal place for one — the aperture goes in the sleeve, so the structural tray stays intact and the box loses no strength.
What is the minimum order for sleeve boxes?
100 sets per size. Because sleeves and trays are separate components, you can order a larger tray quantity with smaller versioned sleeve runs against it.
What is the difference between a sleeve and a belly band?
A sleeve wraps the full depth of the box; a belly band is a narrow strip across the middle. Belly bands cost less and use less board, but a full sleeve protects the tray print and gives a stronger reveal.