Custom Brown Boxes & Brown Packaging
Brown board went from being the cheap option to being the deliberate one. Ten years ago a brown box meant you had not spent money on packaging, now it signals craft, honesty and a brand that is not shouting. We print a lot of brown packaging at ZEE Packaging and the shift in how buyers read it has been genuinely interesting to watch.
Why Brown Reads The Way It Does
A brown box carries a message before anyone reads a word on it.
- Unbleached fibre looks natural because it has had less done to it
- Buyers associate kraft with artisan, small batch and honest sourcing
- It sits well with wholefood, hemp, coffee, skincare and craft brands
- Less print coverage often looks more confident, not cheaper
- One colour on kraft can outperform full colour on white
- The texture itself does work that print cannot replicate
Print Behaves Differently On Kraft
This is the part clients are most often surprised by.
- Kraft mutes colour, everything sits warmer and duller
- White cannot be printed conventionally, it needs a white ink underlay
- Bright pink, cyan and pure white are the difficult ones
- Black, earth tones and metallic foil all sit beautifully
- Deboss and emboss give texture without adding ink at all
- We proof on the real stock so there is no surprise at delivery
- Tuck end carton the everyday retail brown box
- Auto lock bottom heavier product, quick to assemble
- Corrugated mailer ecommerce brown packaging, roll end tuck front
- Rigid box with kraft wrap premium brown box option
- Sleeve over a tray clean presentation, low cost
- Corrugated shipper bulk and wholesale brown packaging
Sizes We Print Regularly
Every brown box is built to your product, though these run often:
- 3" x 3" x 4" for a candle or jar
- 6" x 4" x 2" for a small retail carton
- 8" x 6" x 3" for a mid size brown box
- 10" x 8" x 4" for an ecommerce mailer
- 4" x 4" x 6" for a bottle sleeve
- 12" x 9" x 5" for a bulk brown packaging shipper
Board And Grade
- Natural kraft board, the standard for a printed brown box
- Kraft corrugated E flute and B flute for shipping
- CCNB where a grey back is acceptable
- 18pt to 24pt depending on the load
- Rigid greyboard with a kraft wrap for the premium tier
- Uncoated for a true natural feel, aqueous coated where you need protection
Uncoated kraft marks more easily than laminated stock, which some brands actually want and others do not. We flag it early either way.
Choices That Waste Less
- Recycled content kraft, often already high in this grade
- FSC certified board, certificate on request
- Soy based ink through the run
- No lamination, so the brown box goes straight in curbside
- Paper tape and paper void fill on the outer
- Right sized brown packaging so you ship less air
Why Brands Come To Us
- 100 unit minimum, so a small brand can start properly
- Free 3D mockup and flat proof every order
- Free dieline drawn by our own designer
- Urgent turnaround at 5 to 8 business days
- Free shipping worldwide, nothing hidden
- One contact from artwork right through to delivery
Frequently Asked Questions
Is brown board cheaper than white?
Usually slightly, and dropping lamination saves more again. The gap is smaller than most clients assume though.
Can you print white on kraft?
Yes with a white ink underlay, though it never sits as bright as on white board. We show you a proof first.
Will my brand colour look right?
It will look warmer. Kraft mutes everything, so we proof on the actual stock rather than guessing.
Does it mark easily?
Uncoated kraft does show finger marks. An aqueous coat helps while still recycling cleanly.
Is it stronger or weaker than white board?
Same at the same caliper. Colour has nothing to do with strength, that is caliper and flute.
Can foil work on brown?
Beautifully. Copper, bronze and gold all sit very well against kraft.
How much is a brown box?
Rough estimate is $0.18 to $0.55 per unit for a folding carton, $0.70 to $1.80 for a corrugated mailer and $2.20 to $5.40 for rigid with kraft wrap at moderate quantity. Print coverage moves it. Shipping is included in our price. This is estimate only, so ask our team for an exact quote.
