Custom Designer Boxes & Designer Packaging
Working with designers is different to working with brand owners directly. A designer arrives with the concept already resolved, knows exactly what they want, and needs a printer who can execute it rather than reinterpret it. They also know print, which means the conversation is technical from the first message. We produce a lot of designer packaging at ZEE Packaging and this is how that relationship usually works best.
Speaking The Same Language
A designer box project runs smoothly when nobody has to translate.
- Send us the dieline you have drawn and we work to it
- Pantone references rather than colour descriptions
- Specify caliper and stock directly if you already know what you want
- Tell us the finish sequence, since order affects the result
- Flag anything colour critical early so we proof properly
- We will tell you honestly if something will not press well
Most problems we see on designer packaging come from a spec that looks perfect on screen and fights the press.
Where We Push Back
Being useful sometimes means saying no.
- Heavy ink coverage across a fold, which cracks
- Fine reversed out type on uncoated board, which fills in
- A window placed on a score line, where the panel splits
- Board too thick for the crease specified
- Very tight registration on a shaped die, which drifts
- A structure that assembles too slowly for the client's fulfilment
We would rather raise it at proof stage than deliver something you have to explain to your client.
- Rigid lid and base the standard premium designer box
- Magnetic closure top tier designer packaging
- Drawer slide a controlled reveal
- Shaped die cut carton where the structure carries the concept
- Sleeve over a tray near rigid presence at a lower budget
- Corrugated mailer with a printed interior ecommerce designer packaging
Sizes We Print Regular
Every designer box is built to your drawing, though these run often:
- 6" x 4" x 2" for a small product carton
- 8" x 6" x 3" for a mid size format
- 10" x 8" x 4" for a mailer
- 12" x 9" x 3" for an apparel or flat format
- 4" x 4" x 6" for a bottle sleeve
- Anything else, cut to your dieline exactly
Board And Finish
- Rigid greyboard 36pt or 48pt with a litho printed wrap
- SBS C1S, C2S where you need both sides coated
- Kraft, textured and metallised stocks
- 18pt to 24pt on folding formats
- Soft touch, matte, gloss and aqueous coating
- Foil, blind deboss, emboss and spot UV in any combination
Textured and metallised stocks are worth sampling before you commit. They photograph poorly and feel excellent, which is exactly the wrong way round for approving on screen.
Sustainable Specs Without Compromise
- Recycled greyboard core under a printed wrap
- FSC certified stock, certificate available on request
- Soy based ink through the whole run
- Aqueous coating as an alternative to plastic lamination
- Moulded pulp inserts instead of foam
- Uncoated grades that still hold a deboss beautifully
How We Work With Studios
- 100 unit minimum, which suits a client launch or a pitch
- Free 3D mockup and flat proof before anything prints
- We work to your dieline, or draw one free if you prefer
- Physical sample on request, since stock choice needs handling
- Urgent turnaround at 5 to 8 business days
- Free shipping worldwide with nothing hidden
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we supply our own dieline?
Yes, and most studios do. Send it over and we check it against our tooling before quoting, so there are no surprises later.
Will you match our Pantone exactly?
We match to the code and proof on your chosen stock. Uncoated and kraft shift colour noticeably, so we always show you before running.
How much is a designer box?
Rough estimate is $0.35 to $0.95 per unit for a folding carton with finishing, $1.80 to $4.20 for rigid with a wrap and $2.60 to $6.50 for magnetic closure at moderate quantity. Finish stacking moves it. Shipping is included in our price. This is estimate only, so ask our team for a exact quote.
Can we get material swatches?
We send stock samples on request. Texture and finish are impossible to judge on a screen, so we would encourage it.
Do you white label for studios?
We do. Plenty of our work ships direct to a studio's client with no reference to us at all.
Can you combine several finishes?
Yes, though sequence matters. Foil over soft touch behaves differently to soft touch over foil, and we advise on the order.
How fast can you turn a pitch sample?
Urgent is 5 to 8 business days from artwork approval, and we can often prioritise a single sample ahead of that.
