Custom box inserts, also known as packaging inserts or packaging inlays, are used to ensure your products are secure inside your box. These can come in the form of paper inserts, cardboard inserts, or foam inserts. Other than product protection, custom inserts allow you to present your products beautifully during the unboxing experience. If you have multiple items in one box, packaging inserts are a great way to position each product just the way you'd like. What's better is that you can fully customize each box insert with your branding! Take a look at our box insert guidelines, or simply get inspired with a selection of ideas for box inserts.
We love working with PackMojo. Our packaging is minimalist yet you can feel the quality in every single detail. Their team is always reachable and super reactive. The experience with them is seamless and smooth from design to delivery. Thank you!
Bareaya
Working with PackMojo was an absolute breeze. It can be intimidating working with a company overseas but Vincent helped me execute my project perfectly. The final custom boxes and inserts are incredible!
Rusty's Pet Essentials
PackMojo is now our go-to for custom corrugated boxes! From packaging development through production, freight and quality assurance, their project management, expertise and professionalism are simply unmatched. Plus, they offer a wide variety of recycled and eco-friendly materials, in addition to a tree planting program. Highly recommend!
Bluecorn Beeswax
Customize your paper and cardboard inserts with full print and designs that pair beautifully with your boxes.
Custom box inserts are tailored to the precise size of your products, keeping them secure in transit while giving your customers a truly elevated unboxing experience.
Minimums starting from 300 units per size or design when ordered with the outer box. Standalone box inserts start with an MOQ of 500 units.
Creating the optimal insert design requires more than meets the eye. Products come in various shapes, sizes, and weights, which means using the right materials, creating structures to securely hold each product, and ensuring the insert fits precisely with the outer box.
Most brands don't have a structural design team, which is where we can help! Start a structural design project with us and we'll help you bring your packaging vision to life.
With custom box inserts, there's no 'one size fits all'. The size, weight, and position of products all affect how the insert needs to be structured to secure each product. For reference, here are some examples of common insert structures.
Most commonly used for products that can sit directly at the base of the box and don't need to be elevated. These types of inserts are also ideal for products of the same size.
Most commonly used for products of the same/similar size that need to be elevated in order to fit securely in the insert. Otherwise, the products will fall through.
Most commonly used for products of different sizes that need to be elevated in order to fit securely in the insert. Each backing is tailored to the size of the product and ensure they don't fall through the insert.
An overview of the standard customizations available for custom box inserts.
Box inserts that are corrugated (the wavy lines in cardboard) are stronger and ensure the insert is sturdy. Corrugated inserts are typically used for heavier items, fragile items, or items that will be shipped and need extra cushioning/protection.
Most commonly used option and has a flute thickness of 1.2-2mm.
Ideal for large boxes and heavy items, with a flute thickness of 2.5-3mm.
Designs are printed on these base materials which is then glued to the corrugated board. All materials contain at least 50% post-consumer content (recycled waste).
Clay Coated News Back (CCNB) paper that's most ideal for printed corrugated solutions.
Unbleached brown paper that is ideal for only black or white print.
Box inserts that are paper based and not corrugated are typically used for lightweight, non-fragile items. These paper based inserts used a standard thickness of 300-400gsm, and contain at least 50% post-consumer content (recycled waste).
Solid Bleached Sulfate (SBS) paper that yields high quality print.
Unbleached brown paper that is ideal for only black or white print.
Box inserts can also be made of foam, which are best for fragile items such as jewelry, glass or electronics. However, foam inserts are the least eco-friendly and cannot be printed on.
Polyethylene foam resembles a sponge-like material. Available in black or white.
Ethylene Vinyl Acetate foam resembles a yoga mat material. Available in black or white.
All packaging is printed with soy-based ink, which is eco-friendly and produces much brighter and vibrant colors.
CMYK is the most popular and cost effective color system used in print.
For accurate brand colors to be printed and is more expensive than CMYK.
Coating is added to your printed designs to protect it from scratches and scuffs.
An eco-friendly water-based coating but doesn't protect as well as lamination.
A plastic coated layer that protects your designs from cracks and tears, but not eco-friendly.
Top off your packaging with a finish option that completes your package.
Smooth and non-reflective, overall softer look.
Shiny and reflective, more prone to fingerprints.
Semi-shiny, in between a matte and glossy look.
Looks like a matte finish, but feels like velvet.
Can't find what you're looking for? Check out our help center.
Minimums starting from 300 units per size or design when ordered with the outer box. Standalone box inserts start with an MOQ of 500 units.
Our packaging is produced with our vetted network of suppliers in China.
Production typically takes 12-16 days, and 16-21 days for larger volume orders.
Air freight options range from 7-21 days, while ocean freight options range from 26-71 days. If you need some packaging expedited earlier, consider splitting your shipment between air and ocean!
Quotes can be provided based on a structurally tested dieline of the insert. If you don't have one, start a structural design project with us to receive a design and dieline that has been tested to work with your products and the outer box.
Dielines are provided as a deliverable of our structural design service.
As long as we have the final insert dieline (either through our structural design service or by sending us your existing one), you can purchase a sample of the insert. More info on sample options here.
Please send us your artwork in a dieline file (PDF or AI format) that can be edited in Adobe Illustrator. Please keep the dieline as a separate layer in your AI file, and be sure to follow all of these dieline design tips to ensure your artwork file is production-ready.
A 7 step process to designing and ordering custom box inserts.
Start a structural design project with us to receive an insert and box design that's been tested to fit your products.
Get a sample of your custom box insert to test size and quality before approving the insert design.
After the insert design has been approved, we'll share a quote with you based on the final insert structure.
Choose your preferred shipping method and place your order on our platform.
Add your artwork to the dieline template we'll create for you upon placing your order.
Once your artwork is approved, we'll start production, which typically takes 12-16 days.
After passing quality assurance, we'll ship your packaging to your specified location(s).
Continue to the platform to submit your request and kickstart a structural design project.
