Industry Packaging · Guide
E-commerce packaging guide: how to package products for shipping
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To package products for shipping, choose a corrugated outer strong enough for courier and postal handling, size it closely to what you send, and hold the contents with an insert rather than loose fill. For most direct-to-customer orders that means a printed mailer box in E or B flute. Keep the number of sizes small, make the box quick to close, and test a packed sample before you commit to a full order.
The four jobs of an e-commerce box
When you sell online, the delivery box does the work a shop would otherwise do. It has four jobs, and a good specification balances all of them.
- Protect. Parcels are dropped, stacked, conveyed and thrown into vans. The box has to arrive in a condition you would be happy to hand over in person.
- Fit. A box that is too big lets the product move and costs more to post. One that is too small crushes corners and is hard to close.
- Pack quickly. Across hundreds of orders, a box that folds up and closes in seconds saves real time at the packing bench.
- Present. The box is often the first physical contact a customer has with your brand, and often the thing they photograph.
If you also sell through shops, the two channels ask different things of packaging; our guide to e-commerce vs retail packaging sets out where they differ.
Choosing the outer
The outer is the box that goes into the courier network. The main options differ in strength, speed and presentation.
| Outer | What it is | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailer box (roll-end tuck front) | One-piece corrugated box with a hinged lid, folded without glue | Most direct-to-customer orders, subscriptions, PR send-outs | Very little; the standard choice |
| Corrugated transit box | Glued flap carton, sealed with tape | Heavy, bulky or multi-item orders | Less of an unboxing moment; slower to close |
| Corrugated lid and base | Separate corrugated lid over a base | Premium sets, hampers, subscription boxes | Two parts to store and pack; usually needs a band or tape to post |
| Retail carton inside a plain outer | The shop carton, protected by a transit box | Brands selling the same pack online and in shops | Two layers of packaging per order |
The roll-end tuck front mailer is the default for good reason. It arrives flat, folds up without glue, has double-thickness side walls from the roll-over ends, and closes firmly with locking tabs. Our guide to mailer box construction explains its variants, including tear strips and double-wall sides.
Flute and board
Mailer boxes and transit boxes are made from corrugated board: a fluted middle layer glued between two liners. The flute size largely decides strength and print quality.
| Board | Approximate thickness | Suits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| E flute | About 1.5 mm | Light products, cosmetics, accessories, subscription boxes | Crisp; good for detailed print |
| B flute | About 3 mm | Heavier or more fragile orders | Good; slight flute lines on flood colours |
| Double wall (such as EB or BC) | About 4–7 mm | Heavy items, glass, multi-product orders | Functional; best for simpler graphics |
Liners come in white, for bright full-colour print, or natural kraft, which suits one- or two-colour print and a natural look. Thicknesses vary by board maker, so treat these as typical figures and let the quotation confirm the grade. Our guide to E, B and C flute goes into more detail.
Sizing: measure, allow, right-size
Right-sizing is the single most effective thing you can do for protection, postage and appearance. Work from the inside out.
- Measure the product, or the group of products in your most common order, at its largest points.
- Add the insert: the space a card cradle, divider or platform takes up.
- Add a small handling margin so the product goes in and comes out easily.
- That gives the internal size of the box. The external size is larger by the board thickness on each side; our guide to internal vs external dimensions explains why this matters.
Postage is often charged by size band as well as weight. If you want a box to fit a particular Royal Mail or courier band, check the external dimensions against it before you fix the design; our guide to Royal Mail and courier size bands covers how to plan for that.
Keep the number of sizes small. Group products by size and weight, look at the orders you send most often, and design two to four sizes around those. Fewer sizes mean simpler storage, easier packing and larger quantities of each, which helps unit cost. Our guide to reducing excess packaging covers right-sizing in more depth.
Protecting the contents
A well-sized box does most of the protection. The rest comes from how the contents are held.
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fitted card or corrugated insert | Cavities or cradles hold each item in place | Fragile, heavy or presentation-led products |
| Corrugated dividers | Separate several items in one box | Bottles, jars, multi-product orders |
| Platform or lift | Raises a small item to the top of a deeper box | Small products in a standard size |
| Tissue or paper wrap | Protects surfaces from scuffing | Clothing, textiles, soft goods |
| Paper void fill | Fills space around an item | Robust items of varying sizes |
Custom inserts take longer to specify than loose fill, but they pack faster, protect better and look deliberate when the box is opened. Glass and heavy items should never touch each other in the box.
Packing speed and closure
Across a busy week, seconds per box add up. A few choices keep packing quick.
- Choose a self-locking construction. A mailer with locking tabs closes firmly without tape.
- Add a tear strip if you want a tidy, tamper-evident opening. It can include a second closure for returns.
- Store flat. Mailers arrive flat and fold up at the bench, so storage is compact.
- Standardise inserts. One insert per box size, rather than per product, keeps the bench simple.
Pack a sample at your own bench before committing to a full order. It is the quickest way to spot a tab that is fiddly or an insert that slows packing down. Ask about sample options when you request your quotation.
Print and presentation
Mailer boxes print well, but the outside is handled, stacked and scuffed. Many brands keep the outside simple and put the brand moment inside.
| Approach | Effect | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Full-colour outside on a white liner | Strong shelf-like presence on the doorstep | Flood colours show scuffs; matt lamination helps |
| One or two colours on kraft | Natural, understated, economical | Colours print darker on brown |
| Plain outside, printed inside | Discreet in transit; reveal on opening | Good for high-value or private items |
| Printed inside and outside | Full brand experience | Plan both artworks on the same dieline |
Inside print is produced on the same blank as the outside. Our guide to printing inside boxes explains how it works and what to plan for.
Planning for returns
Returns are part of online selling, and a box designed only for one journey often arrives back damaged. A tear strip with a second set of locking tabs or an adhesive strip lets the customer reseal the same box. Printing short return instructions inside the lid saves a leaflet. Tell us at specification stage if the box should be reusable for returns, because it affects the construction.
Common mistakes
- One size for everything. Small items rattle in large boxes, and postage rises.
- Specifying every box for the heaviest product. Match flute to weight, size by size.
- Relying on void fill. It is slower to pack than an insert and cannot rescue an oversized box.
- Full-coverage dark print with no lamination. Scuffs show on the doorstep.
- Checking postal bands after the design is signed off. Check external dimensions first.
- No packed test. Always pack a real order into a sample box before a full run.
What to send with your quotation request
Send the dimensions and weights of your products, your most common order combinations, the quantity of each box size, and whether you want print outside, inside or both. Tell us your required delivery date and our team will confirm whether the timing is achievable. Delivery is included on every order, and your quotation confirms the delivery address and timing. For the full range of e-commerce and subscription structures, see our e-commerce and subscription packaging page.