Custom Box Inserts
The insert is the part of a rigid box that decides whether the product arrives intact and whether the customer sees it presented or loose. It is designed against the product, not against a photograph.
Four insert types
EVA foam
Cut foam, usually laminated with fabric or flocked. The most protective option, and the one that holds heavy or irregular shapes — bottles, tools, electronics. It reads as technical rather than soft.
Moulded pulp
Recycled paper fibre pressed into shape. Lighter than foam, fully recyclable, and the right answer where the brand’s sustainability claim has to survive scrutiny. Tooling is a one-off cost, so it suits runs that repeat.
Velvet or fabric-covered tray
A paperboard tray wrapped in velvet, satin or suede-effect paper. The most jewellery-like finish, and the cheapest of the three at low volume because it needs no tooling.
Folded paperboard
A die-cut and creased sheet that folds into a cradle. The lowest-cost option, adequate for light products, and the easiest to ship flat.
How the insert gets drawn
We work from the actual product sample where one exists, or from a dimensioned drawing that includes the cap, the shoulder and the base. For bottles we plan neck clearance and base seat before the box is drawn; for sets we fix the gap between items first, because that gap is what stops them knocking together in transit.
Where inserts go wrong
Most failures come from one of three things: a product dimension taken from a marketing sheet rather than the physical item, a tolerance that assumes the product is perfectly uniform, or a drop test done after the tooling is cut. We ask for the sample early for exactly this reason.
What we need to quote
Product dimensions, weight, quantity, insert type preference, whether the product has a fragile or protruding part, and the destination country. A physical sample shortens the drawing considerably.