Custom Foil Tuck Boxes with Gold, Silver or Holographic Foil

What are foil tuck boxes used for?

A foil carton is the box you order when the packaging itself has to feel like part of the gift. It is the same folding carton as any other tuck box, but metal leaf turns a plain panel into something people pick up.

Most of the orders we price fall into a few groups.

• Launch editions of a fragrance, candle or skincare product that need to look different from the core range
• Gift sets for Valentine's Day, Eid, Mother's Day and weddings
• Jewellery and accessory sellers who want a small gold cube instead of a pouch
• Hotels and venues giving out a boxed keepsake to guests
• Brands with a silver or gold logo who want it to match on the shelf

Foil stamping or a full metallic board?

There are two ways to get metal on a tuck box, and they look quite different. Stamping presses a thin foil onto chosen areas of a printed white board. A metallic board puts the shine on every panel before any ink goes down.

Our three photos show the second route: a silver cube with a colour print on top, and plain gold cartons with no print at all.

Both are quoted as options on the same order, so you can compare them side by side before deciding.

How does a reverse tuck close a foil carton?

The usual closure here is a reverse tuck end. At the top, the flap slides in on the rear face; at the base, its partner slides in on the front face.

On a foil box that matters because the tuck flaps rub as they go in. Putting them on opposite faces spreads the wear across the carton instead of scuffing one panel twice. Our page on reverse tuck end boxes and how they fold shows the flaps in order.

If you would rather the front stayed completely unbroken, a straight tuck end can be quoted on the same size.

Gold, silver or holographic: which foil suits your brand?

Gold is warm and reads as a gift straight away. It sits well on deep green, navy, black and cream print.

Silver is cooler and works as a base for colour, as the butterfly cube in our photos shows. Blues and purples printed over silver take on a sheen that flat ink cannot match.

Holographic foil shifts colour as the box turns. It suits younger brands, party favours and limited drops, and is best used on a logo or a stripe rather than all six panels.

Can full colour be printed over silver foil?

Yes. When colour is printed over a silver surface, the metal shows through wherever the ink is thin, which gives a picture a gleam rather than a flat finish.

Where you want a true matt colour, the printer lays down a white layer first so that area loses the shine. On the proof we mark which parts stay metallic and which are knocked back.

Small text printed over silver can be hard to read in bright light. Keep ingredients, barcodes and legal lines on an area with a white base. A back panel in plain white with the small print is a tidy way to do it.

What size foil box fits my product?

Take three readings off the item itself: width, depth and height, counting any lid, cap or ribbon. Allow 2 to 3 mm of room on each side reading and 3 to 5 mm over the top, then send us those inside sizes.

Foil cartons are often used for odd shapes such as a glass trinket or a boxed bracelet. If in doubt, send the item or a supplier drawing. The guide to measuring a tuck box covers clearance in more detail.

The sizes tab above gives common starting points, but every box is cut to your millimetres.

Finishes that pair with foil

Foil looks richer when it has something to contrast with. Soft touch lamination around a foiled logo gives a velvety panel with a bright mark in the middle. Matt lamination does a similar job for less and keeps the board looking printed rather than coated.

Embossing under the foil raises the logo so it catches light at an angle. Debossing presses it in, which feels quieter. Spot UV can add a clear gloss pattern beside the metal.

Each of these appears as its own line on your quote. See how they combine on our page about foil, spot UV and lamination finishes.

How do I keep foil cartons free of scuffs in transit?

Foil shows marks more readily than matt print, so a little care in packing goes a long way. Your order lands as flat, seam-glued blanks in neat bundles.

Fold them only when you fill them. Ship filled cartons in an outer box with paper between layers, so foil faces do not rub together. Handle finished boxes with clean, dry hands; skin oils leave prints on bright gold that are hard to polish off.

If you post single gifts direct to buyers, a mailer around the carton takes the knocks and keeps the foil clean.

What goes wrong with foil box artwork?

Most foil problems come from the artwork rather than the board. These are the ones we catch most often at proof stage.

• Fine lines and tiny text in foil, which can fill in and blur
• Foil running across a crease, where it may crack when the box is folded
• Covering every panel in holographic foil, which can look busy on a shelf
• Gloss lamination over a foiled area, which dulls the metal
• Forgetting that a barcode needs a solid, non-metallic background to scan

How do I order foil tuck boxes?

Foil cartons are priced from £0.25 per unit on a written quote, with foil and board shown as separate lines so you can see what each choice adds. When you are ready, ask for a written price on foil boxes and follow these steps.

1. Send the inside size in millimetres, or the item itself.
2. Say where the foil goes: logo only, a pattern, or the whole carton.
3. Pick gold, silver or holographic, plus any lamination or embossing.
4. Upload your artwork and we fit it to the dieline at no charge.
5. Check the free proof, which marks every foil area.
6. Approve it, and production takes 4–6 business days.
7. Flat cartons then travel to you free and tracked, a 2–3 business day trip to any UK postcode.