Custom Printed Light Bulb Boxes for LED and Filament Bulbs

Who uses printed light bulb boxes?

Lighting brands, electrical wholesalers and shops selling own-label LED and filament bulbs. Small runs are common for decorative filament bulbs sold in gift shops and interiors stores.

One of our photos shows a bright orange square carton with the bulb printed life size on the front. The other is a slim white carton with a bulb-shaped window and a hang tab above the top tuck.

Both cartons are cut to a single bulb, which is the most common order we quote for lighting.

Why do most bulb boxes use a reverse tuck?

A reverse tuck end closes the top from the back and the bottom from the front. It is the plainest folding carton to make, so it keeps the cost down on long runs of everyday bulbs.

The carton is upright and narrow, which suits this closure well. For more on the way the flaps work, see our reverse tuck end carton page.

Bigger globes and multi-packs can take a crash lock base instead. Ask for it on the quote if packing speed matters.

What size box fits a standard GLS bulb?

A standard GLS bulb is about 60 mm across the glass and around 110 mm tall with the cap. Add 1 to 3 mm on each side, so a common starting size is about 63 × 63 × 115 mm inside.

Measure your own bulb, as glass shapes and cap lengths vary between makers. The table lists starting points for the shapes we see most.

Does a bulb box need an insert?

A bare bulb rattles in a straight-sided carton because the glass is wider than the cap. A card collar near the bottom grips the cap or base, so the glass sits clear of the panels.

Inserts are cut from board and folded in by hand. They add a little to the unit price, which we show on the written quote.

For globe bulbs, a second collar near the top keeps the glass centred as well.

Printing the details shoppers compare

Bulb buyers compare wattage, cap type, colour temperature and brightness before they look at the brand. Our sample carton prints those as a row of small circles under the name, which is easy to scan.

Put the cap type on two faces at least. On a shelf, a box is often turned sideways and only one side panel shows.

• Wattage and the equivalent old wattage
• Cap type, for example E27, B22, E14 or GU10
• Colour temperature in kelvin and a plain name such as warm white
• Brightness in lumens and any dimming note
• Barcode and your contact details on the back panel

Windows and hang tabs for lighting stockists

A bulb-shaped window shows the filament or the frosted glass without opening the box. It works best on a white or pale carton, as in our photo, where the cut-out reads as part of the design.

A punched header tab lets a shop hang the carton on a peg. Our guide to hang tab tuck boxes for peg displays shows how the tab sits above the top tuck.

Board and finishes for bulb cartons

Standard board is 350gsm white SBS, which prints sharp small type for technical details. Ask for kraft or another board if you want a natural look for filament bulbs.

Matt, gloss or soft touch lamination, spot UV, gold or silver foil and embossing are all options. Gold foil on a dark carton suits vintage-style filament bulbs, while a bright gloss suits everyday LED packs.

A range of bulbs often shares one design with a colour band per type. Warm white might be amber and cool white pale blue, so staff can pick the right box from a full shelf at a glance.

Can one carton hold a multi-pack of bulbs?

Yes. Two, three or four bulbs can sit side by side in a wider carton, each in its own cell of a card divider. The divider keeps the glass of one bulb away from its neighbour.

Multi-packs are often taller on the shelf than they are deep, so a crash lock base helps here. It forms the bottom in one movement, which saves time when each pack takes several bulbs.

Send us one bulb and tell us how many go in each pack. We draw the divider on the dieline and show it on the proof, so you can check the layout before anything is cut.

How are bulb boxes delivered and packed?

Every order ships flat, glued along the side seam. Your team squares each carton, tucks the bottom, adds the insert and bulb, then tucks the top.

Flat cartons take far less room in the stockroom than made-up boxes. Fold them as you need them, and keep the rest flat and dry.

When you post bulbs to customers, put the printed carton inside a padded mailer or a small outer box. The bulb carton is for the shelf and the brand, not the journey on its own.

Common mistakes with light bulb boxes

The usual problem is sizing to the glass and forgetting the cap, so the box ends up a few millimetres short. Another is printing the cap type only on the front panel.

Dark full-colour cartons also need bleed carried onto the tuck flaps, or white board shows at the edges. The guide on measuring a tuck box correctly covers clearance in more detail.

How do I order printed bulb boxes?

1. Measure the bulb's widest point and full height in millimetres.
2. List the quantity per bulb type, plus any insert, window or hang tab.
3. Receive a written quote, from £0.25 per unit for simple cartons.
4. Check the free proof with your artwork placed on the dieline.
5. Production takes 4–6 business days, then free tracked delivery to your UK address in 2–3 business days.

Have several bulb shapes? Request one written quote for all and list each size.