Custom Tea Boxes for Tea Bags, Sachets and Loose Tea

Who orders printed tea cartons?

Tea is a crowded shelf, and a printed box is how a small blender looks as finished as the big names next to it. The box is also what people keep on the kitchen counter for weeks, so it stays in view long after the sale.

Our tea box orders come from a steady mix of UK businesses.

• Independent tea blenders selling online and at farmers' markets
• Cafés and tea rooms boxing their own house blend
• Herbal and fruit infusion brands with a range of colours
• Hotels and guest houses with a branded in-room tea selection
• Gift sellers making up tasting boxes for birthdays and Mother's Day

Tea boxes sit in our food and drink tuck box range, next to coffee pods and chocolate bars.

How does a reverse tuck end work on a tea box?

On a tea carton the lid flap tucks from behind and the base flap from in front. Each end closes on a different face. Folding by hand takes a few seconds.

For tea that suits both the main shapes. An upright sachet box loads from the top. A long box for rows of bags loads through the end.

The black box in one of our photos shows the top flap lifted, with the tuck folded back. It sits flat again when closed, which keeps a stack of boxes level on a shelf.

If you want a lid that opens along the whole top, a tuck top can be quoted instead. Any closure can be priced on any box.

What size box fits 20 tea bag sachets?

Most wrapped tea sachets are about 70 × 75 mm and 5 to 6 mm thick. Stand 20 of them on edge in a row and the row is about 115 mm long.

Add a few millimetres for play, and an inside size near 120 × 70 × 75 mm works. Pyramid bags, string-and-tag bags and loose pouches all need their own measurements.

Count and measure your real sachets, packed as tightly as you would pack them by hand. A box that fits 20 neatly will also take 19 without the sachets falling over.

Our guide to measuring for a tuck box walks through rows and stacks.

Should tea bags be wrapped before they go in the box?

Usually yes. The printed carton is outer packaging. It keeps the bags tidy and carries your brand, but it is not a sealed wrapper.

Most tea brands use one of three approaches. Each bag goes in its own sachet, all the bags go in an inner bag, or loose leaf goes in a sealed pouch that then slides into the box.

Which inner pack you use, and what it is made from, is your choice. We cut the carton to fit whatever you put inside it.

Which tea box layout suits your blend?

Two of our photos show upright sachet boxes with the front panel cut away near the base, so the sachets can be pulled out one at a time. Ask us if you want that feature quoted.

How should you print a tea range?

Pick one layout and change the colour per blend. A green for green tea, yellow for chamomile and a deep red for a breakfast blend is common for a reason: buyers sort by colour first.

Put the blend name large on the front. Use the side panels for brewing steps, such as water temperature and steeping time, and the back for ingredients, weight and your contact details.

Leaf and cup drawings print well and give a hand-made feel. Keep fine line work away from fold lines, where it can look broken.

Which board and finishes suit tea boxes?

We print tea cartons on 350gsm white SBS as our house board, and can quote kraft or other boards if you prefer.

White board makes fresh greens and yellows look bright. Kraft gives a natural look, which suits herbal and loose leaf ranges printed in one or two dark inks.

A matt finish is the usual choice for tea, because it reads calm and does not glare under kitchen lights. Gold foil on a black box, like the chai carton in our photos, suits a premium blend.

Our tuck box finishes guide compares foil, spot UV and lamination.

Can a tea box have a window?

Yes. Cut a window in the tea box front and shoppers see the sachets, or the leaf through a clear pouch. Leave it open, or ask for a film panel.

Place it where it frames something worth seeing. A window that only shows the back of a plain inner bag adds little.

A frame of board 10 mm wide or more, clear of the creases, keeps a tea box face flat. See our window tuck boxes for shapes and sizes.

How are tea boxes delivered and packed?

Tea cartons are delivered flat, with one seam glued. Open the tube, tuck the base and load the sachets or pouch.

For online orders, a row of tea boxes fits neatly in a small shipper. Pack them upright with paper at the ends so they do not slide.

Allow 4–6 business days for us to make your tea cartons after the proof is approved. Tracked delivery to UK addresses is free and takes 2–3 business days.

What mistakes do tea brands make with their boxes?

• Measuring sachets loosely, so a full box will not close
• Using near-identical colours for two blends
• Printing brewing steps in tiny text on a dark side panel
• Adding a window that shows only a plain inner bag
• Leaving no space for the weight and best before details on the back

How do you order tea boxes?

1. Pack your real sachets or pouch the way you will sell them and measure the block.
2. Tell us that size, how many tea boxes you need, and your board, window and finish.
3. Get a written quote; tea cartons start from £0.25 per unit; run length and size set the final figure.
4. Check the free tea box proof, with your blend artwork set on the dieline.
5. Your boxes are made and sent free to your UK address.

To start, send your sizes through the printed tea box quote form.