Tuck End Box Styles, Compared and Made to Your Size

What are the main tuck end box styles?

Every box in this range is a folding carton cut from one sheet of board and glued along a single side seam. What changes from style to style is how the ends close and what is added to the panels.

The closures fall into three groups. Tuck ends fold a flap into each end by hand. Auto bottoms have a pre-glued base that forms itself. A tuck top has a hinged lid with a front tuck flap.

The extras sit on top of any closure: a window, a rise-up insert, a hang tab, foil, a kraft board or a cube shape. So a reverse tuck carton with a window and a hang tab is still one style, with two options added.

Every box in the range, side by side

The table lists each style with the closure we usually quote for it and the products it most often holds. Any closure can be quoted on any box, so treat the middle column as a starting point.

Photos of each box sit in the cards above, and every style has its own page with sizes and a short price form.

Straight or reverse tuck: which should I choose?

Both close with a flap tucked into each end. On a straight tuck, the two flaps tuck in from the same side, so the front panel is never broken by a fold. On a reverse tuck, the top tucks in from the back and the bottom from the front.

A straight tuck suits windows and full-front artwork, because nothing interrupts the face. A reverse tuck lies flatter when the carton is folded flat and is the everyday choice for most light products. Our page on straight tuck end boxes with clean fronts shows the difference in photos.

On price, the two are close. Pick by how the box will face the customer.

When is an auto bottom worth it?

An auto bottom, also called a crash lock, has its base folded and glued at our end. You push the flat carton open, the base locks into place, and you only tuck the top.

It suits jars, bottles, candles and anything packed in large numbers, because the base is ready in one movement. It costs a little more than a tuck end because of the extra gluing. See tuck end auto bottom boxes for how the base folds.

A full flap auto bottom goes one step further. Its long base flaps meet across the whole bottom, so a wider carton has no gap underneath.

Tuck tops for flat and boxed products

A tuck top box has a hinged lid on the long side with a front tuck flap. It opens like a small chest rather than from the end, so the product is seen from above.

Because the lid hinges along a long edge, a tuck top shows a large printed panel when it is opened. Brands often print a short message or a pattern on the inside of the lid for that moment.

That makes it the natural choice for flat items: card decks, diaries, gift sets, coffee pods and wax melts. Book tuck end boxes use the same idea for books and journals, with the lid along the spine side. Our tuck top boxes with hinged lids page shows the dust flaps that sit at each side.

How do I size a tuck end box?

Always quote inside sizes, in millimetres, as length × width × height. Length and width are the opening; height is the distance between the two ends.

Measure the product at its widest points, including caps, pumps and labels. Then add clearance: about 1 to 2 mm for rigid items, 2 to 3 mm for items with uneven shapes, and more for anything soft.

• Bottles and jars: measure the shoulder and the cap, not only the label panel.
• Flat items: add depth for any card insert or tissue.
• Square items: use a cube box only when all three sides really match.
• Several items in one box: lay them out first, then measure the group.

If you are unsure, post us a sample product. We measure it and send the sizes back with the proof.

Windows, inserts and hang tabs

A die-cut window shows the product without opening the box. It can be left open or backed with clear film, and its shape can follow your artwork. Windows work best on straight tuck cartons, where the front is unbroken.

A rise-up insert is a card platform that lifts a small item towards the top of the box, so it is not lost at the bottom. A hang tab is a punched header above the top tuck that lets the carton hang on a shop peg. All three are cut from the same board as the carton. Our page on window tuck boxes with optional film shows the window choices.

Board and finishes across the styles

Every style is made from 350gsm white SBS as standard, with kraft and other boards on request. Kraft gives a natural brown look and takes darker inks best.

Kraft tuck boxes are the same styles in brown board. White ink and foil print well on kraft, while pale colours look muted, so plan the artwork around the board.

Finishes are options on any style: matt, gloss or soft touch lamination; spot UV; gold, silver or holographic foil; embossing or debossing. Foil and embossing pair well with a soft touch base, as on our foil tuck boxes for gifts.

Our designers place your artwork on the chosen dieline for free, so you see each finish marked on the proof before anything is printed.

Display cartons and cube boxes

A display tuck box is a carton that opens into a small counter stand, often with a tear-off or fold-back lid that becomes a printed header. It holds a row of smaller items at the till.

Cube boxes are simply tuck end cartons with equal sides. They suit tea, small gifts and puzzle toys, and they stack neatly on a shelf. Read about display tuck boxes for counters if you need a carton that also works as a stand.

Common mistakes when choosing a style

Most problems come from picking a style before measuring the product. These are the ones we see most often on first orders.

• Choosing a reverse tuck for a full-front window, so a fold runs across the view.
• Ordering an auto bottom for a light item packed a few at a time, where a tuck end would do.
• Quoting outside sizes instead of inside sizes.
• Adding a hang tab after the proof, which needs a new dieline.
• Leaving no bleed on dark artwork, so white board shows at the folds.

How do I order from the styles range?

1. Choose a style from the table, or tell us the product and let us suggest one.
2. Send inside sizes in millimetres and the quantity.
3. Pick any extras: window, insert, hang tab, board and finish.
4. Receive a written quote, from £0.25 per unit depending on size, board and finish.
5. Approve the free design proof, then we print and cut in 4–6 business days.
6. Your cartons arrive flat with free tracked UK delivery in 2–3 business days.

Whatever the style, a misprinted or damaged order shown to us in photos within 10 days is reprinted or refunded.