Reference
Packaging Resources
Twelve guides covering what actually has to be decided when specifying a pillow box — written to be useful whether or not you buy the packaging from us.
Where the honest answer is that a pillow box is the wrong structure, these say so. That is more useful than a page that only lists what we can sell.
Sizing
Pillow Box Size Guide
How pillow box dimensions actually work, why the format behaves differently at each scale, and how to arrive at a size that fits your product first time.
9 min readHow to Measure a Pillow Box
Internal against external dimensions, where to measure a curved pack, and how to send us measurements that produce the box you were expecting.
7 min readMaterials
Pillow Box Materials Explained
Kraft, coated paperboard, corrugated and clear film — what each material does, what it refuses to do, and how weight is chosen from the contents.
10 min readKraft or Cardboard: Choosing Between Them
A direct comparison of unbleached kraft and coated paperboard for pillow boxes — printing, cost, structure, positioning and where each one fails.
8 min readFinishing
Decorative Finishes Explained
Foil stamping, embossing, debossing and spot UV on pillow boxes — what each process does, what it costs, and where the format will not allow it.
9 min readCoatings and Laminations
Matte, gloss and soft-touch lamination against varnishes and uncoated stock — durability, appearance, cost and the effect on recyclability.
8 min readBy category
How to Choose Packaging for Jewelry
Rigid boxes against pillow boxes, insert options by piece type, dyed-through board, and the details customers notice when they hold the pack.
9 min readChoosing Pillow Boxes for Cosmetics
Planning a beauty pack around mandatory copy, batch coding, finish selection and the insert structures that suit sets and single items.
10 min readAbout these guides
Who are these guides for?
Anyone specifying packaging, whether or not they buy it from us. They are written from the questions that actually come up in quoting rather than from a keyword list.
Do they apply to other box formats?
Much of the material — artwork preparation, printing, coatings, inserts, postal specifications — applies to folding cartons generally. The structural sections are specific to the pillow format.
How often are they updated?
When something changes or when a question comes up often enough to belong in one. Each page shows when it was last revised.
How many pillow box resource guides are there?
There are twelve guides covering sizing, artwork, materials, printing, finishing, structure, specific categories and shipping. Each explains what has to be decided when specifying a pillow box.
Do the pillow box resource guides say when the format is wrong?
Yes. Where the honest answer is that a pillow box is the wrong structure, the guides say so, because that is more useful than a guide that only lists what we can sell.
Which pillow box resource explains sizing and measuring?
Two guides cover it. The pillow box size guide explains how the format behaves at each scale, and the measuring guide covers internal and external dimensions.
Which pillow box resource covers dielines and artwork setup?
The dieline and artwork guide explains how to read a pillow box dieline, where artwork can and cannot go, and the file setup that gets a job to press without a revision round.
Is there a pillow box resource comparing kraft and coated board?
Yes. That guide compares unbleached kraft and coated paperboard for pillow boxes across printing, cost, structure, positioning and the situations where each one fails, so you can choose on what the artwork needs.
Which pillow box resources cover finishes and coatings?
One guide covers foil, embossing, debossing and spot UV, and another compares matte, gloss and soft-touch lamination against varnishes and uncoated stock for durability, appearance and cost.
Is there a pillow box resource for shipping on its own?
Yes. The shipping and postal packaging guide explains what changes when a pillow box travels alone, including closures, board, address panels, carrier rate bands and returns.
Next step
Still not sure what to specify?
Send the product, the quantity and the date you need it on a shelf. We come back with a written quote, a specification and an honest view of anything in the brief that will not work.