Custom stationery and card boxes
Stationery boxes protect the one product where a damaged corner is total loss: nobody sends a notecard with a bruised edge. The physics is unusual for rigid work because paper is dense. A stack of A5 cards with envelopes runs 350 to 500g in a box only 35mm deep, all of it bearing on the base as a single slab, and the walls take the corner strikes that would write off the contents. That is why the full-telescoping lid is the category default: the lid skirt runs the entire depth, so every wall around those card edges is doubled board. Internal sizing follows the A-formats with working room: A5 cards at 210 x 148mm get a 216 x 154mm interior, A6 at 148 x 105mm gets 154 x 111mm, enough that a dense stack drops in freely but cannot shuffle. Two details separate a good card box from a frustrating one. First, extraction: a tight stack in a deep box defeats fingers, so we run a ribbon lifter under the stack or a thumb arc in the base wall. Second, flatness: wide shallow lids bow if the board is light, so anything past 220mm goes to 2mm board. Paper-goods brands also live on repeat formats, and one A5 tool serving a whole card range is the quiet economic win here.
Best packaging options for stationery and cards
| Construction | Why it fits |
|---|---|
| Full-telescoping lid-and-base | The lid runs the full depth, doubling every wall around the card edges; the archival stationery standard |
| Shoulder-neck box | A stepped neck leaves a reveal line between lid and base; the premium correspondence-set look |
| Two-piece box with ribbon lifter | A shallow lid with a ribbon under the stack so a tight-packed deck lifts out in one motion |
Materials, MOQ and lead time
| Material | 1.5mm greyboard for A6, 2mm from A5 up; wrapped inside and out on shoulder builds |
| Finishes | Matte lamination, foil on the lid, printed interior base, coloured shoulder stock |
| Typical MOQ | 500 pieces |
| Lead time | 15 to 20 days production |
Cost ranges above are from our real factory pricing. The exact quote depends on size, finishes and quantity.
Design and price it free
Mock up packaging for stationery and cards in 3D and get an instant ballpark price in our free Studio, then we confirm the exact quote.
Open Studio with this preset →Key takeaways
- A-format interiors with working clearance: A5 cards get 216 x 154mm, A6 gets 154 x 111mm, so dense stacks drop in but cannot shuffle
- A full A5 set weighs 350 to 500g on a base only 35mm below the lid line; the base panel is the load path and specs accordingly
- Full-telescoping lids double every wall around the card edges, and edges are the only damage that matters on paper goods
- A ribbon lifter under the stack or a thumb arc in the wall costs almost nothing; without one a tight deck is genuinely hard to remove
- Lids wider than 220mm bow on 1.5mm board, so wide shallow formats step up to 2mm; a bowed lid reads as damage even when nothing is
Frequently asked questions
How much do stationery boxes cost?
Between $0.90 and $2.20 a unit at 1,000 pieces across the A6 to A4 range. The footprint and the lid style set the base; foil and a printed interior move it within the band. One A5 tool usually serves an entire card range, which is where the economics get good.
What is the minimum order?
500 pieces. Card publishers running many designs share one box size across the range and vary only the printed band or foil, so the minimum spreads across the whole catalogue rather than one SKU.
Do you make standard A5 and A6 sizes?
Yes, they are our most-tooled stationery formats: 216 x 154mm internal for A5 contents, 154 x 111mm for A6, with depth cut to your stack height. Working from the standard interiors means no new footprint tooling for most card brands.
Full telescoping lid or shoulder box?
Telescoping for protection and value: the lid skirt doubles the walls the full depth and it is the cheaper build. Shoulder for presentation: the stepped neck and reveal line photograph beautifully and suit wedding and luxury correspondence sets at a 20 to 30 percent premium.
How do customers get a tight stack of cards out?
By design, not fingernails. A grosgrain ribbon laid under the stack lifts the whole deck in one motion, or a thumb arc die-cut into the base wall gives a purchase point. Both cost cents; we include one or the other on any box deeper than 30mm.