Cardboard inserts, plain or printed.

What is a cardboard insert?

It is a sheet of paperboard cut and folded around your product, so each item sits in its own place and cannot slide.

We cut the board flat with a die made for your product, then fold or slot it into a tray, a set of cut-outs or a raised platform. It sits inside the outer box and stops the contents moving when the box is carried, stacked or opened.

Cardboard is the lightest and lowest-cost insert, and it ships flat, so it takes little storage space and folds up quickly at packing time.

• Cut by a die made for your product
• Ships flat, folds up fast
• The lowest-cost insert

Plain cardboard inserts

A plain insert keeps the board's own white or kraft face, which suits clean, minimal packaging.

White board looks crisp and bright and lets a colourful product stand out. Kraft board gives a natural, earthy look that sits well in a kraft mailer. Either way, the product is what the customer notices first.

Plain inserts cost the least, because there is no printing step or artwork to prepare, so they are the usual choice for large runs and for brands that keep the inside of the box simple.

Printed cardboard inserts

A printed insert carries your artwork on every visible face, so the pattern runs from the lid straight into the tray.

We print the sheet before it is cut and folded, usually in the same colours as the inside of your box. Only the faces that show are printed; the underside stays plain. Your artwork is laid out on the insert's flat dieline, so it lines up with each cut-out and fold, and you see exactly how in the proof.

Cardboard takes fine detail - patterns, a logo, a thank-you line or simple instructions - which makes it the best insert for print. It costs more than plain, but much less than moving up to a rigid box for a premium feel.

• Printed before cutting
• Only the visible faces printed
• Matched to your box's inside print

When is cardboard the right insert?

Choose cardboard for light products sold in shops or in sturdy outer boxes, where looks matter more than cushioning.

It suits cosmetics, small bottles and jars, accessories and gift sets in a retail carton or a mailer. For heavier items, or products that ship on their own, corrugated adds the strength cardboard lacks, and foam gives the most protection for anything fragile.

Your insert and your box, proofed together

We draw the insert's dieline alongside the box it sits in, so the two fit each other as well as your product.

No gaps at the walls, no lid that will not close. Dieline support is free, and you see a digital proof before anything is cut or printed.