Custom CBD Boxes

Matching the carton to the container

The carton follows the container: tall and narrow for dropper bottles, short and square for jars and tins.

A dropper bottle carton is usually a straight or reverse tuck-end with a neck insert, a punched card that the bottle neck passes through so the glass sits still. Jar and tin cartons are closer to a cube, often with a tuck end or a sleeve that slides over the container.

Counter display packs are a separate format: a printed carton that opens into a tray holding several units upright. They are made to be handled at a till rather than to ship, so they are usually packed inside a plain outer shipper.

• Dropper: tall tuck end with neck insert
• Jars and tins: near-cube carton or sleeve
• Display packs: open into a counter tray

Board, coatings and oily contents

SBS gives clean print. A coating is worth asking for where oils or balms can touch the board.

SBS paperboard prints sharply and folds cleanly, which suits detailed information panels and small type. Recycled kraft gives an earthy look, but colours print darker and fine text needs to be set larger to stay readable.

Oils and balms can leave a dark mark on uncoated board if a bottle weeps or a jar is opened and closed with oily fingers. A varnish or aqueous coating on the outer face, and sometimes the inside, helps the carton stay clean on the shelf. Coated folding boxboard is a common middle ground between appearance and cost.

Sizing for bottles with droppers and caps

Measure the bottle with its dropper or cap fitted, since that is usually the tallest and often the widest part.

A dropper bulb and collar add height above the glass, and some caps are wider than the shoulder of the bottle. Size the carton to the assembled container, then add a little clearance so it slides in without force. For jars, the lid diameter usually sets the carton width. Send us the assembled size and we draw the carton around it.

If a leaflet goes in the carton, decide its folded size before the carton is drawn, since a thick fold can push the bottle against a panel. A neck insert should hold the bottle by the shoulder, not grip the dropper, which can loosen it.

• Measure with dropper or cap fitted
• Jar lid usually sets the width
• Plan room for any folded leaflet

Carton or label only?

A label on the bottle is leaner. A carton adds information space, protects the glass and can show if it has been opened.

A small bottle label has very little room once a brand name, a content statement and any warnings are set, and curved glass makes small text harder to read. A carton gives four flat panels and a top and bottom, which is often the deciding reason to use one.

A carton can also carry a tear strip or a seal label across the opening, so a buyer can see whether it has been opened before purchase. The cost is extra material and packing time, and some brands sell refills or bulk sizes with a label only for that reason.

Labelling, claims and design

The text a CBD pack carries, and the wording it uses, is for the brand to settle before artwork starts, and we leave room for all of it on the proof.

Packs often carry a content statement, warnings, batch information and directions, and wording about health or effects needs particular care. Settle the final copy before proofing and recheck it close to the print date. Many brands also add a QR code that links to batch information. Keep it on a flat panel, away from creases, and print the proof at full size to check it scans.

Artwork that looks like sweets, uses cartoon characters or borrows youth themes can make a product look as if it is aimed at children, so a clean, informative layout is the safer base. Foil and embossing suit the front panel, while the information panel should stay plain so the text is easy to read.

• Settle the final copy before proofing
• Take care with health and effect wording
• Check any QR code scans at full size

Outer carton or child-resistant cap?

For bottles and jars, child resistance is usually built into the cap and container rather than the outer carton. The carton is the right pick for information, protection in handling and presentation.

A child-resistant closure works as part of the bottle or jar it was designed with, and a carton around it does not change that either way. Tell us which closure your container uses and we size the carton and neck insert around it, so the cap sits free and is never pressed in the box.

A carton is not a barrier either. Board gives some light protection but no seal, so freshness and stability depend on the bottle, jar or tin. For a visible sign the pack has not been opened, a seal label across the carton opening does that job.