Custom Donut Boxes

How a donut box folds up

A donut box is usually a flat tray and hinged lid made from one blank that locks at the corners.

The sides fold up and lock with corner tabs, and the lid swings down and tucks into the front or closes with a tab. Many shops use pre-glued corners so the tray pops up in one movement, which matters during a morning rush.

The tray is shallow and wide rather than deep. Donuts are not stacked, so the build is about holding a large flat base steady while it is carried, not about wall height.

• One blank, locking or pre-glued corners
• Hinged lid with a front tuck
• Shallow, wide tray

Board for fried dough

Fried dough releases oil, so a grease-resistant board or coating is worth asking for.

Plain board soaks up oil from the base of each donut and shows dark, see-through spots on the outside. A coated or grease-resistant board slows that down and keeps the box clean in the hand.

A dozen donuts has real weight, and a wide paperboard base can bow in the middle when the box is held by its edges. Heavier board or fine E-flute corrugated keeps the larger boxes flat.

Sizing by count and diameter

Because donuts sit in one layer, the box footprint is set by the count and the width of each donut.

A half dozen usually sits two by three and a dozen three by four. Leave a small gap between each so glazes and sprinkles do not stick together, and measure the widest donut on the menu rather than the average.

Height is set by the tallest topping. Ring donuts glazed flat need little room, while filled, stacked or heavily topped donuts need a deeper wall so the lid does not lift the icing away. Send us your widest donut and tallest topping, and we set the footprint and wall height for each count you sell.

• Half dozen: two by three
• Dozen: three by four
• Height set by the tallest topping

Donut box or cupcake box?

Donuts lie flat and need no insert. Cupcakes stand up and do.

A donut box is a wide, open tray that relies on the donuts sitting snugly side by side. It packs fast and costs less to make, since there is no second cut piece.

A cupcake box keeps a tall, soft-topped cake upright in a holed insert. Using one for donuts wastes height, and using a donut tray for cupcakes leaves them free to tip.

Print on an oily product

Dark, patterned or kraft artwork hides oil marks that plain white board shows straight away.

A large area of white on the base or sides makes every grease spot obvious. Brands that want a bright white box tend to pair it with a coated stock and keep the heaviest colour on the lid.

The lid is the panel everyone sees, and a window there shows the donuts. If the lid sits too low, icing sticks to the film and pulls away when the box is opened, so we set the lid height against the window on the dieline.

Donut box or mailer for posting?

A donut box is the right pick for carrying donuts home or to the office. A mailer around it is the right pick when donuts go out as a gift by post.

A donut box is a carry-home pack, not a store cupboard. Board lets air in, so donuts go stale in the box much as they would on a plate, and donuts boxed while warm create condensation that softens glaze and board alike, so a short cooling time pays off.

Shallow trays do not take much weight on the lid, so tall piles of boxes crush the ones at the bottom, and parcel handling is rougher still. For posted orders we make a mailer box sized to the tray, so it travels inside a firm outer. Cream-filled donuts that may leak are better in a box with a coated base or in their own wrap.