Custom Pizza Boxes

One sheet, no glue: how a pizza box folds

A pizza box is one die-cut sheet of corrugated board that folds into a tray with an attached lid.

The side walls fold up and lock with tabs at the front corners, and the lid closes over and tucks into the front. There is no glue, so boxes arrive flat and are folded on demand next to the oven.

Small vent holes in the lid or walls let steam escape. Without them, moisture from a hot pizza condenses on the lid and drips back, and the crust goes soft before the box reaches the door.

• One sheet, no glue
• Front corner locking tabs
• Vent holes release steam

Why corrugated board

The air in the flutes holds heat in and gives the box enough strength to stack.

E-flute is common for standard sizes because it is thin, folds cleanly and prints well. B-flute is thicker and stiffer, which helps with large pizzas and tall stacks in a delivery bag.

Hot cheese and oil soak into plain board, so a grease-resistant inner liner or coating is worth asking for. Heavily grease-soaked board is also harder to recycle, which a cleaner inside surface helps with.

Sizing a pizza box

Pizza boxes are named by the pizza's size in inches, and the box itself runs a little larger.

Ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen and eighteen inch boxes are the usual steps. The inside is sized with some clearance so the pizza slides in and out without dragging its edge against the walls.

A standard box is shallow. Deep-pan, stuffed-crust and heavily topped pizzas need a taller wall so the lid stays clear of the cheese, and a square box leaves corners free for dips or a folded menu. Send us your sizes and your tallest pizza, and we set the wall height for each.

Corrugated box or paperboard carton?

Corrugated is for hot delivery. A paperboard carton suits slices, small pizzas and chilled ranges.

A folding paperboard carton is thinner, cheaper and prints in sharp full colour, so it is used for frozen and chilled pizza in shops. It does not hold heat or take the weight of a stack well.

For single slices, a triangular pizza slice box or tray uses far less board than a full box. A corrugated box earns its place when a whole pizza has to travel hot and stay round.

Printing on a pizza box

Corrugated board prints best in a few strong colours, which is why most pizza boxes look the way they do.

One or two flexographic colours on the lid is the norm: a logo, a phone number and a simple pattern. Fine detail and photographs blur on the ridged surface of the flutes.

Full colour is possible by printing a sheet and laminating it to the board, or by digital print, at a higher price per box. Print stays on the outside, and the inside where the pizza sits is left plain.

• One or two flexo colours is typical
• Fine detail softens on flutes
• Inside surface left unprinted

Whole pizza box or smaller food box?

A full pizza box is the right pick for a whole pizza that has to travel hot and stay round. A smaller box is the right pick for calzones, sides and single portions.

Vents slow sogginess but do not stop it, so a pizza box is a short-trip box rather than a long hold. On long delivery runs the base still picks up moisture, and very tall stacks crush the bottom box as the board warms.

Calzones and small sides waste a full box and travel better in a smaller food box, which we can print to match your pizza boxes. Retail frozen pizza belongs in a printed carton or wrap, and saucy dishes that may leak need a tray or a sealed pot.