How to measure your product for custom packaging

Every custom box starts with three numbers. Getting them right — and knowing which few other facts to send with them — is the difference between a first dieline that fits and a second one. This is how we ask for dimensions, and why.

Length, width, depth

Measure the product at its widest points in each direction. Length is the longest horizontal dimension, width the shorter, depth (or height) the vertical. For a bottle, that is diameter × diameter × height including the cap. For a folded garment, the folded footprint and the stack height. Use inches or millimeters — just say which.

Clearance

A box that fits exactly does not open. We add clearance for the product to slide in and out, for an insert if there is one, and for the board thickness of the structure. You do not need to calculate this — but if the product is irregular or soft, tell us, because the clearance changes.

Weight

Weight sets the board. A 4-ounce carton and a 24-ounce candle in glass might share dimensions and need completely different structures. Weigh the product as it will be packed, including any primary container.

Count and arrangement

If more than one item goes in the box — a set, a kit, a multi-pack — tell us how many and how you want them arranged. A sketch on paper photographed with a phone is genuinely useful. The insert is designed from this.

Irregular shapes

For anything that is not a rectangle or a cylinder, send a photo from above and from the side with a ruler in frame. For foam inserts we may ask for a sample to cut to.

What to send

Inside or outside dimensions?

We size from the product, so the dimensions you send are effectively internal. When we return the dieline we confirm both internal and external dimensions — external matters for shelf space, shipping cartons and retailer specifications.