Tobacco cartons are a precision folding carton job. The tolerances are tight, the assembly involves more than one component, and the artwork is constrained by law before a designer touches it. Order the format at cigarette boxes; this page covers the structural and regulatory decisions you settle first.
The three constructions
| Construction | How it works | Specification notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hinge lid (flip top) | A one-piece carton with a lid that hinges at the back, over an inner frame | The most common rigid-feeling format; the frame is a separate die and a separate spec |
| Shell and slide | An outer shell with an inner drawer that pushes out from one end | Fit between shell and slide is a tooling decision and needs a physical sample |
| Soft pack with bundle wrap | A printed paper wrap around a foil or film bundled product | Lowest cost per unit; the wrap carries the artwork and the pack has no rigid structure |
The inner frame
On a hinge lid pack the inner frame does three jobs at once. It holds the bundle so the contents do not shift, it gives the lid something to register against so the pack closes with a defined action, and it stops the walls from bowing. Its dimensions come off the bundle rather than off the carton, and its board caliper affects the lid fit. Specify it at the same time as the carton or you will be re-tooling one of the two.
Size comes from the bundle
Measure the wrapped bundle as it will be produced, in all three dimensions, and add the clearance the frame needs. Working backwards from a desired pack size is the wrong direction and it produces a pack the bundle does not fit. If the bundle format changes at any point, the frame and the carton both change with it.
Artwork is regulated before it is designed
This is the part that costs projects the most time. Tobacco product packaging is subject to mandatory health warning requirements that vary between countries and that are revised. Depending on the market those rules can dictate the text, the size of the warning as a proportion of a panel, its placement, whether images are required, restrictions on descriptive words, and in some markets the pack's colour and typography. There are also tax stamp and track and trace requirements in many jurisdictions that need reserved space on the pack.
Get all of that from your regulatory counsel for every market you sell into, and lay it out before any brand design begins. We print what you supply and approve, we do not advise on tobacco regulation, and we do not check artwork for regulatory compliance on your behalf.
Print, finish and tooling
These packs are usually litho printed on a coated board with a coating or laminate, often with foil or embossing on a logo area. Tight registration matters because the format is small and the folds are numerous. Plan the sequence of finishes, since foil, varnish and glue areas interact, and a varnish that runs across a glue lap will stop the pack from holding.
Minimum, price and lead time
Minimum order is 100 boxes, from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, confirmed on your written quote. Die and plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included. We produce at West Chicago in the US and Guangzhou in China, quoting Rush (expedited production plus air freight), Standard (air) and Cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery. Specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks, and Rush adds about 7 to 25%, depending on the job.
Send the bundle dimensions, the construction you want and your confirmed regulatory artwork requirements, and we will quote the carton and the frame together at /quote/. For related formats, see custom tobacco boxes.
