A logo on a cardboard box is a printing decision before it is a design decision. What your mark is made of, how many colours it uses and where it sits on the panel all change what the press has to do. iBox Factory runs custom printed cardboard boxes from a minimum of 100 boxes at both of its plants, in West Chicago and in Guangzhou, and the die, the plates, the dieline work and a digital proof are included.
Getting a logo onto board
Cardboard is not a smooth substrate. Corrugated has flutes underneath the top liner, and kraft has visible fibre. Both affect how a logo lands.
- Solid colour marks reproduce best. A one or two colour logo on kraft or white liner is the most forgiving artwork you can send.
- Fine hairlines and small reversed type are the usual casualty. Thin white text knocked out of a dark block can fill in on an absorbent liner. Thicken strokes or increase the point size.
- Gradients and photographic backgrounds need a coated or laminated surface to hold detail. On uncoated kraft, expect the colour to sit warmer and darker than your screen.
- Brand colour matching is easier when you supply a Pantone reference rather than a CMYK build, because the build shifts with the stock.
What to send with your artwork
| Item | What we need | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| File format | Vector AI, EPS or PDF, or 300 dpi raster at final size | A web-resolution PNG pulled from a website will print soft |
| Fonts | Outlined or converted to curves | Prevents substitution when the file opens on our end |
| Colour | Pantone references where brand colour is critical | Keeps repeat runs consistent against the same target |
| Bleed | 1/8 inch past every trim edge | Die cutting has movement, and bleed hides it |
| Safe area | Keep logos clear of scores and glue tabs | Ink on a glue tab weakens the bond, and a score through a logo cracks it |
Placement decisions worth making before the proof
Decide which panel is the hero. For a shipper opened with a blade, the top panel and the side panels do the work. For a retail carton, the front panel and the two ends are what a shelf shows. Putting the same logo on all six panels is expensive on ink coverage and rarely improves recognition.
If the box will be reordered, keep the logo position fixed relative to the die. That way a future run reuses the same dieline and the same plates with no rework, which is where repeat orders get cheaper.
What a logo run costs and how long it takes
The minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, because the number moves with board grade, size, colour count and finish. Free US shipping is included.
Turnaround is quoted per product across three lanes. Rush combines expedited production with air freight and carries a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job. Standard moves by air. Cost saver moves by sea and is the cheapest per unit if your date allows it. Production runs from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks.
Nothing prints until you approve a digital proof, so the logo you sign off is the logo that runs.
Send us the logo
Send the logo file, the box size and the quantity to /quote/ and we will come back with a written price and a lane. If you are still choosing a print method, read cardboard box printing. If the box itself is still open, start with custom corrugated boxes.
