Bakery buyers ask for a donut box by count. The box has to be drawn in inches, so the useful step is turning the count into a footprint before anyone draws a die. The arithmetic is simple and it is the part most first orders get wrong.
To buy the box itself once you know the size, go to custom donut boxes. This page is about choosing the spec.
Turn the count into a footprint
Measure your own product first, because donut diameter varies by recipe. A raised glazed donut typically sits around 3.5 to 4 inches across, a cake donut is often a little smaller, and a filled or topped donut is taller than it is wide. Then lay the count out as a grid and add a little clearance so the lid closes without pressing the glaze.
| Count | Grid | Approximate inside floor at 4 inch donuts |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3 by 2 | About 12 by 8 inches |
| 12 | 4 by 3 | About 16 by 12 inches |
| 24 | 6 by 4 | About 24 by 16 inches |
Those figures are the grid maths at a 4 inch donut, not a fixed catalogue size. Swap in your real diameter and the numbers move. Depth is usually driven by the tallest item you sell, so measure a filled or cream-topped donut rather than a plain ring. Related reference sizes are on bakery box dimensions.
Window, no window, or a printed lid
A window sells the product at the counter and adds a film component plus a die cut opening. A printed lid costs less and holds up better in a stack. If you are shipping donuts rather than handing them over, the window is a weak point and a printed lid is the safer choice.
The bottom style decides how fast staff work
A flat-packed box that has to be folded panel by panel is fine at a slow counter and painful during a morning rush. An auto bottom box is pre-glued so it opens into a tray in one motion. It costs a little more per unit and buys back labour every single order. The mechanics are covered on auto bottom boxes.
Board and grease
Glaze and butter migrate, so board choice and any coating should be specified against what you actually bake. Tell us on the quote what the box carries, whether it will be stacked warm, and whether you need a liner or a coated surface. We confirm the available options in writing for your job instead of publishing a blanket claim here.
Minimum, price and lead time
The minimum is 100 boxes. Bulk pricing starts at about $0.48 per unit, with the number for your job set by size, board, window and print coverage and confirmed on the quote. The die and plates, design support, free US shipping and a digital proof before printing come with the order, which is why a new dozen-count size does not carry a separate tooling charge.
Lead time is quoted per product in three lanes. Rush is expedited production plus air freight, standard is air, and cost saver is sea at the lowest cost and the longest wait. The floor is from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. Production is at West Chicago in the United States or Guangzhou in China.
If you are also boxing muffins, cookies or cake, quote them together at custom bakery boxes so the print run is shared. Send counts, your measured donut diameter and your quantity to /quote/ and we will draw the dieline against your product rather than a standard size.
