A drawer box, sometimes called a slide box or a matchbox style, is an outer sleeve with an inner tray that pushes out from one end. It gives you a slow horizontal reveal instead of a lid lift, and it protects the contents on every side while closed.
The two components
| Component | What it does | What to decide |
|---|---|---|
| Outer sleeve | Carries most of the printed artwork and holds the tray | Whether it is open at one end or both |
| Inner tray | Holds the product and any insert | Wall height, and whether the interior is printed |
| Pull | Lets the user get the tray moving | Ribbon, thumb notch or die-cut finger hole |
| Insert | Seats the product inside the tray | Foam, folded board or a fitted card platform |
Clearance is the whole job
Board has thickness, and in a drawer box that thickness stacks twice: the tray wall and the sleeve wall are both between your product and the outside world on each side. If the tray is drawn to the same internal size as the sleeve, it will bind. The dieline has to build in running clearance so the tray slides with light resistance and stays put when the box is held upright. This is exactly the kind of tolerance our included design support handles, which is why we ask for your product dimensions rather than your desired box dimensions.
Pull options
- Ribbon pull. A ribbon threaded through the tray base. Reads as premium, adds a component and a hand assembly step.
- Thumb notch. A shallow cut in the sleeve edge that exposes the tray. Costs nothing extra beyond the die, and is the most durable option.
- Die-cut finger hole. A hole through the sleeve so the user pushes the tray directly. Simple and reliable, but it puts a visible opening in your printed panel, so plan the artwork around it.
- No pull. Only workable if the sleeve is open at both ends so the tray can be pushed through from the far side.
Which way does it open
Decide the opening orientation before artwork. A drawer that slides out to the right wants its artwork oriented one way; a drawer that pulls out towards the user like a matchbox wants another. It sounds obvious and it is the mistake we catch most often on drawer box proofs.
Construction and materials
Drawer boxes are built either rigid, from thick chipboard wrapped in printed paper, or as folding cartons in a heavier paperboard. Rigid feels better and ships assembled, which costs more in freight volume. Folding costs less and ships flat. See rigid boxes for the construction difference, and sleeve boxes if the sleeve alone is what you actually need.
Ordering, price and turnaround
The minimum is 100 units per size and artwork. Bulk pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit, with the exact figure written on your quote. The cutting die, the printing plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof are included, and production does not begin until you approve the proof. Turnaround is quoted per product across three lanes: rush combines expedited production with air freight and adds roughly 7 to 25 percent, standard moves by air, and cost saver moves by sea. Production starts from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 days for delivery, and rigid or specialty imported constructions can run up to about 12 weeks.
Send your product dimensions, the pull you want and your quantity through the quote form, and we will spec the sleeve, the tray and the clearance. For premium presentation alternatives, compare with two piece boxes.
