This guide covers how to specify a foundation carton: what to measure, what the glass changes, and how to handle a shade range without drowning in packaging SKUs. To order the format itself, go to custom foundation boxes.
Measuring the bottle
Foundation bottles are among the more awkward shapes in beauty, because the pump is a separate component that changes the silhouette.
- Fit the pump and lock it down the way it ships. Measure the total height to the top of the actuator in that locked position.
- Measure the widest circumference. On many bottles that is the pump collar, not the bottle body. On square and flat bottles, measure both axes separately.
- Measure a labelled bottle rather than a bare one. A wrap label with an overlap seam, and a shrink sleeve more so, adds real thickness.
- Add roughly 1 to 2 mm of clearance per side so the bottle drops in on a line without binding, then state internal length x width x depth and say the word internal.
What the glass changes
Most foundations ship in glass, and glass is heavy and unforgiving. Two structural consequences follow. First, base construction: an auto bottom, where the base panels are pre glued and lock as the carton is squared, handles weight far better than a tuck base. Second, protection: if the carton travels on its own rather than inside a case, it needs either a corrugated version or an insert that stops the bottle contacting the carton walls directly.
| Scenario | Recommended structure |
|---|---|
| Glass bottle, retail shelf, ships in a case | Folding carton with an auto bottom, heavier caliper |
| Glass bottle, direct to consumer with a label on the carton | E flute corrugated at about 1/16 inch, with a die cut insert |
| Plastic or acrylic bottle, retail shelf | Straight tuck end folding carton, standard caliper |
| Sample or travel size | Small tuck end carton, or a multipack with a partition |
Shade ranges without SKU chaos
A foundation line can run to dozens of shades, and each one needs its own carton artwork. The practical approach is to keep one carton size for the whole range and vary only the printed shade name, the code and any colour swatch. That way your quantity concentrates on one size rather than splitting across several, which is what moves the per unit price. Design the shade panel as a defined area in the artwork from the start, with enough room for the longest shade name in your range and space for the code to stay legible.
Print, finish and the detail that gets noticed
Beauty cartons are judged in the hand. Board caliper is specified in points, one point being a thousandth of an inch, and a heavier caliper is worth its cost here because a bowed panel on shelf undermines a premium price. Soft touch lamination is common because it feels considered and hides fingerprints on dark cartons. Foil stamping and embossing lift a logo without adding dimensional allowance. If the carton is white, ask about coated board, since whiteness and the neutrality of that white are what your product photography will sit against.
Ordering and turnaround
Minimum order is 100 boxes per configuration. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, since caliper, finishing and structure all move it. The die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included, and the proof is where to check that every shade name and code has printed correctly.
Turnaround is quoted per product in three lanes: rush (expedited production plus air freight, premium about 7 to 25% depending on the job), standard by air, and cost saver by sea. The floor is from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 days for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. Production is at West Chicago in the US and Guangzhou in China.
Send your bottle measurements, your shade count and whether the carton ships alone, and we will spec it at /quote/. Order at custom foundation boxes, and if your range also includes lip products, lip balm boxes specifications covers the small carton end of the same problem.
