The pillow box is the most efficient small package in the catalog: one flat blank, two curved scores, no glue on the ends, and it holds itself closed by tension. That is also the source of its limits. To buy one, use the pillow boxes product page. This page explains how to size it so what you order actually fits.
How a pillow box is measured
Three numbers describe it. Width is the flat dimension across the face. Length is the dimension along the curve, from one curved end to the other. Depth is the thickness at the fattest point in the middle. The catch is that depth is not constant: the box tapers toward each curved end, so a product with even thickness along its whole length will bulge the ends open. Pillow boxes suit contents that are thin, flexible, or shorter than the box.
What fits well and what does not
| Contents | Fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Scarves, ties, soft goods | Well | Compressible, conform to the curve |
| Jewelry on a card | Well | Thin and flat, sits in the center |
| Gift cards and vouchers | Well | Flat, no depth demand at the ends |
| Small cosmetics, sachets | Usually | Fine if the item is shorter than the box length |
| Rigid items of even thickness | Poorly | Forces the curved ends open and the box gapes |
Materials
Folding carton board is the standard, and it snaps into shape cleanly. Kraft board gives the same structure in unbleached brown, with every ink reading warmer on it. Clear plastic pillow boxes exist and look striking on small gift items, though they crease permanently once bent. Heavier board resists crushing better but fights you when you snap it into shape, so pillow boxes sit in a narrow caliper range for a reason.
Shipping and assembly
Pillow boxes arrive flat and are snapped into shape by hand, which takes a second per box once someone has the knack and slightly longer at first. They are not mailers. A pillow box posted on its own arrives crushed, because the curved ends are the strongest part of the structure and the flat face is the weakest. Put it inside a mailer or a shipper if it is going into a carrier network.
Options that change the box
- Die cut window on the face, backed with film or left open for dry goods.
- Hang tab through the top for peg display, covered on the hanging tab boxes page.
- Foil stamping, which suits pillow boxes because the flat face is small and a stamp fills it.
- Ribbon slots die cut into the curve for gift and favor use.
All of these are built into the die, and the die is included on iBox orders, so a custom outline costs nothing extra in tooling.
Minimum, price and lead time
The minimum is 100 boxes per design. Unit pricing starts at about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed in writing. Because a pillow box uses very little board and no glue, it is one of the lower cost custom formats at volume.
Turnaround is stated per product across three lanes: Rush (expedited production plus air freight), Standard (air) and Cost saver (sea). Production runs from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 days for delivery, and specialty imported items can reach about 12 weeks. Design support, US shipping and a digital proof before print are included.
Order or quote
Send contents dimensions and quantity through the quote form for a written price, or check pillow box dimensions if you are still working out which size to specify.
