Every tea carton problem starts the same way: someone measures the tea bag and forgets the wrapper. The sealed envelope, the tag, the string and the pouch gusset are all bigger than the tea itself, and they are what the box has to hold.
Measure the format, not the tea
| What you are packing | The dimension that sets the box | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Envelope wrapped bags | Envelope footprint, times the stack height | Sealed flanges are wider than the bag inside them |
| Pyramid sachets | Sachet height, which does not compress | Depth must be exact, a pyramid will not lie flat |
| String and tag bags | Bag length plus tag and folded string | Tags stack unevenly and lift the top of the stack |
| Loose leaf pouch | Pouch filled, sealed and settled | Pouches slump, so measure after settling, not before |
| Tin or caddy in a carton | Tin exterior plus clearance | The lid lip is usually wider than the tin body |
Rows and counts
Retail tea is sold in counts, and the count decides the layout. A 20 count carton is commonly two stacks of 10 side by side, so the carton width comes from two envelope widths plus clearance, and the height comes from one stack of 10 plus clearance. A 40 count often becomes four stacks. Work out the arrangement on a table with real sachets before you ask anyone to quote it, because the same 20 sachets can produce three completely different cartons.
Depth and settling
Leave clearance so the carton closes without pressure on the top sachet. A tea carton packed tight enough to bulge will crease along the bulge, and creased packaging on a premium tea reads as a defect. Equally, do not overshoot: a carton with visible slack rattles and lets the stack tip, which is worse than being slightly snug.
Structure choices
- Reverse tuck end carton, the standard retail tea box and the most economical layout.
- Straight tuck end when you want an uninterrupted front panel for artwork.
- Seal end carton for high volume automated filling lines.
- Two piece rigid caddy for gift and loose leaf presentation, which runs longer to produce.
- Window carton if the sachets themselves are attractive enough to sell the box.
Where the tea contacts the board directly rather than sitting in a wrapper, flag that on your quote request and confirm the requirements that apply where you sell.
Ordering
The minimum is 100 boxes per design, which is why small tea brands can carry eight blends instead of two. Unit pricing starts at about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote. The cutting die is included, so a carton built around your exact sachet costs no tooling, and reruns of the same blend carry no setup.
Turnaround is stated per product in 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 rigid caddies can run up to about 12 weeks.
Get your tea carton quoted
Send the sachet or pouch dimensions, the count per carton and your artwork through the quote form. Related: custom tea boxes, tuck end boxes for the structure, and coffee box dimensions if you pack both.
