A drawer box is the format that opens like a matchbox: an outer sleeve open at both ends, and an inner tray that slides out of it. It is used for anything that benefits from a slow reveal, which is why it turns up constantly in gifting, cosmetics, confectionery, stationery and subscription boxes.
Two pieces, two sets of dimensions
This is the thing that makes drawer boxes different to specify. Every other box has one internal size. A drawer box has the tray internal, which is where your product sits, and the sleeve internal, which has to be slightly larger than the tray external so the tray can move. Get the relationship wrong in one direction and the tray falls out. Get it wrong in the other and the customer has to fight the box, which on a gift product is worse.
So when you send a spec, give the product dimensions and say the words drawer box, and let the supplier derive both pieces. Sending one set of numbers and hoping is where this format goes wrong.
Rigid or folding carton
| Build | How it feels | Trade offs |
|---|---|---|
| Rigid, wrapped chipboard | Heavy, solid, smooth slide | Ships assembled, so more freight cube and a longer lead time |
| Folding carton | Light, crisp, lower cost | Ships flat, needs assembly, less premium in the hand |
| Corrugated | Sturdy and protective | Thicker walls eat into the internal size on both pieces |
Rigid is the default for gifting because the slide feels controlled. The rigid range is on the custom rigid gift boxes page, and the format itself on drawer boxes.
Details that make or break the format
- A pull. A ribbon through the tray front, a thumb notch in the sleeve, or a die cut finger hole. Without one the customer has to shake the box, which is an unpleasant first impression.
- A stop. A tab or a ribbon stop that prevents the tray sliding all the way out and dropping the contents. Worth specifying on anything fragile.
- Print inside the tray. The tray interior is the surface the buyer looks at longest. Print it, or line it, or at minimum choose the board colour deliberately.
- The insert. The tray usually holds a fitment, and that fitment sits inside the tray internal, so size the fitment first and the tray around it.
- Scuffing. A tight tray drags on the sleeve and can mark the print over repeated openings. If the box is meant to be kept and reopened, raise that when you ask.
Where drawer boxes are the wrong answer
They are not shipping boxes. A drawer box in a courier network will slide open under compression or vibration unless it is banded or boxed. If the product ships direct to a customer, plan for an outer mailer around the drawer box, and count that as a second item on the quote rather than a detail.
What it costs and how long it takes
Drawer boxes start at 100 units, from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, confirmed on your written quote. The cutting die, the printing plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof are included, and because a drawer box needs two dies that inclusion matters more here than on a single piece carton. Turnaround is stated per product in three lanes, rush (expedited production plus air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days of production plus 2 to 5 days for delivery. Rigid and specialty imported constructions can run up to about 12 weeks.
Send the product measurements and say whether you want rigid or folding, and we will size the tray, the sleeve and the clearance between them. Start at request a quote.
