Custom Mailers

Bubble Mailers

Custom bubble Mailers produced to your size and substrate, with printing and finishing handled in one run.

Minimum order
100 units
Production
3–5 business days
Construction
bubble mailer
Delivery
US, UK, Canada, Australia

No obligation

Price this against your route

Name, email, phone and what you are packing and how it ships. Attach artwork if you have it. We reply with a specification and a written price, usually within one business day.

The more detail you give, the more accurate the quote.

Drop files here or browse

PDF, AI, EPS, SVG, PNG, JPG, WEBP or ZIP. Up to 5 files, 10 MB each.

    We use your details to answer this request only. See our privacy policy for how data is handled.

    How bubble mailers fail, and what prevents it

    The bubble layer compresses permanently under a stack and offers no protection by the time the parcel arrives.

    Bubble protects against impact and rubbing, not against compression. Anything genuinely crushable needs a rigid outer instead.

    What bubble mailers have to cope with

    Bubble Mailers hold small items that need cushioning but no crush resistance — jewellery, cosmetics, small electronics. That is the starting point for the specification, because bubble protects against impact and rubbing, not against compression. Anything genuinely crushable needs a rigid outer instead.

    In service they are used for small-parcel despatch where cost per unit and low weight matter more than presentation.

    Where bubble mailers are actually used

    Bubble Mailers are specified for small-parcel despatch where cost per unit and low weight matter more than presentation. Bubble protects against impact and rubbing, not against compression. Anything genuinely crushable needs a rigid outer instead.

    • Small-parcel despatch where cost per unit and low weight matter more than presentation
    • Small electronics and accessories
    • Cosmetics samples
    • Books and print media

    Holding the contents in place

    Where a product needs to be held still, a fitted insert cut to its profile does more for damage rates than a heavier outer board. It usually costs less too, because you can drop a grade on the outer.

    • Double adhesive strip
    • Tear strip
    • Custom outer colour

    The substrate for bubble mailers

    A kraft or poly outer over a sealed bubble layer. Kraft takes print better; poly resists moisture better.

    The options we would consider for this format are below; bubble protects against impact and rubbing, not against compression. Anything genuinely crushable needs a rigid outer instead.

    • Kraft paper outer with bubble lining
    • Poly outer with bubble lining
    • Recyclable paper-padded lining

    Sizing bubble mailers

    Standard sizes run from 4 × 8 in through 12.5 × 19 in, measured as the usable interior rather than the outer.

    Send the contents rather than a box size. Buyers treat a bubble mailer as protection against crushing. It is not — it absorbs shock and abrasion, and a stacked pallet will flatten it.

    Getting them to you, and onward

    Mailers arrive in cartons by size, ready to pack without additional void fill for most small items.

    Delivery windows are confirmed in writing when your order moves into production, and we flag any risk to the date before you approve rather than after.

    What moves the price

    Four things drive a quote more than anything else: the quantity, the print route, the board grade and the number of finishing passes. Dimensions matter too, but usually through how efficiently the shape nests on the press sheet.

    Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. If a cheaper route exists we say so at quoting rather than after the invoice.

    From enquiry to delivery

    Start with dimensions and quantity. If you already run something similar, a physical sample tells us more in a minute than a specification does in a page.

    We send a dieline sized to your product, check your artwork and issue a proof. For shipping formats we will also flag it if the pack looks a size larger than it needs to be.

    Checking it before you commit

    Ask for an unprinted sample if the question is fit, or a printed prototype if the question is colour. They answer different things.

    Sample costs are normally credited against the production order.

    Reference

    Bubble Mailers at a specification level

    ProductBubble Mailers
    CategoryCustom Mailers
    ConstructionBubble mailer
    LiningAir-bubble cushioning
    ClosurePeel-and-seal adhesive strip
    ProtectionCushioned, suited to light fragile goods
    MaterialsKraft paper outer with bubble lining, Poly outer with bubble lining, Recyclable paper-padded lining
    PrintingFlexography, Digital printing on the outer face
    FinishesMatte outer, Gloss outer, Uncoated kraft
    Minimum orderMinimum order is 100 units on any format, and unit cost falls sharply as the quantity rises.
    Lead time3 to 5 business days after artwork approval
    ShippingAcross the US, UK, Canada and Australia

    Specification builder

    Specify Bubble Mailers in under a minute

    Set what you know, leave the rest. Everything here travels with your request, so nothing gets retyped.

    • 100-unit minimum
    • 3–5 day production
    • Free dieline
    • No obligation
    Approximation only — proportions, colour family and finish character. Not a colour proof, and the panel shown is a placeholder, not your artwork.
    Packaging type
    Box style
    Quantity
    Colour
    Material
    Printing
    Finish

    Drop files or browse

    Up to 5 files, 10 MB each.

      Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. Final pricing depends on size, material, printing, finishes, and quantity.

      What you get

      Why buyers specify this format

      Sized to the contents

      Standard sizes run from 4 × 8 in through 12.5 × 19 in, measured as the usable interior rather than the outer.

      What goes wrong in transit

      The bubble layer compresses permanently under a stack and offers no protection by the time the parcel arrives.

      Where it is used

      Specified for small-parcel despatch where cost per unit and low weight matter more than presentation.

      What decides the job

      Bubble protects against impact and rubbing, not against compression. Anything genuinely crushable needs a rigid outer instead.

      This format sits in our custom mailers range, alongside 31 other made-to-order formats.

      Answers

      Ordering bubble mailers: the usual questions

      Specification, minimums and lead times for bubble mailers.

      Will a bubble mailer stop my product being crushed?

      No. Bubble absorbs impact and abrasion, not compression — a stack will flatten it. If the contents are genuinely crushable, a rigid mailer or a corrugated box is the honest answer.

      How do I reduce dimensional weight?

      Measure the product rather than the box currently in use. Most operations we quote are running at least one size too large with void fill compensating, and dropping a band saves on every parcel bubble mailers carry.

      Should the outside be printed?

      That is a brand decision, not a cost or protection one. For direct-to-consumer parcels where the customer opens it, print can be worth it. For business deliveries it usually is not.

      Will a heavier board reduce my damage rate?

      Only if boxes are arriving crushed. If they arrive intact with damaged contents, the product is moving inside and a heavier outer changes nothing. A fitted insert solves that case, usually at lower cost.

      Do you supply inserts with the outer?

      Yes, and for bubble mailers we prefer to specify both together. A cavity that holds the contents still often lets us drop a grade on the outer, so the pair can cost less than an over-specified box alone.

      Can you hold the specification for repeat orders?

      Yes. Once a first run is approved we hold the board, structure, dimensions, print method and finishes against your account, so a reorder references the same specification exactly rather than being re-derived. It also means a reorder can be priced against a larger quantity without re-opening the specification.

      Do you offer recycled or recyclable options?

      Recycled grades are available across most of the substrates we run for bubble mailers. Recycled content, kerbside recyclability and certified compostability are three different claims though, so tell us which one you intend to print.

      What file format should I send artwork in?

      A print-ready PDF or a vector file, with fonts outlined and any raster images at 300 dpi at final size. We supply the dieline to design onto, and prepress checks bleed, safe area and crease clearance before issuing a proof. The dieline we supply carries the crease positions, so keeping type clear of a crease is easier to solve at layout than at proof.

      What is the minimum order for bubble mailers?

      A flat 100 units on any format. Most bubble mailers in this range are quoted from 100 units upward because unit cost falls sharply above that, but the minimum exists so you can validate a structure first.

      How long do bubble mailers take to produce?

      3 to 5 business days after artwork approval, plus freight. Bubble mailer runs with applied finishes can take longer because each finish is a separate pass, and we confirm a firm date in writing with the quote.

      What do bubble mailers cost?

      Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. For this format the biggest levers are quantity, print route, board grade and how many finishing passes are involved. We quote each element separately so you can see where the money is going. An insert often lowers the total rather than raising it, because holding the contents still lets us drop a grade on the outer.

      Can I see a sample first?

      Yes. We can send a plain unprinted sample so you can check the fit and structure, or a printed prototype for colour and finish. Sample costs are normally credited against the production order. On bubble mailers the thing to check is whether the contents still sit tight once the pack is closed, because movement inside is what causes damage rather than the board grade.

      Next step

      Start on Bubble Mailers

      Send the dimensions, the quantity and how it ships. We reply with a full specification and a written price, usually within one business day.