Custom Apparel Packaging

Cap Boxes

Cap Boxes built to your specification — your dimensions, your board, your print.

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

No obligation

Get a price

Name, email, phone and what you are packing. 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.

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    What cap boxes have to cope with

    Cap Boxes hold a structured cap where the crown must not be crushed flat. That is the starting point for the specification, because a structured cap cannot be shipped flat. The crown height sets the box depth and there is no way around it.

    In service they are used for headwear retail and merchandise where cap shape is the product.

    Where cap boxes are actually used

    Cap Boxes are specified for headwear retail and merchandise where cap shape is the product. A structured cap cannot be shipped flat. The crown height sets the box depth and there is no way around it.

    • Headwear retail and merchandise where cap shape is the product
    • Shelf display in specialty retail
    • Subscription and gift sets
    • E-commerce inner packaging

    The substrate for cap boxes

    16pt board or corrugated with enough depth for the crown, and a shaper insert on premium items.

    The options we would consider for this format are below; a structured cap cannot be shipped flat. The crown height sets the box depth and there is no way around it.

    • 12pt SBS paperboard
    • 14pt SBS paperboard
    • 16pt SBS paperboard
    • 18pt kraft board
    • recycled CCNB board

    Printing cap boxes

    Brand and fit identification on the outer, since cap boxes are frequently stacked and only edges show.

    Offset lithography, Digital press, Flexography are all available for this format. Run length usually decides which is cheapest: digital removes the plate cost on short quantities, offset and flexo overtake it at volume.

    Finishing cap boxes

    Brand and fit identification on the outer, since cap boxes are frequently stacked and only edges show.

    The finishes below are quoted line by line. Each is an additional pass, so dropping one is a real saving rather than a rounding difference.

    • Gloss lamination
    • Matte lamination
    • Soft-touch lamination
    • Spot UV
    • Foil stamping
    • Embossing
    • Debossing
    • Aqueous coating

    Sizing cap boxes

    Deep enough to clear the crown height, which is what makes cap boxes bulky.

    Send the contents rather than a box size. The box is sized for shipping efficiency, and a flattened cap does not recover its shape.

    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.

    Getting them to you, and onward

    Cartons ship flat in bulk cases, which keeps freight cost low even on large runs.

    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.

    Preparing artwork

    Supply artwork on the dieline we send you, with 3 mm bleed past every trim edge and all text held 4 mm inside the fold lines.

    Supply a print-ready PDF or vector file with fonts outlined and images at 300 dpi. Our prepress team checks every file before a proof is issued. The check that catches most files is type sitting too close to a crease, which is easier to move at layout than at proof.

    From enquiry to delivery

    Send the product dimensions, the quantity and your deadline. What comes back is a board grade, a structure, a print method, a lead time and a written price — not a number on its own.

    You approve the quote, we send the dieline, prepress proofs it, and production follows. The proof stage is where changes are still free.

    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

    Cap Boxes at a specification level

    ProductCap Boxes
    CategoryCustom Apparel Packaging
    ConstructionDie-cut, creased and seam-glued
    Board thickness12pt – 18pt depending on product weight
    Ships asFlat-packed, glued one seam
    Materials12pt SBS paperboard, 14pt SBS paperboard, 16pt SBS paperboard, 18pt kraft board
    PrintingOffset lithography, Digital press, Flexography
    FinishesGloss lamination, Matte lamination, Soft-touch lamination, Spot UV, Foil stamping
    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 Cap Boxes 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

      What you get with this format

      Fitted to what goes in it

      Deep enough to clear the crown height, which is what makes cap boxes bulky.

      The failure worth avoiding

      The crown collapses because the box was sized to the cap laid flat rather than upright.

      Where it has to work

      Specified for headwear retail and merchandise where cap shape is the product.

      The detail that matters

      A structured cap cannot be shipped flat. The crown height sets the box depth and there is no way around it.

      This format sits in our custom apparel packaging range, alongside 12 other made-to-order formats.

      Answers

      Ordering cap boxes: the usual questions

      Specification, minimums and lead times for cap boxes.

      Could soft goods ship in something flatter?

      Very often. Apparel moves in cartons out of habit rather than need, and a flat mailer removes both volume and weight. For non-fragile soft goods the protection is usually sufficient and the freight saving is immediate.

      Do cap boxes arrive flat or assembled?

      Flat and glued along one seam, so they pop open on your packing line. That keeps freight cost down considerably compared with a pre-assembled structure.

      How long do cap boxes take to produce?

      3 to 5 business days after artwork approval, plus freight. Folding carton 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 cap boxes 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. Finishing passes are the lever buyers most often underestimate: each one is a separate run through the line.

      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. A plain sample answers fit and structure; a printed one answers colour. On cap boxes it is usually fit that is worth checking first.

      Can you match packaging we already use?

      Send the current specification or a physical sample and we will quote to match it rather than proposing an alternative you would then have to re-approve internally. A physical sample tells us more than a specification sheet — board caliper and coating are usually described loosely and measured exactly.

      Where do you deliver?

      All 50 US states, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, on the same timeline everywhere: 3 to 5 business days of production after artwork approval, then 5 to 7 business days in transit. Every run is made to order and shipped directly to your address rather than pulled from stock, so you receive current production rather than whatever has been sitting in a warehouse. Freight is costed separately by weight, volume and destination. Tell us at quoting if the delivery point cannot take a pallet, and we will break the consignment into cartons instead.

      Can I order cap boxes in a custom size?

      Every run is cut to your dimensions — there are no stock sizes here. Send the product measurements rather than a box size and we will build the folding carton around them, then send a dieline template you can design onto.

      What happens after I approve the quote?

      We issue a dieline template sized to your product, prepress checks your artwork against it, and a proof comes back for sign-off. Nothing runs until you approve that proof, and folding cartons then take 3 to 5 business days.

      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 folding cartons. 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.

      Next step

      Start on Cap Boxes

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