Min. 100 units · 3–5 days
24 made-to-order formats
Sleeves: the cheapest way to brand something you already have
A printed sleeve over a plain base pack gives you a branded product without tooling a new structure — and it is what makes a range with many variants affordable.
- Minimum
- 100 units
- Production
- 3–5 days
- Delivery
- US, UK, Canada, Australia
Why a sleeve often beats a printed pack
If you run several product variants, printing each pack in full means paying a setup cost per variant. A common plain base with a printed sleeve moves that cost onto a much smaller piece of material, and the visual difference between variants is just as clear.
It also decouples the structure from the artwork. You can change a season, a flavour or a promotion without touching the pack itself, which matters if the pack is tooled and the artwork is not settled.
Fit is the whole specification
A sleeve that is a millimetre loose slides off in handling; a millimetre tight will not go on without tearing. Because the sleeve wraps something else, its dimensions are derived from that object rather than chosen.
Send the item the sleeve goes around — or its exact dimensions including any lid overhang — and tell us whether it is applied by hand or by machine, because machine application needs a slightly more generous tolerance.
Sleeve types and what they suit
Four constructions with different jobs.
| Type | Wraps | Chosen for |
|---|---|---|
| Belly band | A box or tray around its middle | Branding without covering the pack |
| Full sleeve | A carton or tray end to end | Maximum print area on a plain base |
| Cup sleeve | A hot drink cup | Insulation as well as branding |
| Product sleeve | A bottle, jar or bar | Variant identification on a shared container |
The range
Custom Sleeves We Produce
No format matches that. Try a shorter word, or describe what you need in a quote request.
Specification
Choosing a Sleeves Specification
Materials
- Uncoated kraft board
- C1S paperboard
- Corrugated E-flute
- Greaseproof paper
- Recycled board
- Uncoated text paper
- Glassine
- Recycled kraft paper
Circumference of the filled product. Measuring the empty container is the usual mistake. Our guide to packaging board and film grades compares them on strength, print quality and cost.
Printing
- Offset lithography
- Flexography
- Digital press
Run length usually decides this. Digital wins on shorter quantities because there is no plate cost; beyond that, offset and flexo overtake it on price per unit.
Finishes
- Matte lamination
- Uncoated natural
- Spot UV
- Foil stamping
- Emboss
- Matte print
- Food-safe ink
Finishes are applied in the same production run. Each one adds a step, so we price them individually rather than bundling them into the base rate.
Applications
- Food service branding
- Retail product banding
- Gift presentation
- Subscription unboxing
- Soap and bath products
- Bakery and confectionery
Most orders here come from food and beverage, retail and grocery, gifting and events brands.
Specification builder
Specify your sleeves 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
YOUR BRAND
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Recent work
Sleeves We Have Produced
Where sleeves earn their place
The situations where a sleeve is genuinely the better answer.
- A product range where only the flavour or variant changes
- Seasonal editions on a pack that is already tooled
- Meal-prep and ready-meal trays that ship plain and brand late
- Hot drink cups where insulation and branding come together
- Gift and subscription boxes needing a personalised outer element
Worth reading before you specify
- what a setup charge actually coversThe cost that makes sleeves worth it across a range.
- deriving sleeve dimensions from the packIncluding lid overhang and application tolerance.
Get a price
Quote a Sleeves Run
Send the product details and the quantity you have in mind. We reply with a specification and a written price, usually within one business day.
Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. Final pricing depends on size, material, printing, finishes, and quantity.
No obligation
Quote Custom Sleeves
Send us the product details and quantity. We reply with a specification and a written price, usually within one business day.
Answers
Custom Sleeves Questions
Why use a sleeve instead of printing the pack?
Cost across variants. Printing each pack in full means a setup charge per variant; a common base with a printed sleeve moves that cost onto a much smaller piece of material while keeping the variants visually distinct.
How do I measure for a sleeve?
From the item it wraps, including any lid overhang. Send the object or its exact dimensions — a sleeve is derived rather than chosen, and a millimetre either way is the difference between sliding off and tearing.
Are sleeves applied by hand or machine?
Either, but tell us which. Machine application needs a slightly more generous tolerance than hand application, and specifying for the wrong one causes jams or loose sleeves.
Do cup sleeves provide insulation?
Yes, meaningfully. A single-wall cup with a sleeve is usually cheaper than a double-wall cup and performs comparably, which is why the combination is so common in coffee service.
Can a sleeve carry all my regulatory copy?
Often, yes, and it can be a good solution — the sleeve carries the variable information while the base pack stays constant. Check that the copy remains legible at the sleeve width before committing.
What material are sleeves made from?
Usually a lighter board than the pack itself, since the sleeve carries no load. Kraft, coated board and corrugated are all used, with corrugated mostly for cup sleeves where insulation matters.
What is the minimum order for sleeves?
A flat 100 units on any format. Because sleeves use little material, short runs are relatively economical here.
Can I run several sleeve designs in one order?
Yes, and it is the main reason to use sleeves. On digital there is no plate cost per design, so several artworks in one run cost little more than one.
Will the sleeve stay in place in transit?
A correctly sized sleeve will. If the pack ships loose in a carton rather than snugly, we would usually recommend a light adhesive spot to stop the sleeve migrating.
How much do custom sleeves cost?
From $0.30 per piece at large volumes, and typically less than a fully printed pack because there is far less material and no structural requirement.
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Next step
Ready to Specify Your Sleeves?
Send the product dimensions and the quantity you need. We come back with a specification, a lead time and a written price.