Foam Inserts for Boxes

No — foam protects by compressing, so a cavity cut with no clearance behaves like a solid block and transmits shock straight through. It needs controlled clearance, which is different from a board insert.

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.

Yes, and for foam inserts for boxes 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.

Board is cheapest and suits light or regular shapes. Foam holds irregular and fragile items better and absorbs shock. Moulded pulp sits between them and is the more recyclable of the cushioning options. Send the item and we will recommend.

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.

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

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.

A flat 100 units on any format. Most packaging inserts 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.

3 to 5 business days after artwork approval, plus freight. Packaging insert 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.

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.

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 foam inserts for boxes 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.

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.