Min. 100 units · 3–5 days
Corrugated Packaging Inserts
Custom Packaging Inserts
Specify thisCustom Packaging Inserts
Hexpand Inserts
Made-to-order hexpand Inserts in e-flute corrugated, printed to your artwork and cut to your dimensions.
- Minimum order
- 100 units
- Production
- 3–5 business days
- Construction
- packaging insert
- 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 build detail that decides hexpand inserts
Expandable honeycomb only cushions once expanded. Packing staff need showing, or it goes in flat and does nothing.
Hexpand Inserts are die-cut from board or routed from foam to hold each item in a fixed position, so nothing shifts between the packing bench and the customer.
What hexpand inserts have to cope with
Hexpand Inserts hold items needing expandable paper cushioning as a plastic-free alternative to foam or bubble. That is the starting point for the specification, because expandable honeycomb only cushions once expanded. Packing staff need showing, or it goes in flat and does nothing.
In service they are used for operations replacing bubble wrap with a recyclable paper alternative.
Where hexpand inserts are actually used
Hexpand Inserts are specified for operations replacing bubble wrap with a recyclable paper alternative. Expandable honeycomb only cushions once expanded. Packing staff need showing, or it goes in flat and does nothing.
- Operations replacing bubble wrap with a recyclable paper alternative
- Fragile product protection
- Multi-piece gift sets
- Subscription box presentation
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.
- Multi-cavity layout
- Finger cut-outs for easy removal
- Foam upgrade for fragile items
- Printed instructions on the insert face
The substrate for hexpand inserts
Kraft honeycomb, fully recyclable through normal paper collection, which is usually the reason it is chosen.
The options we would consider for this format are below; expandable honeycomb only cushions once expanded. Packing staff need showing, or it goes in flat and does nothing.
- E-flute corrugated
- Chipboard
- Moulded pulp
- EVA foam
- Polyurethane foam
- Rigid board with fabric wrap
How hexpand inserts fail, and what prevents it
Insufficient expansion at packing, so the material stays flat and provides almost no cushioning.
Expandable honeycomb only cushions once expanded. Packing staff need showing, or it goes in flat and does nothing.
Sizing hexpand inserts
Supplied as a sheet or pad that expands into a honeycomb structure when stretched.
Send the contents rather than a box size. The material is treated as ready-to-use when it only works once properly expanded, which takes a moment at the bench.
Finishing hexpand inserts
Rarely printed. The material is a functional replacement rather than a presentation element.
Every finish listed here is its own pass through the line, so each one is priced on its own rather than folded into a single figure.
- Unprinted kraft
- Flood colour
- Matte lamination
- Fabric wrap
Proving it before the run
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.
What we need from you
The useful starting point is the product, not the pack. Give us its measurements and the quantity, and we work the packaging insert outward from there.
You approve the quote, we send the dieline, prepress proofs it, and production follows. The proof stage is where changes are still free.
Reference
Hexpand Inserts at a specification level
| Product | Hexpand Inserts |
|---|---|
| Category | Custom Packaging Inserts |
| Construction | Packaging insert |
| Material | Corrugated, chipboard, moulded pulp or foam |
| Tolerance | 1 mm – 2 mm around each cavity |
| Assembly | Drop-in, no adhesive required |
| Materials | E-flute corrugated, Chipboard, Moulded pulp, EVA foam |
| Printing | Flexography, Digital press, Unprinted natural |
| Finishes | Unprinted kraft, Flood colour, Matte lamination, Fabric wrap |
| Minimum order | Minimum order is 100 units on any format, and unit cost falls sharply as the quantity rises. |
| Lead time | 3 to 5 business days after artwork approval |
| Shipping | Across the US, UK, Canada and Australia |
Specification builder
Specify Hexpand Inserts 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
Hexpand Inserts
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What you get
What this build protects against
The dimensions that matter
Supplied as a sheet or pad that expands into a honeycomb structure when stretched.
What goes wrong in transit
Insufficient expansion at packing, so the material stays flat and provides almost no cushioning.
Where it is used
Specified for operations replacing bubble wrap with a recyclable paper alternative.
The detail that decides it
Expandable honeycomb only cushions once expanded. Packing staff need showing, or it goes in flat and does nothing.
This format sits in our custom packaging inserts range, alongside 20 other made-to-order formats.
Answers
Hexpand Inserts: questions buyers ask
Specification, minimums and lead times for hexpand inserts.
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 hexpand inserts 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.
Which insert material should I choose?
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.
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 hexpand inserts 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 packaging insert 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 packaging inserts 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 packaging inserts. 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 hexpand inserts?
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.
How long do hexpand inserts take to produce?
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.
What do hexpand inserts 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.
Related formats
Close alternatives to consider
Next step
Get a price for Hexpand Inserts
Send the dimensions, the quantity and how it ships. We reply with a full specification and a written price, usually within one business day.