Custom Match Boxes for Etsy Sellers
The matchbox format has spread well beyond matches. A printed sleeve sliding over a small tray is one of the most satisfying pieces of packaging to open, it costs very little per unit, and it suits exactly the kind of small, considered product that independent sellers make.
Bulk pricing
From $0.38 per unit
At a 50 unit minimum. Final price depends on size, material, and finishing.
Key Takeaway
Matchbox style packaging is a printed sleeve over a sliding inner tray, and it is used for far more than matches: jewellery, samples, favours, seed packets and small gifts all use the format. Half Price Packaging prints the packaging, not the matches themselves. Small sellers use it because the format looks considered at a low unit cost and works at a 50 unit minimum. Orders start at 50 units, with 100 or more required for specialty rigid formats. Production runs from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 business days for delivery. Call (866) 225-2112.
Half Price Packaging prints matchbox style sleeve and tray packaging from a 50 unit minimum, with 100 or more required for specialty rigid formats. Call (866) 225-2112 with what goes inside and the dimensions. This is packaging only, and it is supplied without matches.
How the format is built
The sleeve is a printed band open at both ends, and the tray is a shallow open topped box that slides inside it. The friction between the two is what holds it closed, so the tolerance between sleeve and tray is the critical measurement.
Too loose and the tray slides out on its own, too tight and it will not open without bending the sleeve. That fit is set on the dieline and confirmed on a proof.
Sizing around what goes inside
Measure what sits in the tray, at its tallest, and remember that the tray depth has to clear the contents or the sleeve will not slide over. That is the most common sizing error with this format.
For a set of items, a card divider or a small insert in the tray keeps them arranged and stops them sliding as the box is opened.
Printing a small sleeve well
The sleeve gives four printable faces, and it is worth using the ends as well as the front. Keep the important content on the front face and any repeated pattern running across all four.
Small format printing punishes fine detail. Simplify the mark, increase line weight and judge the proof at actual size before approving.
Small runs and testing a product
A 50 unit minimum lets an independent seller test a design without committing to a large run. Many sellers start at the minimum, sell through, and reorder with the design refined.
Because the sleeve and the tray are separate pieces, a plain tray with a reprinted sleeve is a way to refresh a design without replacing everything.
Quantities, versions and quoting
Orders start at 50 units, with 100 or more required for specialty rigid formats. Each distinct printed sleeve is its own version with its own minimum, so a multi design set needs 50 of each.
For a quote, send the contents and their dimensions, the tray depth needed, the number of designs, the finishes and the quantity. Call (866) 225-2112 to start.
Frequently asked questions
Do the boxes come with matches?
No. Half Price Packaging prints the packaging only, supplied without matches. The matchbox format is a printed sleeve over a sliding tray and is used for jewellery, samples, favours, seed packets and small gifts as often as for matches.
What holds a matchbox style box closed?
Friction between the sleeve and the tray, which makes the tolerance between the two the critical measurement. Too loose and the tray slides out, too tight and it will not open without bending the sleeve.
How do I size the tray?
Measure the contents at their tallest and make sure the tray depth clears them, or the sleeve will not slide over. That is the most common sizing error with this format and it only shows once the box is packed.
What is the minimum order?
Orders start at 50 units, with 100 or more required for specialty rigid formats. Each distinct printed sleeve is its own version with its own minimum, so a set of three designs needs 50 of each design.
Can I refresh the design without replacing everything?
Yes, because the sleeve and the tray are separate pieces. A plain tray with a reprinted sleeve updates the look at a lower cost than reprinting both, which suits sellers iterating on a design between runs.
How long do custom match boxes take?
Production runs from about 7 business days, depending on the product, quantity and finishing, plus 2 to 5 business days for delivery. Specialty finishes add steps, so confirm the schedule against your exact specification.
Why buyers order from Half Price Packaging
- Orders start at 50 units, with 100 or more for specialty rigid formats
- Free design assistance and a digital proof approved by you before production
- Free shipping across the US
- Size guides and spec tables published from real production data
- Production runs from about 7 business days, depending on the product, quantity, and finishing, plus 2 to 5 business days for delivery
- Talk to a packaging specialist at (866) 225-2112
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