Yes, The Best Price Boxes makes custom kraft mailer boxes with no minimum order, and we will beat any written quote you already have. Kraft is unbleached board, which means the brown is the paper rather than an ink, and it also means every color you print on it starts from brown instead of from white.
Kraft mailer box specs
| Spec | What you get |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | None. Kraft is the format most worth proofing on the real board, because screen previews lie about it. |
| Construction | Roll end tuck top as standard, with double-thickness side walls and a front tuck. Roll end front lock and mailer with a tear strip are also available. |
| Board | E flute for most mailers, B flute for heavier contents, EB double wall for fragile shipments. Kraft liners inside and out, or kraft outside and white inside. |
| Printing | Flexo or digital direct to the kraft liner. One and two color work reproduces best. White ink is available as an underbase or as a design element. |
| Color behavior | No white base under the ink, so every color mixes optically with the brown. Expect warmer, muted results and specify Pantone on uncoated references. |
| Coatings | Water-based coatings and varnishes keep the board curbside recyclable. Films and laminations are available but change the recycling stream. |
| Batch variation | Unbleached liner varies in shade between mill runs. Reorders can land a shade lighter or darker, which matters most on large flat areas. |
| Moisture | Uncoated kraft absorbs. Not the right board for anything damp, greasy or refrigerated without a coating or a liner. |
| Recycled content | Recycled kraft liners available, with a slightly darker and more variable shade than virgin kraft. |
| Inside printing | Available in one color or full color. On kraft, a single strong color inside reads better than photography. |
Printing on brown is a different job
On a white board, ink sits on a bright base and reproduces close to the swatch. On kraft there is no white base, so the brown shows through and every color shifts warm and drops in saturation. A clean blue becomes slate. A bright red becomes brick. A pastel more or less disappears.
None of that is a fault, and designers who plan for it get better results on kraft than on white. Work with the brown as a color in the palette instead of trying to cover it. One or two strong inks, generous unprinted areas, and type that carries weight rather than delicacy.
White ink, and when it earns its place
You can lay a white underbase and print colors on top of it, which brings them back toward the swatch. It also gives you a visible white patch wherever the underbase runs, so it works best as a deliberate shape rather than as a full-coverage layer. If you are covering the whole board in white to get accurate color, order a white mailer instead.
White as a design element is the strongest thing you can do on kraft. A single white mark on brown board is legible from across a room and reads as confident, which is why so many of the brands people admire on this substrate print exactly one color.
Shade variation between runs
Kraft liner is unbleached, so its shade comes from the pulp and moves between mill runs. Two orders six months apart can sit noticeably different next to each other, and recycled kraft varies more than virgin.
It rarely matters in the wild, because customers see one box at a time. It matters a great deal in a photograph of your range, or in retail where several sizes sit side by side. If that is your situation, order all the sizes together on one run.
Recyclability, and what a coating does to it
Plain kraft with water-based ink and a water-based varnish goes in curbside recycling almost everywhere, and it is one of the few sustainability claims in packaging that is simple enough to make without qualification.
A plastic lamination changes that. It protects the surface and it takes the box out of the paper stream in many municipalities. If the environmental story is the reason you chose kraft, keep the coatings water-based and let the board be what it is.
What kraft is not right for
Anything wet, greasy or refrigerated, because uncoated kraft absorbs and stains and loses strength as it does. Anything that needs photographic artwork, because the brown will pull it. And anything where a precise brand color is non-negotiable, because the substrate will shift it and no amount of press time changes that.
Related mailer and shipping styles
Compare it with luxury mailer boxes where photographic artwork and finishes matter, shipping boxes where protection comes first, ecommerce boxes for the dimensional weight problem, and kraft boxes for the same substrate in folding carton form. Start a quote on the kraft mailer box product page.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my brand color look wrong on kraft?
There is no white base under the ink, so the brown board mixes optically with everything you print. Colors come out warmer and softer. Specify against Pantone uncoated references and proof on the real board.
Can I print white on kraft?
Yes. White works as a design element and as an underbase for other colors. A single white mark on brown board is the strongest thing you can do on this substrate.
Will two orders match?
Close, not exact. Unbleached liner shifts shade between mill runs, and recycled kraft shifts more than virgin. If several sizes will sit together in photography or on a shelf, order them on one run.
Is a kraft mailer recyclable?
With water-based inks and coatings, yes, curbside in most places. A plastic lamination protects the surface but takes the box out of the paper stream in many municipalities.
Can I use kraft for food?
Only with the right coating or an inner liner. Uncoated kraft absorbs grease and moisture, stains quickly and loses strength as it does.
Get a quote for custom kraft mailer boxes
Send the product dimensions and loaded weight, your artwork, and how many colors you want to print. We will tell you honestly how the artwork will behave on brown board, then come back with a dieline, a digital proof and a quote. If you already hold a written quote for the same specification, send it and we will beat it.