Ready to order custom matchboxes and matchbooks? Get your free quote in minutes
Free design and dielines, free samples, no minimum order, and we beat any competitor’s written quote. Your logo in full color, fast turnaround.
A custom printed matchbook is a folded card cover stapled around a comb of paper matches with a striker strip on the outside; a custom matchbox is a small paperboard drawer of wooden matches inside a printed sleeve with a striker on the side. We print both to your brand, in the standard sizes, with no minimum order. The number that matters is the standard: a 20 strike matchbook cover is 1.5 by 4.25 inches flat and folds to about 1.5 by 2 inches; a standard matchbox is 2.25 by 1.5 by 0.5 inches. Those sizes fit the machines that fill them, so custom shapes are possible but the standard sizes are where a run is fast and predictable.
People keep matchbooks. A flyer is gone in a day; a matchbook from a bar or a candle brand lives in a drawer or a pocket and comes out, with the logo, for months. That is why restaurants, hotels, cigar lounges, breweries, wedding planners and candle brands still print them.
Matchbook or matchbox
| Type | Size | Matches | Striker | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matchbook, 20 strike | 1.5 x 4.25 in flat, 1.5 x 2 in folded | 20 paper matches | front or back of cover | bars, restaurants, hotels, events, the classic |
| Matchbook, 30 strike | 2 x 4.25 in flat, 2 x 2 in folded | 30 paper matches | front or back | larger print area, cigar lounges |
| Matchbox, standard | 2.25 x 1.5 x 0.5 in | about 30 wooden matches | side of sleeve | candle brands, gift sets, retail counter |
| Matchbox, large | 4.25 x 2.5 x 0.75 in | about 50 to 60 long matches | side of sleeve | candle companions, fireplace and grill brands, gifts |
| Cylinder or bottle match jar | 1.75 x 4 in and up | 60 to 100 long matches | on the cap or a strip | premium candle sets, home decor |
Matchbooks are the lowest cost object to print in volume and the most likely to be pocketed. Matchboxes cost more per unit and present better next to a candle. For a candle brand the matchbox is usually the right call; for a venue it is the matchbook.
Matchbook covers print full color on 12 to 14 point card, one or both sides, with the striker strip in black or a custom color on the back. Foil stamping and blind embossing work well on a plain colored cover and read as premium. Matchbox sleeves print full color or one color on 12 to 16 point board; the inner tray can be printed to match or left plain. Match tips come in standard colors, white, black, red, blue, green, pink and more, and matching the tip to the brand color is the small detail people notice.
Ordering and shipping
Matches are a regulated item to ship: they travel by ground as a limited quantity, not by air, and that adds a few days to delivery. We tell you the ship date on the quote. Filled matchbooks and matchboxes arrive boxed in counts of 50 or 100 for easy counter and table use. Unfilled covers and sleeves are available for brands that fill their own.
In short
What to send us: the logo or artwork, the size you want, the quantity, and the tip color if you have a preference. What you get back: a proof on the correct dieline for the size, a striker placement that does not cover the artwork, and a physical sample. What it costs you to start: nothing. Free design, free samples, no minimum order.
Matchbook and matchbox questions
What size is a standard matchbook?
The 20 strike matchbook is 1.5 by 4.25 inches flat and folds to about 1.5 by 2 inches with 20 paper matches. The 30 strike is 2 by 4.25 inches flat. A standard matchbox is 2.25 by 1.5 by 0.5 inches with about 30 wooden matches.
Matchbook or matchbox for a candle brand?
A matchbox. It sits next to the candle, holds wooden matches long enough to reach a burned down wick, and presents better in a gift set. Matchbooks suit venues, events and anything meant to be pocketed.
Can the match tips be a custom color?
Yes. Tips come in white, black, red, blue, green, pink and other standard colors, and matching the tip to a brand color is the detail customers notice.
Why do matches take longer to ship?
Matches are a regulated item and travel by ground as a limited quantity, not by air. That adds a few days to delivery compared with an empty box. We confirm the ship date on the quote.
Is there a minimum order?
No. Fifty matchboxes for a launch or ten thousand matchbooks for a venue. Free design, free samples, and a printed proof before the run.
No minimum order. One or a full run. Free design and dieline, and a printed proof before production. Free samples so you can strike one before you commit. Price match: send a written quote for the same size, board, print and quantity and we will beat it.
Related: candle boxes, luxury candle boxes, candle shipping boxes and retail packaging.
More Custom Retail Packaging
See the full Custom Retail Packaging range, or explore related options with no minimum order and our best-price guarantee:
