Kraft Soap Boxes

Kraft soap boxes are folding cartons in natural brown paperboard, cut to the size of your bar and printed with your name, scent and label panel. TBPB makes them with no minimum order, and our price-beat guarantee applies if you bring a written quote for the same specs.

Why soap makers pick kraft

Kraft matches what handmade soap says about itself: simple, natural, made by a person. The brown board is forgiving too. Soap leaves faint oil marks and fingerprints, and kraft hides both better than a bright white box. It also takes a one-color stamp or a bold black print well, which is why you see so many craft-fair soaps in plain brown cartons with a single logo. If your brand leans clinical or luxurious, white or coated board is a better fit, but for botanical and artisan soap, kraft is the natural choice.

Measure the bar after it has cured

This is the mistake that costs makers cartons. A cold-process bar shrinks as it cures and loses water over several weeks, so a bar cut at four inches can finish noticeably smaller. Measure the finished, cured bar for length, width and height, and add about 1/8 inch per side. If your bars vary a little because you cut them by hand, size to the largest bar. A box that is too snug scrapes the soap, and one that is too loose lets the bar slide and rub against the board.

Oils, moisture and the board

Fresh handmade soap can still be slightly oily and may sweat in humid weather. Plain uncoated kraft will absorb some of that, which shows as dark spots on the board. Wrapping the bar in wax paper, parchment or a thin film before boxing prevents it. A window, if you include one, should be on a bar you are happy to show. Because soap is a cosmetic or personal-care product, labeling rules apply to your ingredient list and claims, and you are responsible for that text. TBPB prints the artwork you supply, so confirm requirements with your own regulatory adviser.

• Styles: tuck-end cartons, sleeves and full-wrap boxes sized to the bar
• Board: natural kraft paperboard, with white options discussed
• Print: one-color, CMYK or Pantone match, with foil stamping or embossing on suitable artwork
• Extras: ask us whether a window panel suits your bar and carton style
• Sizes: custom, drawn to your inside dimensions

Box, sleeve or band

A closed carton protects the bar and gives you four to six panels for text. A sleeve leaves the soap’s own surface visible at both ends, which suits a bar with a pretty swirl, and costs less board. A simple belly band is lighter still, but gives little protection. Try the sleeve if you want customers to smell the soap, since it exposes the bar. A kraft sleeve box or a kraft tuck top box covers both ends of that range, and a window pillow box suits a bar you want to show off.

Stacking and shipping deserve a thought too. Soap is dense, so a case of boxed bars is heavier than it looks. Pack the cartons snugly in a corrugated shipper, keep scented bars away from unscented ones so the fragrance does not travel, and avoid damp storage, which softens the board over time.

Print on brown, simply

Black and dark inks read best on kraft. Pale yellow, light pink and lavender, common in soap branding, often disappear on brown. Put scent names in a clear typeface, large enough to read from a market table, and keep the ingredient panel in a darker ink on the back. If you need a bright brand color, ask about white kraft or a printed band. Browse more styles in the soap boxes category.

Next step: send the cured bar dimensions and a quantity, even one, and TBPB draws the dieline and quotes it.

Frequently asked questions