Kraft Take Out Boxes

A kraft take out box is a folding paperboard food container in natural brown board, printed with your restaurant branding and sized to the meal you serve. TBPB makes them custom with no minimum order, and our price-beat guarantee covers any written quote you bring for the same specs.

The real test is the drive home

A take out box has one job that people overlook until it fails. It has to hold a hot, steaming, sometimes saucy meal for the length of a car ride without going soft at the corners. Plain uncoated kraft paperboard absorbs moisture, so wet sauce and condensed steam can wick into the board and weaken the walls and bottom. How you handle that depends on the food. Dry or lightly sauced items such as fried rice, sandwiches or noodles pack well directly. Anything wet, such as curry or soup, usually needs an inner container, a liner or a coating. Tell us what goes in the box and we will talk through the options before you print.

Style and closure

Classic take out cartons fold from a flat blank into a box with a tab-and-slot closure at the top. A locking bottom stays square under weight, and tuck flaps close the lid without glue. Deeper boxes hold saucier meals, shallower trays suit sandwiches and fries. Venting matters for fried food: sealed boxes trap steam and turn crisp coating soft, so ask about a vent option when your menu is fried. Food-contact suitability and any coating claims are decisions to confirm with your own regulatory adviser, since we print the artwork you supply.

Sizing a box to a portion

Stock take out boxes are often named by capacity or by a number. A custom size works the other way: measure the portion as it sits in the container, add about 1/8 inch of clearance per side, and leave a little headspace so the lid closes without pressing the food. Stackability counts too, because delivery drivers stack boxes in a bag. A box that is slightly taller than it is wide can tip, so keep the footprint stable.

Print on kraft

Kraft is a warm brown base, and ink behaves differently on it. Dark colors print well, light colors print darker, and a bold one- or two-color logo usually looks better than a photograph. White ink on kraft can look pale and uneven, so test a sample. Aqueous coating can protect the print from scuffs. If you want a crisper, brighter look, ask about a white-faced board instead.

Last, think about what the customer does with the box. Many people reheat leftovers in it, eat straight from it, or carry it into the office. Do not print anything on the inside that you would not want touching food, and leave a clean panel on the lid for a reheating note or a website address. A small instruction line costs nothing and makes the box feel considered.

• Folding take out carton in natural kraft board
• Tab-and-slot or tuck closure, locking bottom
• Optional vent for fried food
• Custom size to your portion
• One- or two-color logo print, CMYK, Pantone, aqueous coating

For sides, look at our french fry boxes, or use kraft boxes with lid for larger cartons that take a separate lid. Group orders ride well in a carry out bag, and you can browse the rest of the kraft boxes category.

Next step: send the size of your typical portion and the quantity you need, even if it is one box. We draw the dieline and quote it.

Frequently asked questions