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Test kit packaging is a box with a die-cut insert that seats every component of a multi part kit, a swab, a collection tube, a lancet, a prepaid return mailer, an instruction card, in the order the user needs them, so a person who has never done this before can follow it under stress. We make it as printed corrugated mailers and rigid boxes with paperboard, corrugated or foam inserts, with a return mailer built in where the kit comes back, in any size and with no minimum order. The number that decides the layout is the step count: a kit with four steps needs four numbered cavities, read left to right, and the instruction card on top.
Home health tests, DNA and microbiome kits, water and soil tests, allergy and hormone panels, and pet health kits all share the same design problem. The user opens the box at a kitchen table, alone, often nervous. If the parts are loose or the order is unclear, the sample fails and the kit is wasted. Good kit packaging is an instruction sheet made of cardboard.
The insert is the product
The insert holds each component in its own cavity, in sequence, at a depth that makes it easy to lift out. We number the cavities in the print, size each cavity to the component with a sixteenth of an inch of clearance, and add a finger notch to anything that is hard to grip, such as a small tube or a lancet.
| Component | Typical size | Cavity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterile swab in sleeve | 6 x 0.75 in | 6.25 x 1 in, shallow | lay flat, notch at one end |
| Collection tube, 5 to 10 mL | 0.6 x 3 to 4 in | round, 0.7 in, seated upright or flat | upright for tubes with preservative; keep the cap up |
| Lancet or collection card | 1.5 x 1 in or 3 x 2 in | sized to part, shallow | keep away from the swab cavity |
| Biohazard bag with absorbent pad | 6 x 9 in folded | flat pocket under the insert or a slot | required for return of most biological samples |
| Prepaid return mailer | folds flat, 6 x 9 to 9 x 12 in | under the insert or in the lid | print the return steps on it |
| Instruction card | 5 x 7 to 8.5 x 5.5 in | on top of the insert | first thing seen when opened |
Outbound box and return mailer
The outbound box is usually a roll end tuck front mailer in E flute, printed inside and out, 9 by 6 by 2 inches for a swab kit and up to 11 by 8 by 3 for a multi tube kit. The return leg is the part brands forget. A kit that comes back needs a return mailer that fits the sample in its biohazard bag, carries the prepaid label, and meets the carrier’s rules for the sample type. We build the return mailer to fit inside the outbound box flat, so the user finds it without looking, and we print the return steps on it.
| Kit | Outbound mailer (inside) | Return mailer | Insert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single swab, one tube | 9 x 6 x 2 in | 6 x 9 in padded or rigid mailer | 18 pt paperboard, 2 cavities |
| Blood spot card, lancets, wipes | 9 x 6 x 2 in | 6 x 9 in rigid mailer | 18 pt paperboard, 4 cavities |
| Saliva or stool, one tube with preservative | 9 x 6 x 3 in | box style return mailer, 7 x 4 x 3 in | E flute corrugated, tube upright |
| Multi tube panel, 3 to 4 tubes | 11 x 8 x 3 in | box style return mailer with tube holder | E flute corrugated, numbered |
Materials and print
Paperboard inserts at 18 to 24 point for light components; E flute corrugated inserts when a tube stands upright or the kit is heavy; die-cut EVA foam for glass tubes and premium kits. The outer box prints full color; the inside lid is where the first instruction goes. A matte aqueous coating keeps the box clean in the mail. Print the lot number and expiry panel on the outer where the user and the lab can both see it.
Serialization and compliance
Kits often need a unique ID that links the sample to the user. We leave a clean white panel for a variable label or barcode, or print a sequential number on the box and the return mailer so they match. The carrier rules for returning biological samples, the biohazard bag, the absorbent pad and the rigid outer, are yours and your lab’s to specify; we build the packaging to the spec you give us and do not guess at regulatory requirements.
In short
What to send us: the component list with sizes, the order the user handles them, whether the kit returns and what the return spec is, and any label or serial requirement. What you get back: a numbered insert with a cavity per component, an outbound mailer sized to it, a return mailer that fits inside, and a physical sample to run through with a real user. What it costs you to start: nothing. Free structural design, free dieline, free samples, no minimum order.
Test kit packaging questions
What goes in test kit packaging?
A box, a die-cut insert with a numbered cavity for each component (swab, tube, lancet, card), an instruction card on top, and for kits that come back, a biohazard bag, an absorbent pad and a prepaid return mailer folded under the insert.
What size box does a home test kit need?
A single swab and tube kit fits a 9 by 6 by 2 inch mailer. A multi tube panel needs 11 by 8 by 3. Size the cavities to the components with a sixteenth of an inch of clearance and the box to the insert.
Do you make the return mailer too?
Yes. A padded or rigid 6 by 9 mailer for cards and swabs, or a small box style mailer with a tube holder for liquid samples, built to fold flat inside the outbound box with the return steps printed on it. The return spec for biological samples comes from you and your lab; we build to it.
Can each kit have a unique ID?
Yes. Either a clean panel for your variable label or barcode, or a sequential number printed on the box and the return mailer so the pair match.
Is there a minimum order?
No. A pilot of a hundred kits or a production run. Free structural design and dieline, free samples to run a user test, 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 run a real user through the kit before you commit. Price match: send a written quote for the same size, board, print and quantity and we will beat it.
Related: paper inserts, mailer boxes, product packaging and die cut mylar bags.
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