Quick answer
The opening side (long or short), the pull detail (finger notch or ribbon), where the ribbon sits and whether one or both ends are open all change labour and materials. These should be settled before quoting.
"We'd like a standard drawer box" doesn't tell a manufacturer much. There's no single standard for a drawer, or sliding, box. Which side the drawer pulls out from, how it's gripped, and whether one end or both ends are open all change the opening experience and the price. In this article we go through the decisions worth settling before you ask for a quote, and what board we recommend and why.
In short
- On a drawer box, the opening side, the pull detail (finger notch, ribbon) and single or double open ends directly affect price and labour.
- The opening experience is stronger than a lid-and-base box; we recommend it where that experience matters.
- We recommend 1.5, 1.8 and 2 mm board and use imported board wherever we can.
Which decisions does a drawer box need?
A drawer box is an outer sleeve with a drawer that slides out of it. Inside that simple description there are many different models. These questions should be answered at the quote stage:
| Decision | Options | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Opening side | Long side or short side | Proportions, how it feels in the hand |
| Pull detail | Finger notch, ribbon or another solution | Labour and materials |
| Ribbon detail | Position, colour, how it's fixed | Labour time |
| Open ends | One end open or both ends open | Sleeve construction |
On the standard model the back of the sleeve is closed and the drawer slides out from the front only. There are also matchbox-style models open at both ends, which are called sliding drawer boxes as well. If this isn't stated at the start, two people can be talking about two different boxes under the same name.
Finger notch or ribbon?
Both help pull the drawer out, but they affect cost differently. A finger notch is cut by the die and adds no extra material. A ribbon is a separate material and separate handwork: it has to be cut, positioned and fixed. Where and how the ribbon is attached also changes the time per box.
So a ribbon adds elegance, and it shows up in the price. Rather than asking for "something to pull it with", saying which one you want keeps the quote accurate.
When do we recommend a drawer box?
When the moment the product comes out of the box matters. A drawer box offers a noticeably stronger opening experience than a standard lid-and-base box. The drawer sliding out of the sleeve stretches the reveal and makes the packaging memorable. That's why it's the first model we suggest to customers who ask for an opening experience.
If the experience is secondary and the box is only there to carry and protect, a two-part construction can be unnecessary cost. A lid-and-base box makes more sense there.
Which board do we recommend, and why?
Across all our rigid box models we recommend 1.5 mm, 1.8 mm and 2 mm board. These are standard thicknesses on the market with a proven track record. Which one we pick depends on the box size and the weight it has to carry.
Wherever we can, we use imported board. The reasons are technical:
- Surface smoothness, so the wrapped paper looks clean.
- Strength, which helps the box hold its shape.
- Better resistance to some finishing processes.
- Better adhesion between the paper and the board.
Türkiye also has large, very capable board producers, and we work with them too. The choice comes down to the performance the job needs.
You'll find the cost lines behind a drawer box in PackPrice's sliding box guide. Magnetic closure, another route to a strong opening experience, is covered in our magnetic box article.
See our drawer box models on the products page, or get in touch with your size and quantity.