Sleeve packaging

A sleeve lets you keep one inner box and change graphics per product or campaign. It lowers tooling cost and stock, but the fit has to be right from the start.

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Ivory board sleeve half drawn off a deep green inner box

When a sleeve is the right solution

Sleeves suit multiple variants of the same product, seasonal graphics or cases where cost must stay down without losing feel. They suit less well when the packaging must protect against impact, since a sleeve adds no strength.

Fit and tolerance

A sleeve should slide on with slight resistance, neither bind nor fall off. We normally allow 0.5-1.5 mm clearance depending on paper thickness, lamination and the inner box surface. Laminated surfaces are more slippery than uncoated, which affects the tolerance chosen.

Material and print

250-350 gsm board for a stable sleeve that does not buckle.
Uncoated paper for a matt, tactile feel; coated for saturated colours.
The glue seam is placed hidden at the rear edge or under a flap.
Foil and emboss work, but avoid placing them across the glue seam.

What VyPack coordinates

We produce dielines for both sleeve and inner box, set tolerances, review proofs and follow production at the supplier. Die-cutting, printing and gluing are performed by the supplier; freight by a forwarder.

Detail of the sleeve glue seam and its fit against the inner box corner

Material, structure and finish in detail

We review board quality, thickness, fit, print technique and finishing with you and turn it into a specification a supplier can produce against.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can I use one inner box for all variants?: Yes, that is the point of a sleeve. The inner box stays neutral and the sleeve carries the graphics.
Does the sleeve need lamination?: Not always, but lamination protects against scuffing as the sleeve is pulled on and off, especially on dark colours.
How wide should the sleeve band be?: Usually 40-70 percent of the box height. Wider gives more print area, narrower reveals more of the inner box.
Can the sleeve be removed without damage?: Yes, a sleeve slides off and back on, which suits packaging that is kept.

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