Overview & Specifications
What Are Seasonal Packaging Boxes?
Seasonal packaging boxes are a product's regular box printed with artwork for a single season and sold for a few weeks around that date. Where the product and fit stay the same, the box size is reused and the print changes for Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day or summer.
Seasonal Packaging Boxes sit in Holiday & Seasonal Packaging and are built on Custom Straight Tuck End Boxes, Custom Reverse Tuck Boxes or Custom Two Piece Rigid Boxes.
What it has to do
What a Seasonal Edition Needs from the Box
A seasonal edition sells for a short window, has to look new on the shelf, and often holds chocolate or treats. Each need below is matched to how it is met.
01
Shelf
On the Shelf Before the Date
Valentine's stock is usually on shelves in January, and Easter stock several weeks before Easter Sunday. Each run is planned backward from the shelf date: proof, 7 days of production, then transit.02
New
A New Look on a Proven Box
When the contents, fit and structure stay suitable, the box size, cutting die and insert can be reused, and only the printing plates or digital file change for each season.03
Chocolate
Chocolate That Reaches the Shelf Intact
Chocolate is fatty and softens in warm conditions. The board, coatings, inks, adhesives and any liner, insert or window film are checked for the chocolate, how long it stays in the box and the storage temperature; the box does not cool the product, so warm-weather shipping is planned separately.04
Runs
Runs Sized to One Season
Seasonal stock that does not sell is often discounted after the date. Orders start at 500 units, so a run can be sized to one season's expected sales.
Seasonal Print vs a Seasonal Sleeve
Print the whole box for a full seasonal edition; add a printed sleeve to a stock box when the regular box should stay in use.
| Attribute | Seasonal Printed Box | Seasonal Sleeve on a Stock Box |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | The whole box is printed for the season | A sleeve slides over the regular box |
| Look | Full seasonal design on every panel | Season shown on the sleeve, regular box underneath |
| After the season | Box is used up or retired | Sleeve is removed; the box stays in the range |
| Best for | Limited editions sold for one season | Brands that keep one box all year |
| Page | This page | Campaign Packaging Sleeves |
Valentine's Day Boxes
Valentine's boxes are usually small tuck cartons or rigid boxes for chocolates, candles and small gifts, in red, pink and metallic foil. Plan for shelves in January, since February 14 is the sales peak.
Easter Boxes
Easter boxes hold chocolate eggs, treats and small gift sets in spring colors. Easter Sunday moves each year between late March and late April, so the run is planned against that year's date.
Seasonal Packaging Boxes Specifications
Seasonal Packaging Boxes are specified around the product, the structure, the board and the season's artwork. Review the specifications below to plan the run.
| Specification | Available Configuration |
|---|---|
| Product Type | Seasonal edition box |
| Category | Holiday Packaging |
| Structure Options | Custom Straight Tuck End Boxes, Custom Reverse Tuck Boxes, Custom Two Piece Rigid Boxes |
| Dimensions | Custom L × W × D, built around the product and any insert |
| Folding Board | White SBS, kraft or recycled paperboard, about 14–28 pt, matched to the product |
| Rigid Board | Greyboard or white-coated duplex, 1.5–3.0 mm, wrapped in paper commonly 120–157 gsm |
| Inserts | Paperboard, foam/EVA or molded pulp, where the structure supports them |
| Add-ons | Die-cut window with or without film, hang tab, where the structure supports them |
| Print Coverage | Exterior only, exterior + interior, or full inside and outside |
| Print Methods | Offset, digital, UV or screen printing; CMYK and Pantone spot colors |
| Finishes | Matte, gloss or soft-touch lamination, aqueous or grease-resistant coating, foil stamping, emboss/deboss, Spot UV and raised 3D UV |
| Food Contact | Assessed per order for the food type, contact time and temperature |
| Starting Price | From $1.25 / unit; final price depends on structure, size, board, finishes and quantity |
| Minimum Order | 500 units |
| Standard Production | 7 days from approved proof |
| Rush Production | Available on request |
| Shipping | USA and worldwide |
What Size Seasonal Box Do I Need?
If the product already has a box, start from that box's approved dieline. For a new seasonal set, measure the product as packed and add room for any insert.
| Measurement | What to Record |
|---|---|
| Current box | Existing dieline or inside dimensions |
| Product | Length, width and height, or piece count for chocolates |
| Insert | Tray, cavity or none |
| Window | Size and position, if used |
Reuse the Approved Dieline
When each season's product fits the same way, one dieline keeps the shelf footprint and insert the same and each new season is an artwork change. A changed product or fill needs the size and insert rechecked.
What to Check Before Bulk Production
Review a sample printed with the season's final artwork and packed with the product. Record the approved structure and finish on the signed-off sample. Where a sample shows a problem, review the cause, revise the specification and confirm it on another packed sample.
| If the sample shows | Cause to review |
|---|---|
| Pink or pastel tones print off-color | Color match method, such as a Pantone spot color |
| Chocolate marks the board | Board, coating and liner against the food, contact time and temperature |
| Window fogs or scuffs | Window film and position |
| Tuck flap opens on the shelf | Tuck fit and closure, such as a tongue lock |
Seven days covers standard production from approved proof once the specification is confirmed; delivery timing is confirmed separately, so count back from the date the boxes must be on shelves.
