Soap box mockup and dieline

The flat dieline

Soap box: what to know

Soap boxes wrap a single bar for the shelf or a gift set. Handmade soap brands often use kraft board for a natural look and keep the print simple.

• Measure a cured bar. Handmade bars vary, so allow 1 to 2 mm more than the largest one.
• Oils and fragrance can mark plain board over time. A coated board or a paper wrap inside helps.
• A small window or cut-out lets customers see and smell the soap.
• Soap sold in India may fall under cosmetics rules. Check the current CDSCO and Legal Metrology requirements for what the box must show.

Parts of a straight tuck end box

A straight tuck end box has both the top and bottom tuck flaps hinged from the back panel, so they fold the same way. The front panel has no flap edges cutting into it at either end, which makes it a clean, uninterrupted face for a full design or a window. It is common for food cartons, tea, soap, candles and agarbatti, where the box is often opened from the top and stood on a shelf.

Front panel

The display face. With both tucks on the back, the artwork can run edge to edge at top and bottom.

Back panel

Carries both tuck flaps. Good for ingredients, directions and the barcode.

Side panels and glue flap

The narrow faces, with the glue flap joining the last panel to the first.

Top and bottom tuck flaps

Both hinge from the back and tuck in towards the front. A slit lock holds each by friction.

Dust flaps

Fold in from the side panels under each tuck and keep the ends square.

How to size it

1. Measure the product or the inner pack: length, width, height.
2. Add 1 to 2 mm on length and width and 2 to 3 mm on height for an easy fit.
3. Enter Inside sizes in the studio; the outside size is shown under the fields.
4. For tall, narrow boxes such as agarbatti, check that the tuck flap is deep enough to stay closed. Ask the printer to confirm it for your board.

Materials and finishes

Duplex board, 250 to 350 gsm

Everyday retail cartons. Good print surface at a sensible cost.

FBB or SBS board, 250 to 400 gsm

Brighter white and cleaner creases for premium boxes.

Kraft board

Natural look for soap, tea and handmade goods. Plan for darker, less vivid colours.

Finishes

Aqueous or UV varnish

Basic protection for shelf cartons.

Matte lamination

A soft, premium feel and better scuff resistance.

Window with clear film

Shows the product. The studio offers rectangle, oval and arch windows on this template.

Mistakes to avoid

• Placing a window too close to a crease or the panel edge. Leave a clear margin so the board around it stays strong.
• Designing the top and bottom of the front panel as if a flap covered them. On a straight tuck the front is fully visible, so finish the artwork to the edge with bleed.
• Forgetting the inside of the tuck flaps shows when the box is opened. Leave them plain or print them on purpose.
• Coating over the glue flap, which weakens the glued seam.

How to make it in the studio

1. Open it. Press Customise this soap box. It opens in the 3D studio at 95 x 35 x 65 mm.
2. Set the size. In the Size panel, choose whether you are entering the Inside or Outside size, then type your measurements. The other one is shown underneath.
3. Add your design. In the Design panel, upload your logo or artwork: it goes on the front first. Pick other faces to add colours, text or images to each.
4. Check it in 3D. Turn the pack around, and use the Flat to Closed slider to watch it fold. Switch to the Dieline view to see the artwork on the dieline.
5. Download. The Download panel gives you the PDF dieline to send your printer first, then mockup images for your store or social posts.
6. Get it made. If you want a quote, send the design to packitmama from the Download panel, and we will reply personally.

Questions