Printing Options for Custom Kraft Food Boxes Explained

Offset, digital, spot colours and finishes: a plain-English guide to printing kraft food boxes that look sharp and stay on budget.

This guide is for online food brands, subscription services and businesses moving away from plastic looking at custom kraft food boxes. It covers what matters most before you order, with practical examples from Australian food businesses.

Why custom kraft food boxes matter

Custom kraft food boxes are food-grade boxes made to your size, structure and artwork instead of picked from a generic range. They are used for takeaway meals, bakery items, market food and eco-minded brands, and they are a staple for online food brands, subscription services and businesses moving away from plastic across Australia.

Unbleached kraft board looks natural, prints simply and is widely recyclable when clean. That practical detail matters because a box that fails in transit costs you the food, the customer's goodwill and often a refund. A well-made box does the opposite: it protects the product, carries your brand into homes and offices, and gives people a reason to remember where the food came from.

You can see standard sizes and options on our Kraft Food Boxes page, or browse the wider range of eco & shipping food boxes.

Getting your brand onto kraft food boxes

Most kraft food boxes are printed in one of three ways, and the right one depends on your quantity and artwork.

• Offset CMYK: sharp full-colour print for photos, gradients and detailed designs. Best value on larger runs.
• Spot colours (Pantone): exact brand colours that stay consistent between orders. Worth it if colour matching matters to you.
• Digital print: no plates, so it suits short runs, test designs and seasonal versions.

On kraft board, bold one- or two-colour designs usually look better than full photos, because the brown base changes how colours appear. Our CMYK vs Pantone guide explains the difference in more detail.

Coatings, foils and windows

Finishes change how kraft food boxes look and feel in the hand. The most useful options are:

• Matte or gloss coating: protects print from scuffs and fingerprints.
• Spot UV: a glossy highlight on your logo or pattern against a matte background.
• Foil stamping: metallic gold, silver or rose gold for premium and gift lines.
• Embossing and debossing: raised or pressed detail you can feel.
• Windows: open cut-outs or film windows to show the food.

Keep heavy finishes to the outside of the box. For more detail see our guide to coatings and finishes.

Artwork ideas for kraft food boxes

Good packaging design is less about decoration and more about being easy to recognise. A few rules help kraft food boxes do their job:

• Put your logo on the lid or top panel, where it is seen first and in photos.
• Use strong contrast between the logo and board colour so it reads from across a counter.
• Add a website, social handle or QR code on a side panel for re-orders.
• Leave space for a sticker or stamp if you want to label flavours without printing separate boxes.
• For packaged food sold at retail, plan space for the labelling information the Food Standards Code requires, such as ingredients and allergens.

A simple design printed well almost always beats a busy one. If you only change one thing, make the logo bigger.

What should kraft food boxes be made from?

The right board depends on the weight of the food, how far it travels and the look you want. For kraft food boxes the usual options are:

• Kraft paperboard: Unbleached kraft has a natural brown finish that suits rustic, organic and eco-minded brands. It prints best with bold one- or two-colour artwork, because the brown base shifts lighter colours.
• E-flute corrugated board: A thin corrugated board around 1.5 mm thick that adds crush strength and a little insulation while still printing cleanly. It is the standard for pizza boxes, mailers and heavier food orders.
• SBS paperboard: Solid bleached sulphate board gives a bright white surface for sharp, full-colour print. It is the usual choice for retail cartons and bakery boxes, and is commonly specified between 300 and 400 gsm depending on the weight of the food.

The main risk to plan for with this type of packaging is courier handling, stacking pressure and temperature swings in transit. Choose the board and any inside coating with that in mind, not just the print.

What affects the price of kraft food boxes?

There's no single price for custom kraft food boxes, because every quote is built from a few variables:

• Quantity: the unit price falls quickly as runs get bigger, because setup costs are shared across more boxes.
• Size and board: bigger boxes and thicker or corrugated board use more material.
• Print: the number of colours, printing inside and out, and whether you need exact Pantone matches.
• Finishes: foil, spot UV, embossing and windows each add a step.
• Inserts and tooling: a new cutting die is a one-off cost for a new shape.
• Freight: boxes ship flat, but delivery to regional areas costs more than metro.

The easiest saving is to standardise sizes across your range and reuse the same dieline for seasonal artwork.

The ordering process, step by step

Ordering kraft food boxes is simple, and you see a proof before anything is printed.

1. Request a quote with your size, quantity and any style ideas using our quote form.
2. Get a dieline: a flat template of your box showing folds, cuts and print areas.
3. Add artwork: send your own, or ask our team to lay out your logo and details.
4. Approve the proof: check spelling, colours and positions carefully.
5. Production: printing, finishing, cutting and gluing, typically 10–15 business days.
6. Delivery: boxes arrive flat-packed, ready to fold.

Not sure how a dieline works? Read how to read a packaging dieline.

Mistakes to avoid with kraft food boxes

Most problems with kraft food boxes can be traced back to a handful of decisions made at the ordering stage:

• Guessing the size instead of measuring the actual food with toppings and packaging.
• Ignoring courier handling, stacking pressure, which can stain or weaken boxes that look perfect on the proof.
• Skipping the proof check: typos and phone numbers are the classic errors.
• Ordering too close to peak season. Christmas, Easter and Mother's Day fill print schedules early.
• Over-finishing a box that will be thrown away within the hour.
• Forgetting spares for mis-folds, samples and busy weeks.

A five-minute check of these points saves weeks of reprinting.

Frequently asked questions about kraft food boxes

The bottom line

The best kraft food boxes are the ones that fit the food, suit the way your team works and look like they belong to your brand. Measure carefully, choose board for the conditions the box will face, and keep the design clear and consistent.

When you're ready, see the full specification on our Kraft Food Boxes page or request a free quote. We'll send a dieline and price for your exact size.