How to use the Packaging Cost Calculator
Compare up to three packaging setups side by side. For each setup choose:
- Style: mailer, shipping, tuck end, rigid, magnetic, pouch and more
- Inside size in inches
- Material
- Print: plain, 1 color, 2 colors, full color outside, or full color inside and out
- Finishes: lamination, soft-touch, spot UV, foil, embossing, window, insert
- Headline quantity
The chart shows how the unit price changes across quantities from 100 to 10,000 for each setup (on a logarithmic scale), and the table lists unit prices and totals.
What the estimate includes
Our pricing model includes board or film, ink, conversion (cutting, gluing, assembly), finishes, inserts, typical setup (plates and dies) spread across the order and delivery within the contiguous US. It is calibrated against published US-delivered prices and updated periodically. Your written quote confirms the exact price.
Ideas to compare
- Mailer vs. shipping box for the same product
- Outside-only vs. inside-and-out printing
- Kraft vs. white board
- Foil vs. spot UV on a carton
- Tuck end vs. auto-lock bottom for a heavier product
- Folding carton vs. rigid box for a gift set
Why prices drop with quantity
Setup costs are fixed per order, so they are divided across more units as quantity grows. Material costs per unit also fall slightly at volume. The steepest drop is usually between 100 and 1,000 units.
Read the full packaging cost guide.
Estimated unit prices by style and quantity
Unit price estimates from the same published model the tool uses, for each style at its most popular size with full-color print, delivered within the contiguous US.
| Style | 100 | 250 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mailer Boxes9 × 6 × 3" | $3.16 | $1.82 | $1.33 | $1.06 | $0.86 | $0.78 |
| Shipping Boxes12 × 10 × 6" | $3.33 | $2.06 | $1.58 | $1.31 | $1.10 | $1.01 |
| Product Boxes4 × 4 × 4" | — | $1.09 | $0.70 | $0.49 | $0.36 | $0.31 |
| Folding Cartons3 × 3 × 5" | — | $1.00 | $0.62 | $0.42 | $0.29 | $0.24 |
| Tuck End Boxes4 × 2 × 6" | — | $0.99 | $0.60 | $0.40 | $0.28 | $0.23 |
| Auto-Lock Bottom Boxes5 × 3 × 7" | — | $1.22 | $0.78 | $0.55 | $0.40 | $0.34 |
| Rigid Boxes8 × 6 × 3" | $6.08 | $4.12 | $3.36 | $2.89 | $2.51 | $2.32 |
| Magnetic Closure Boxes9 × 7 × 3" | $7.35 | $5.00 | $4.07 | $3.51 | $3.05 | $2.82 |
| Two-Piece Boxes8 × 8 × 3" | $6.37 | $4.38 | $3.59 | $3.10 | $2.71 | $2.51 |
| Sleeve Boxes6 × 4 × 2" | — | $1.36 | $0.91 | $0.67 | $0.51 | $0.45 |
| Pillow Boxes6 × 3 × 1.5" | — | $0.80 | $0.48 | $0.32 | $0.21 | $0.17 |
| Gable Boxes6 × 4 × 5" | — | $1.40 | $0.95 | $0.71 | $0.54 | $0.48 |
| Display Boxes10 × 7 × 4" | $3.43 | $1.95 | $1.42 | $1.13 | $0.92 | $0.83 |
| Window Boxes5 × 3 × 5" | — | $1.43 | $0.91 | $0.63 | $0.46 | $0.39 |
| Hanger Boxes4 × 1.5 × 6" | — | $1.02 | $0.62 | $0.41 | $0.28 | $0.23 |
| Tube Packaging3 × 3 × 7" | — | $2.67 | $2.01 | $1.64 | $1.36 | $1.24 |
| Stand-Up Pouches6 × 3.5 × 9" | — | — | $0.76 | $0.49 | $0.32 | $0.26 |
A dash means the quantity is below that style’s minimum order. Your written quote confirms exact prices.
Key terms on this page
- Lamination
- Bonding a thin film (matte, gloss or soft-touch) or paper to board for protection and finish.
- Spot UV
- A clear, glossy UV-cured varnish applied to selected areas to create contrast with a matte background.
- Embossing
- Raising part of the board surface into a relief using matched dies, often combined with foil or ink.
- Insert
- A component inside a box that holds products in place, such as die-cut paperboard, corrugated, foam or molded pulp.
- Board
- A general term for thick paper materials used in packaging, including paperboard, corrugated board and greyboard.
- Kraft
- Paper or board made from unbleached wood pulp, naturally brown and strong.
- Carton
- A box made from paperboard, usually a folding carton. In shipping, "carton" can also mean a corrugated case.
- Auto-lock bottom
- A pre-glued carton base, also called a crash-lock bottom, that locks into place automatically when the flattened box is opened. Stronger and faster to pack than a tuck bottom.
- Folding carton
- A paperboard box printed, die-cut, creased and glued, shipped flat and folded into shape at packing.
- Rigid box
- A premium box made from thick greyboard wrapped in printed or specialty paper, delivered assembled. Also called a setup box.
More definitions in our packaging glossary.
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Frequently asked questions
How accurate are the estimates?
They come from a published model calibrated to market prices. Final prices depend on full specifications and are confirmed in your quote.
Do estimates include shipping?
Estimates assume delivery within the contiguous US. Remote areas and expedited freight are quoted separately.
Can I get these setups quoted?
Yes. Click "Quote setup" under any column to open the quote form with those details.
