Sleeve and Tray Peptide Boxes

How the sleeve and tray divide the work

The tray is a rigid or folded box with no lid. It carries the insert, takes the load through its own walls, and is dimensionally stable. The sleeve is a printed band, usually a single glued loop, that fits over it.

Because they are separate, you can put the budget where it shows. A plain kraft tray inside a heavily finished sleeve costs far less than a fully wrapped rigid box and looks almost as considered when it is open.

• Tray depth — Set by the vial height plus the insert; the tray walls do the load-bearing.
• Sleeve friction — Sized so the tray does not slide out under its own weight, but does not need force either.
• Thumb notch — A die-cut half-circle in the sleeve so the tray can be pushed out from one side.
• Stop feature — An optional tab or ribbon preventing the tray from being pulled clear accidentally.

Where this structure earns its place

• Multi-vial sets — The tray takes the weight of six or ten vials without a glued base flap in the load path.
• Budget-conscious premium — Presentation quality without the cost of a fully wrapped rigid box.
• Retail shelf — The sleeve gives an uninterrupted printed face, with no flaps or creases across it.
• Repeated access — The drawer opens and closes cleanly many times; there is nothing to wear out except the sleeve friction.

For a ten-vial pack in particular, the drawer keeps the remaining vials organised as the pack is used — the reasoning is on the 10-vial kit boxes page.

Sleeve options

• Full sleeve — Covers the whole tray. Maximum print area, maximum friction.
• Belly band — A narrow band around the middle. Cheaper, and lets the tray material show.
• Open-ended sleeve — Both ends open, so the tray can be pushed from either side.
• Closed-end sleeve — One end closed, giving a positive stop and a cleaner silhouette.

Tray options

• Rigid wrapped tray — Greyboard walls with a paper wrap. The most substantial feel.
• Folded paperboard tray — A single die-cut sheet folded into a tray. Ships flat, costs least.
• Moulded tray — A formed plastic tray with pockets, used where vials must be visible or precisely held.
• Corrugated tray — For heavier loads where protection matters more than appearance.

Sizes

• Single vial with a card — Commonly around 100 × 70 × 30 mm external.
• Two vials — Commonly around 110 × 70 × 35 mm external.
• Six vials, 3 × 2 — Commonly around 130 × 95 × 40 mm external.
• Ten vials, 5 × 2 — Commonly around 175 × 90 × 45 mm external.
• Sleeve allowance — The sleeve adds roughly 1–2 mm on each wrapped axis over the tray dimensions.

Materials

• SBS paperboard sleeve — The standard printed sleeve; takes lamination and spot finishes well.
• Rigid chipboard tray — For sets where the tray is part of the presentation.
• Kraft paperboard tray — A contrasting natural interior against a printed sleeve — an effective and cheap combination.
• Corrugated tray — For heavier vial counts.
• Recyclable paper-based stock — Both components can stay paper-based when the insert is paperboard too.

Mixing substrates between sleeve and tray is normal and often the cheapest route to a considered result — the full substrate comparison explains what each one brings.

Insert options inside the tray

• EVA foam — Cut to the tray footprint; the tray walls hold it in place with no adhesive needed.
• Moulded pockets — Where the tray itself is formed with cavities.
• Folded partitions — For higher counts, dropped straight into the tray.
• Die-cut platform — For lighter vials in a folded tray.

Because the tray has walls on all four sides, the insert does not need adhesive or tabs to stay put — which makes this the simplest structure to load with a custom die-cut insert.

Printing

• CMYK on the sleeve — A continuous printed surface with no flaps interrupting it.
• PMS spot colour — Recommended for solid sleeve backgrounds.
• Printed tray — Optional; a plain or kraft tray is often the better-looking choice.
• Inside sleeve printing — Visible only briefly, so rarely worth the cost on this structure.

Finishing

• Soft-touch on the sleeve — The sleeve is what the hand grips, so tactile finishes register strongly here.
• Matte lamination — Also slightly reduces sleeve-to-tray friction, which improves the draw action.
• Foil stamping — On the sleeve face — one of the best applications for foil in our range.
• Spot UV — Gloss detail on a matte sleeve.
• Emboss and deboss — Shallow effects on a paperboard sleeve; deeper on a rigid tray.

Ordering

• 1. Contents and count — Sets the tray footprint and depth.
• 2. Tray material — Rigid, folded, moulded or corrugated — this is the main cost lever.
• 3. Sleeve style and finish — Full sleeve or belly band, plus finishing.
• 4. Sample — Draw action is a physical property; a sample is the only way to judge it.
• 5. Production — Sleeves printed and glued, trays made, inserts fitted, components packed together.

Artwork guidance

• Sleeve artwork wraps continuously — check that the design works across the fold onto the reverse.
• Position the thumb notch where it will not cut through critical artwork.
• If the tray is printed, remember most of it is hidden while the sleeve is on.
• Allow for the sleeve glue lap, which overlaps the rear face.
• Artwork arrives as print-ready PDF with 3 mm bleed, outlined type and 300 dpi links.

Quality control

• Draw force is checked on loaded samples — too tight and the tray tears the sleeve.
• Trays are checked for square so they do not bind on one corner.
• Sleeve glue laps are pull-tested.
• Colour is monitored against the approved proof.
• Loaded samples are inverted to confirm the tray does not drop out.

Delivery

• Sleeves ship flat; folded trays ship flat; rigid and moulded trays ship formed.
• Components are supplied together, ready to assemble in one step.
• Inserts are fitted into trays before dispatch on request.
• Nationwide delivery across the United States.