Well, not exactly – especially if you need a custom design.
A custom box can come in any shape or size to house your products perfectly. Your box design can help increase brand recognition and pump up sales. It can also give you maximum flexibility, but it will involve a little more work.
Your novel box creation all starts with a template, and designing a box template isn’t all fun and games. You have to be practical in deciding on a box design and take into account mundane things like shipping costs and rules established by retailers.
That’s why you need to understand different packaging shapes and styles, so you get the right dieline templates. To the unfamiliar, packaging templates can look like a confusing mess. You may be wondering how a 2D drawing with a bunch of dotted lines is going to turn into a 3D box.
Well, fret not. Even if you’re not tech-savvy or if you’ve never heard of a dieline (a flat template for the package that indicates where it needs to be cut and perforated), there’s an affordable – or even free – option that can help you produce the right box for your unique needs.
There are primarily three ways to get a packaging template. You can hire a designer, find a ready-made template, or go the DIY route. What you choose will depend on your budget, how much customization you need, and what your skill set is.
Here’s a breakdown of 18 great resources to get you the box template you need at any price point.
Ready-Made Templates
Nowadays, you can find just about anything on the internet – and packaging templates are no exception.
You may have an odd-shaped product that’s difficult to fit into a standard box, but chances are, someone has already run into a similar problem. There may very well be the perfect packaging template already out there for you.
The good news is you can access many of these templates for free!
All you have to do is enter the dimensions and material thickness of your box, then you can download your dieline. You can try a demo for free, and then sign up if you see what you like. You can buy a single custom dieline starting at $2.40, or if you need several dielines, you can sign up for a subscription plan.
Template Maker
Template Maker offers up free box and bag templates. The site has many options for those irregularly-shaped items. It has everything, from coffin-shaped boxes to cardboard milk cartons. Need some mailer boxes? No problem. It has you covered. If you’re looking for an unusual way to package your items, this site is worth checking out.
Pinterest
Pinterest may seem like an unlikely resource, but it does have free ready-made templates that you can print or use as a reference.
If you’re looking for a free box template, consider checking this platform out. Whether you’re looking for a pillow box template, a rectangle box template, or a square box template, you’ll probably find what you need here.
It’s also a great source of design inspiration if you ever feel like you’re stuck in a design rut. However, with the wealth of varied resources pinned on the site, you may have to sift through a lot of content before finding the template you want.
Hiring a Packaging Designer
There are already countless box templates out there that you can adapt to your own needs, but sometimes, you may need a box that has to fulfill a very specific purpose. If you want to get exactly what you want or you don’t have the time to hunt down the perfect template, it makes sense to hire a designer.
Of course, you won’t want to hire just any designer. You want to find an artist that specializes in packaging design. There are plenty of talented designers out there who would have no problem whipping out a box template design for you.
Important Factors When Hiring a Packaging Designer
With the sheer number of designers and freelance marketplaces available, it might be challenging to find the right packaging designer for your specific needs. You would also need to consider important factors, such as your budget and your design brief.
Budget
Before searching for or hiring a packaging designer, determine how much you can spend on design fees. Many online freelance marketplaces have a feature that lets you see an artist’s hourly or per project rate. Use this as a basis to find a designer that fits your budget range.
Design Brief
It helps to ready a clear, complete design brief prior to choosing a packaging designer. Your design brief serves as a guideline that can help you identify the right packaging designer for the job.
A thorough brief usually covers these details:
Company overview
Target audience
Business goals
Scope of work
Project deadline
Budget
One of the things you can do to narrow down your choices is to create a shortlist based on the following criteria:
Portfolio and Experience
Screen your candidates carefully by evaluating their credentials. You can check their profiles to look for specific skills or experiences that you think may come in handy for creating box design templates.
To better gauge their skill, style, and competence, ask for their portfolios and review their past design work. Check if they’ve done box design templates before and see if they can accommodate different templates, be it a paper box template, a gift box template, or a cake box template.
Industry Fit
Ideally, you’d want to go with a designer who understands or is familiar with your industry. You can check their profile or conduct an interview to see whether or not they’re a good fit for creating a packaging box template that suits your needs.
Flexibility
Each design project has a unique production timeline and deadline, which is why it’s important to check if the designer can accommodate the project and adapt to its timings.
Strategy and Design Process
Knowing a designer’s design strategy and process can help you make more informed decisions. These are also good indicators that can determine whether they’re a good fit for your business or not.
Check their website or marketplace profile for client feedback. Reviews can give you more insight into what it would be like to work with a particular designer. Furthermore, client testimonials can help you spot potential red flags, making it easier for you to pick a designer.
Where to Find a Qualified Packaging Designer
Get in touch with our team of custom packaging designers can help you create an innovative custom box design at no additional charge. We can help you create a package that reflects your brand’s personality, works well with your chosen box style, and creates a memorable customer experience. If you’re looking for additional design support, consider the options found below.
99designs
99Designs allows you to search specifically for package designers, so you can find the cream of the crop.
Whether you need simple tweaks to your standard boxes or fully downloadable templates for mailer boxes, 99Designs even lets you run a design contest where multiple designers compete for your business. They’ll create original samples and you get to choose the best one. Chances are, these expert designers may come up with an awesome idea for your branded product packaging that you never would have thought of.
Refine Packaging proudly partners with 99designs to provide brands an easy way to match with design experts to create world-class product packaging at an affordable price. We know from experience that 99designs will help bring your design to life!
Behance
Behance, which is owned by Adobe, allows you to easily search for and peruse different packaging designer portfolios to find someone who understands your style and has the experience you need.
Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the world’s most popular marketplaces for digital services. It connects Buyers (a.k.a. clients) and Sellers (a.k.a. freelancers) through Gigs, which are the services offered by freelancers to their clients.
Fiverr has freelancers that offer services covering more than 500 categories, including graphics and design. It also has dedicated categories for logo and brand identity, plus packaging and labels.
The first category is further classified into three sections:
Logo design
Brand style guides
Business cards and stationery
Meanwhile, the second one has a more expansive scope and covers the following:
Packaging design
Book design
Album cover design
Podcast cover art
Car wraps
When you click the packaging design category, you’ll be redirected to a page where you’ll see a catalog of freelancers and their design samples that can be shipped and stored completely flat. You’ll also see their going rates, some of which go for as low as $5.
The great thing about Fiverr is you can set filters for the service option you want, as well as for the budget range you’re comfortable working with.
Dribbble
An exclusive platform for freelancers, Dribbble is an invitation-only portfolio website. Before a designer can showcase their work on the site, they need to be invited by their peers first.
If you want to access the website even without an invitation to check out portfolios, you can sign up for a free account. When you visit the Designers for Hire page, you’ll get a list of designers available for hire, along with their “Shots”, which are samples that showcase what the designers have been working on.
Upwork
Another go-to website for freelancers, Upwork lets you find the right designers for your needs. It has a talent marketplace directory that includes a category for packaging designers. If you’re thinking of hiring packaging designers through Upwork, you’ll be directed to a page where you’ll see various profiles, along with other details, such as:
Rating
Skills and experience
Going rate (hourly basis)
How many jobs they’ve completed
You need to create an Upwork account to get in touch with a freelancer or to post a packaging design job.
Go with an Agency
If you have a healthy budget and are targeting a large market, you may want to splurge and hire a design agency. Word of mouth is always an effective way to find a company that’s a good fit for you.
Additionally, The Dieline has an online package design directory, which is chock-full of design agencies specializing in package design. One of these companies is sure to get you hooked up with the packaging template of your dreams.
DIY: Choosing a Packaging Software
What’s complicated about a template is how it’s a 2D drawing that needs to be transformed into a 3d object – in this case, a retail box. For some of us, this might be a little difficult to conceptualize, and the task might feel daunting. But for those with a little technical know-how, a DIY option may be the way to go.
Illustrator and InDesign
Adobe’s super-powerful software programs, Illustrator or InDesign, can enable you to come up with just about any kind of box template you can imagine.
Both programs are vector-based, which can make your templates scalable. This is handy if you need a range of box sizes
There are a couple of drawbacks in creating the perfect template using these tools. First off, their monthly plans don’t come cheap. They’re over $20/month for an individual Illustrator subscription.
Also, using these programs involve a steep learning curve. Fortunately, there are a bunch of online tutorials to get you started on your way to producing the ideal box template. You’re only limited by your tech-know-how and your creativity.
Boxshot
Of course, DIY doesn’t mean you have to be a design pro.
There are some excellent hybrid options out there. Boxshot is a 3D packaging software that has a more intuitive user interface with plenty of online tutorials. It offers 50 shapes you can incorporate into your design, but you can also add your own if you can’t find what you’re looking for.
Boxshot starts at $49 for the first 12 months, so it’s probably best for those needing to design more than a couple of simple boxes.
If you don’t need all the bells and whistles, Boxshot also offers a simpler Dieline Creator found below, where you can choose from several already designed templates. All you do is plug in your dimensions to generate a downloadable file. The cost is $9.99.
Esko
Esko offers several design solutions, one of which is Studio, a 3D packaging software that’s built for professionals. It also has ArtiosCad, a CAD packaging design that lets you create displays from scratch for corrugated boxes, folding cartons, and POP displays. It has 2D and 3D design capabilities that let you create reusable parametric designs and visualize the assembly of your product packaging.
Esko offers a 30-day trial for Studio. This allows you to access Esko tools, including Designer, Toolkit for Boxes, Toolkit for Labels, and Visualizer. However, there’s no free trial for ArtiosCad. Esko currently has three ArtiosCAD editions: ArtiosCAD Essentials, Advanced, and Prime.
Canva
With 30 million monthly users in 190 countries, is one of the most popular DIY design software available. Since its inception in 2012, it has made online design and publishing more accessible to everyone around the world.
While you can’t use it to create a box template printable or a box template per se, you can use it to come up with a design that fits your existing cardboard box template.
Note that using Canva to create packaging design may be time-consuming, but it’s an effective method, especially if you want to reduce design costs.
If you’re using Adobe Illustrator, you only have to open a dieline template and start laying your artwork on it. With Canva, however, you’ll need to create a single image for each box panel.
Here’s a rundown of what it takes to design your packaging using Canva:
Find a dieline you want to use as a reference.
Determine the type of box you want to work on and its size. Do you want to work on a card box template or are you working on a box with lid template?
Find out the size of each panel, then open the Canva website to start creating a template using the “Custom dimensions” option.
Overlay your artwork on each panel, being mindful of your overall layout.
Download your finished design for each panel.
Place your designs on your dieline.
At the bottom of the page, you’ll find two check boxes that let you select the type of material you’ll be working with: cardboard or corrugated. Checking or unchecking either box will help you narrow down your choices.
Box Designer
Box Designer is a free and easy-to-use online service that’s been up and running since 2002. To start creating your box design templates, enter your preferred dimensions, and Box Designer will generate a PDF blueprint for you.
Check out a sample of what you can do with Box Designer.
Aside from the PDF format, you can also choose from two more file types: DXF and SVG. Below the file type tab, you can click on the Advanced Options button to access additional dimensions that you can customize, such as notch length and cut width.
Makeabox.io
If you’re looking to create PDF blueprints for box design templates, visit the Makeabox.io website. It’s been around since 2015 and has helped numerous individuals to create patterns that they can then use to laser-cut 3D boxes.
Makeabox.io has a relatively simple interface. All you have to do is input your box details, which include internal box settings, such as width, height, and tab width, and optional settings, such as margin, padding, and stroke.
Use Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing can be an unlikely yet still valuable resource for your box template needs. With crowdsourcing, you’ll be able to tap a large network of designers or freelancers who essentially compete to submit a winning design.
It basically works like this:
You prepare a detailed brief, which you’ll be uploading to a crowdsourcing website.
Once you’ve submitted your project, you can then pick a package that’s in line with your budget.
Designers will submit their work or you can opt to collaborate with them.
You pick the design or box template you like the most and get in touch with its designer so you can create a more polished custom design.
There are many reasons for crowdsourcing’s growing popularity. It has faster turnaround rates and is relatively low-risk. It also presents more affordable alternatives compared to conventional collaboration methods.
One of its biggest advantages is you get to see a version of the work before paying for it. In some cases, you’ll also have the opportunity to request for revisions.
However, crowdsourcing does have its fair share of drawbacks. These include:
Difficulty in establishing a relationship with a designer you can trust
Irregular quality of work
Reviewing all the submitted works can be time-consuming on your part
Despite these disadvantages, crowdsourcing is still a viable place to source your box making templates.
Crowdspring
Crowdspring makes crowdsourcing for box design templates simple. In just three simple steps, you’ll be able to get a packaging design that would fit your needs.
All you need to do to get started is to create a project brief, collaborate with over 220,000 designers all over the world, and pick the winning design so you can begin finalizing your project.
One of the benefits of working with Crowdspring is you get a free legal contract that protects your intellectual property. It also implements flexible and transparent pricing, so you won’t have to deal with any hidden fees, helping you to stick to your budget.
Another feature you’d love is their emphasis on project privacy. You can choose from a variety of security measures, such as non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), Search Engine Exclusion, and a private project gallery.
DesignCrowd
Another crowdsourcing platform, DesignCrowd provides you with a more convenient way of looking for the exact service that you want. Whether it’s packaging design you’re after or a logo design to complement your box template, you can specify the kind of job you need with DesignCrowd.
In a similar vein to Crowdspring, getting better box design templates can be done in three steps. First, complete your project brief to launch your project. From there, you’ll start to receive custom designs from graphic designers around the world. Choose and approve the best design and download the files.
Upon uploading your brief, you can expect to receive over 50 designs from DesignCrowd’s pool of over 900,000 international graphic designers.
Comparing Box Templates and Their Uses
While cardboard boxes technically have the same functions, such as protecting your products and strengthening your brand image, different template types can have varying applications.
Let’s take a look at some of the common box making templates and their applications:
Box Template Type
Characteristics
Application(s)
Explosion box template
A box of which slides will fall, emulating an explosion, when its lid is opened
Gift boxes
Milk carton template
Paper or cardboard containers for milk and other liquids
A rectangular box for housing lip gloss or lipsticks
Ideal for packaging cosmetics
Hexagon box template
A cardboard or paper box with six sides
May or may not have an interlocking or built-in lid
Gift boxes
Product packaging (cosmetics or food)
Template cereal box
Rectangular cardboard box
Food packaging
Empty boxes can also be repurposed
The Advantages of Going Custom
Customizing your packaging, whether you’re using a box template printable or an explosion box template, has a lot of advantages. Aside from giving you the freedom to work with the box template you want, you’d also be able to strengthen your brand value.
Boosting Your Brand Image
Your packaging is a reflection of your brand, and it’s one of the first things that customers see when they look at your products. It also has the power to influence their perceptions and buying decisions
In a national study conducted in 2018, it was found that 72% of US consumers’ purchase decisions are influenced by a product’s packaging, while 62% agree that their buying decision can be influenced by the materials used to pack a product.
Enhancing Customer Experience
Custom packaging by utilizing the right box design templates can help enrich a buyer’s purchase experience. It was found that consumers aged 18 to 34 agree that cardboard packaging can make products appear more attractive and come across as of higher quality.
By presenting products in cardboard packaging boxes that’s well-thought-out, from design to execution, you can improve customer satisfaction.
Additionally, by incorporating custom box design templates into your packaging, you can offer a more memorable product unboxing for your customers. You might’ve come across a number of unboxing videos on different social media platforms. The unboxing itself elevates customer experience, which can help you drive conversions, sales, and revenue
Of course, although a creative box can do wonders for the way your product is received, you also need to consider how easy it would be for your customers to open the package. An intricate box design has its own appeal, but it can frustrate buyers if it’s not easy to open.
Indeed, gone are the days when plain cardboard boxes were your only option for packaging. Sure, they’re ideal for shipping and protecting your products, but customers want something that brings value to them. If you already have the right cardboard box template, all you need to do is visualize how you’re going to design your box and make it consistent with your branding.
What’s your target demographic? Do you want to incorporate a complex design or will a simple one be enough to communicate your brand? Are you also considering decorating the box’s interior?
These are only some of the factors to think about when designing your packaging to create a more impactful . Remember that before customers can get to the actual product, the first thing they’ll encounter is your packaging, so make it count.
Improving Product Protection
By using custom box making templates, you can also protect your products better, especially if you’re sending fragile products or items with distinctive shapes. Yes, while a standard box does provide some level of protection, it may not be snug enough to fit the dimensions of your product.
Showcase Your Products with the Perfect Box Template Today
No matter what size or shape product you need to put in a box, there’s a template out there for you. You can opt for a free online template, or you might decide to hire a designer to give you something unique.
Decide on what works best for you. Whatever you choose – the right box template will help showcase your goods in the best way possible.
Refine Packaging is the top choice for the world’s Inc 5000 and Fortune 500 companies. With super fast production times, affordable pricing, and a sky’s the limit attitude, we’ll help you turn your custom packaging into a competitive differentiator. Contact us today and a dedicated packaging specialist will guide you through every step of the custom packaging process without breaking a sweat.
Amanda is a professional writer and brand strategist at Refine Packaging who is based in Los Angeles, California. With a background in writing and journalism, Amanda entered the manufacturing industry 6 years ago to explore her unique passion for beautifully conceptualized packaging. With years of packaging experience, Amanda has a deep understanding about how brand psychology and box design trends impact emotions and desired actions. When she’s not writing, Amanda can be found snuggling her two Beagles or outdoors sipping on sparkling white wine.
Alex Jasin
Erica Campbell
Amanda Jane Rivera
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