Format 03 · Sleeve

Sleeve

A printed band or slide-off outer placed over an existing inner pack. A material-efficient way to add variants, seasonal campaigns or refreshed artwork without rebuilding the base structure.

Useful as a flexible graphic layer when the inner pack already provides the structure and protection.

A solid cobalt printed sleeve half slid off a bone inner tray, the overlap seam and board thickness visible

A strong fit when

One base pack has to serve many variants, languages or seasons
You want to change the look without recutting the box
A campaign or Ramadan edition needs to sit over standard stock
The reveal of sliding it off is worth designing for

Consider another format when

The outer layer is expected to carry structural load or protect the product
The inner pack still needs substantial visual or structural improvement

How it is built

The construction decisions that shape the result.

Cut Crease Assembly

01Friction fit: The tolerance between sleeve and inner. Too tight and it can scuff the print; too loose and it can slide off. Clearance is usually one to two millimetres.
02Overlap seam: Where the band closes on itself. It is normally placed on the back or at a corner rather than across the main display face.
03Grain direction: The grain should run around the sleeve rather than across it so the band follows the form and folds cleanly.

Stocks we run

Uncoated 250–350gsm
Coated art board for saturated colour
Textured and laid papers

Finishes available

Full-bleed spot colour
Blind emboss
Hot foil
Die-cut apertures onto the inner

Quantities and lead time

Both depend on structure, stock and finish, and quoting them without a live brief would be misleading. Share the job and we will price the specification against your date.

Start a sleeve brief

Seen in

Matt black rigid gift box opened to reveal bone tissue, a cobalt lining and a coral belly band

Aster ObjectsPackaging production study

Services that cover it

Packaging Brand print

Sleeve questions

Useful before we begin.

01Can a sleeve reduce the cost of changing a pack?

It can, because the existing inner pack and tooling may remain unchanged while the sleeve uses less material than a complete replacement box. The actual saving depends on quantity, stock, finishing and whether new cutting tooling is required.

Next format

E-commerce mailer

A good choice when the shipping pack is also the customer’s first direct contact with the product.

Specify the project

Let us shape the right sleeve around the job.

Share the contents, dimensions, quantity, finish direction and delivery date. We will identify the decisions that need a sample, proof or structural check.

Start a project Request material samples