For a long time, boxes were just boxes: plain, functional, and forgettable. That’s not the case anymore.
Today’s eCommerce brands are turning every shipment into a marketing moment. And at the center of this shift? Custom printed mailer boxes. They’ve gone from basic containers to powerful brand builders and for print and packaging businesses, they represent one of the most profitable, fast-growing opportunities in the market.
If you’re a print shop or packaging provider, offering custom mailer boxes isn’t just about adding another product it’s about helping your clients stand out, sell more, and build loyalty. All while opening a new revenue stream for your business.
In this guide, we’ll break down how to launch, manage, and scale your custom mailer box offering using the right tools especially packaging box design software, so you can deliver value to your customers without increasing manual effort on your end.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Why Custom Mailer Boxes Matter for Your Business
If you’re in the business of printing or packaging, custom mailer boxes aren’t just another SKU but they’re a growing profit center you shouldn’t ignore. Here is why:
The global mailer packaging market size was valued at US$ 21.01 billion in 2025 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.1% from 2025 to 2032.
As a print service provider or packaging converter, this shift opens doors. You can tap into new markets (D2C, boutique eCommerce, startups) that traditional bulk packaging suppliers can’t serve efficiently.
With the ability to produce short runs and personalized packaging, you can command premium pricing, especially when supported by online design tools that enhance the customer experience. This also paves the way for building predictable, recurring revenue as you become the go-to packaging partner for agile, fast-scaling brands.
And with the right packaging box design software, you can offer customers an intuitive way to personalize their boxes online, while streamlining your backend for automated production and print-ready output.
This isn’t just about adding a new product. It’s about creating a new business model, one where your print or packaging company becomes a full-service partner for modern brands.
How to Start Printing and Selling Custom Mailer Boxes: A Step-by-Step Guide
Whether you’re a print business, packaging converter, or commercial printer, this guide walks you through how to offer custom mailer boxes from box selection and offering with box design software to production and marketing. Build a streamlined, profitable packaging workflow that today’s brands will love.
Step 1: Define a Smart Product Strategy for Your Mailer Boxes
Before you start promoting custom mailer boxes, it’s essential to define what you’ll offer, how you’ll produce it, and what you’ll allow customers to customize. You don’t need to sell every box style under the sun; you just need to offer the right ones with precision and consistency.
Choose Box Styles That Fit Your Print Capabilities:
Start with formats that align with your existing equipment and finishing capabilities. Focus on styles that are easy to print, assemble, and ship:
- Roll end tuck front (RETF)
- Custom die-cut mailers
You can always expand later. But early on, keeping things focused helps you streamline both setup and turnaround times.
Standardize Sizes and Materials:
Standardizing die lines and substrates will simplify quoting, production, and fulfillment. Offer 4–5 popular sizes tailored to common categories like:
- Beauty and skincare
- Apparel
- Subscription boxes
- Accessories and electronics
Choose corrugated E-flute or B-flute boards, both are ideal for short-run custom jobs. They’re durable, lightweight, and widely compatible with digital and offset printing.
Decide on Customization Options:
Customizations are where your packaging box design software comes into play. But not everything needs to be available right away. Define your limits up front:
- Will you offer full-color digital printing only, or allow special finishes like spot UV, foil stamping, or embossing?
- Can customers add QR codes, barcodes, or variable data like product batches or personalized text?
- Will you offer eco-friendly options like soy inks or recycled boards?
The clearer you are about what’s possible, the fewer edits and errors you’ll face later. This also helps your design software deliver a seamless customization experience to clients while keeping production error-free.
Read our in-depth blog on Custom Size Boxes vs Standard Boxes: Which Is Better?
Step 2: Simplify the Customization Process with Box Design Software
Let’s be honest, design is one of the biggest hurdles in selling custom mailer boxes. Most clients don’t know how to prepare artwork for packaging. They struggle with die lines, overlook bleeds, or send files that just won’t print right. The result? Your prepress team spends hours manually correcting artwork and that slows everything down.
That’s where box design software becomes a game-changer.
What Does Packaging Box Design Software Do?
The right box design software enables your customers to create custom mailer boxes on their own, right from your website. Here’s what they can do:
- Select a box size and style from your catalog
- Upload their logos, artwork, and product images
- Add text, colors, and design elements effortlessly
- See a real-time 3D preview of the final box
- Approve the design and place the order instantly
What’s In It for Your Business?
- No more back-and-forth over file formats and dimensions
- No more prepress delays caused by incorrect artwork
- Fewer revisions and faster order cycles
- Streamlined workflows and higher customer satisfaction
In short: your customers get a seamless, professional design experience and you get print-ready files that go straight to production.
What Makes DesignNBuy’s Box Design Software Stand Out?
At DesignNBuy, we’ve built a dedicated packaging design solution tailored for printers and converters. It includes:
- Drag-and-drop editor with clear trim, bleed, and safety guides
- Kickstart with 70+ ready-to-use design templates for 10+ industries
- Gain instant access to an extensive library of 2500+ die lines, covering a wide variety of packaging styles.
- Live 3D previews that help customers visualize their packaging
- Instant generation of print-ready PDFs with crop marks, die lines, and fold indicators
With this solution embedded into your web to print storefront or client portal, you turn your print shop into a 24/7 online packaging service. It’s scalable, efficient, and exactly where the custom packaging industry is heading.
Step 3: Streamline the Print and Production Workflow
Once your customers are placing orders with print-ready artwork, thanks to your integrated box design software. The focus shifts to efficient and scalable production. The key is to build a workflow that handles custom orders with the same consistency and speed as traditional print jobs.
Start by automating wherever possible. Use web to print workflow features which generate job tickets instantly based on order specifications and integrate preflight software to automatically check artwork for common issues like low-resolution images, font mismatches, or misaligned elements. This reduces delays and frees up your prepress team.
Batching similar orders can significantly cut down on setup time and material waste. Grouping jobs by box size, board type, or finishing requirements ensures smoother press runs and quicker turnarounds. It’s also smart to maintain a centralized die line library, giving your production team instant access to the right templates without reinventing the wheel every time.
Offering sample products, even just a single box, can also give your clients peace of mind. It’s a small step that goes a long way in reducing revisions, increasing confidence, and building trust, especially with high-value brand clients.
Ultimately, your goal should be a low-touch, high-output operation. The more you can streamline prepress and production, the more custom packaging orders you can handle and the more profitably you can grow.
Step 4: Build a Sales Funnel That Sells Your Custom Mailer Boxes
You’ve got the print capability. You’ve implemented packaging box design software. Now comes the part that moves the needle — selling.
A well-thought-out sales and marketing funnel helps convert interest into paid orders. But simply telling people you “print mailer boxes” isn’t enough. You need to position your offering as a value-added solution and not just a product.
Focus on Outcomes, Not Just Outputs:
Instead of promoting boxes as a commodity, frame them as a brand experience.
Say: “We help brands turn every unboxing into a marketing opportunity.”
Not just: “We print custom mailer boxes.”
Talk about specific use cases, think subscription packaging, influencer kits, retail product launches, and branded welcome packs. Help potential clients see how your packaging helps them stand out, boost retention, and build loyalty.
Show Off Your Online Box Design Tool:
One of your strongest selling points is the design experience powered by box design software. Instead of just telling users it exists, let them try it.
Add interactive demos to your website where visitors can explore how easy it is to personalize their packaging with no design expertise required. Video walkthroughs, 3D previews, or a limited “free trial” design mode can build trust and excitement before they even place an order.
Know Your Target Segments:
Different customer types have different needs and packaging volumes.
- D2C eCommerce brands and Etsy sellers want low minimums and fast turnaround.
- Marketing agencies and creative studios need one-off runs for launches or PR events.
- Corporate gifting and B2B resellers may want to white-label your packaging service under their brand.
By understanding these buyer personas, you can tailor your messaging, pricing, and services to resonate deeply.
Use SEO to Drive Qualified Leads:
Make sure your storefront and landing pages are optimized for the terms your potential buyers are searching. Keywords like:
- custom mailer box printing
- design mailer box online
- printed corrugated mailer box
- crrugated mailer box printing
These don’t just help you rank, they help you attract visitors with high intent to buy. Combine organic SEO with paid ads or remarketing to create a full-funnel approach.
Step 5: Turn First-Time Buyers into Loyal Packaging Clients
The real value of custom mailer boxes isn’t in one-time orders, it’s in the relationships you build. When a brand finds a packaging partner who delivers quality, consistency, and ease, they don’t want to start over. That’s where you come in.
To move from one-off transactions to repeat business, your goal should be to offer a premium experience from the very first box.
Start by making reordering seamless. If you’re using packaging box design software, store previous designs in the customer’s account so they can reorder with one click. You can also offer reordering discounts or subscription-based packaging plans for businesses that ship regularly.
Don’t stop at boxes. Offer smart upsells like matching inserts, branded labels, or custom tape that elevate the unboxing experience and boost your margins.
Customer service is where you truly stand out. Follow up after their first delivery. Ask how the boxes performed. Offer suggestions for improvements or new finishes. And when they’re ready to restock, be proactive and not reactive.
Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews or share their packaging on social media using a branded hashtag. Those small moments of social proof can turn into big leads.
Because at the end of the day, you’re not just selling boxes but you’re becoming their go-to packaging partner. And that kind of loyalty is what keeps your production line running year-round.
Final Thoughts: How DesignNBuy Helps You Build a Custom Mailer Box Printing Business That Scales
The demand for custom mailer boxes is exploding and it’s not just a trend. It’s a shift in how brands build relationships with their customers, create memorable unboxing experiences, and drive repeat sales. For print service providers and packaging businesses, this is your moment to take action.
But to win in this market, it’s not enough to print boxes. You need a streamlined, tech-enabled print workflow from easy online customization to automated production and repeat ordering. That’s exactly where DesignNBuy comes in.
Our packaging box design software enables you to:
- Let customers personalize and preview their boxes online
- Eliminate manual file checks and streamline prepress
- Automate job tickets and production-ready output
- Offer 24/7 ordering with a custom web-to-pack storefront
- Build repeat business with saved designs and reordering tools
Whether you’re a commercial printer expanding into packaging or a packaging converter ready to go digital, we help you build a new revenue stream with less overhead and more control.
Let’s Talk Custom Mailer Boxes
Got questions or want to explore how your print business can start offering them profitably?
Looking for more? Check out our other blogs:
Why eCommerce Packaging Is the Next Big Opportunity for Modern Print Businesses
Why Custom Paper Bags Are a Must-Have for Print Service Providers
Top AI Models and Tools for Print Service Providers and Packaging Businesses
How to Start Selling Custom Pouches Online: A Complete Guide
- Major Challenges in Offering Custom Size and Personalized Packaging Products Online
