Custom Printed Serum Boxes for 15, 30 and 50 ml Droppers

The rubber bulb and the collar sit on top of the bottle and add 20 to 30 mm to its height, with a narrow neck below. A box cut to the glass alone will not close.

So the carton is tall for its footprint, often three times as high as it is wide. That shape tips easily, which is why the base panel and the tuck lock matter more here than on a jar box.

The photos show the usual answer: a cream straight tuck end carton, a foil name at the top and the volume at the foot of the front panel.

We see the same handful of buyers again and again.

The serum box usually comes first and the rest of the line follows. The full skincare packaging range for UK brands shows how cream and cleanser boxes can match it.

• Skincare start-ups launching a single vitamin C or hyaluronic serum
• Aesthetic clinics selling an aftercare serum at the front desk
• Aromatherapy makers moving from plain amber bottles into a boxed face oil
• Marketplace sellers wanting a carton that reads well in a listing photo
• Salons bundling a serum with a treatment course

Add 3 mm to each width and 5 mm to the height. That gives a box around 35 x 35 x 100 mm.

The 5 mm of headroom is the important part. It stops the bulb pressing on the top tuck every time the box is picked up.

Bottles from different suppliers vary by a few millimetres, so send us yours or the supplier's drawing. More starting points are in our list of common UK cosmetic box sizes.

A reverse tuck has them folding in opposite directions and is slightly quicker to close by hand.

The orange cube box in our photos uses a thumb notch on the front so the lid lifts with one finger. The cream carton has two small hang holes at the top for a peg hook in a salon.

Pick the one that matches where the box will be sold. Our cosmetic box styles guide for beauty brands walks through each closure with drawings.

It holds the tall shape without bowing and takes foil cleanly. For a 100 ml bottle or heavier glass, we quote a thicker board.

Print is CMYK, two colour or one colour. The cream and gold look in our photos is one colour print with a foil hit, which keeps the cost down and the look expensive.

Ask about other boards, rigid builds and finishes; the proof shows the exact layout before you commit.

Gold on cream, copper on sage and silver on black all read well from a shelf.

Embossing a leaf or wave pattern adds texture without ink, which suits a brand that wants a plain box with something to feel. Soft touch lamination gives a matt skin that resists scuffs in a handbag.

Each is an option, priced on the quote. Our page on beauty packaging finishes from foil to embossing shows how they combine.

For single bottles going by post, add a card platform inside the carton so the bottle base sits above the floor. For orders of several bottles, a mailer box with a divider is safer than loose cartons in a bag.

Dropper bulbs can be squeezed in transit and draw air into the bottle. A box that leaves no room above the bulb prevents that.

If you post serums direct to customers every day, look at pairing the carton with cosmetic mailer boxes for posting orders so the outer takes the knocks.

The repeated foil name does the work.

For an online listing, photograph the box beside the bottle at a slight angle, as our photos do. The side panel with the ingredients list shows that it is real packaging, not a mock-up.

Keep the volume on the front in the same place on every size, so a 30 ml and a 50 ml box read as siblings.

The second is printing a fine ingredient list in gold foil, which is hard to read. Use foil for the name and ink for the small type.

Third is choosing gloss lamination on a cream board. Gloss shows every fingerprint on a box that is handled at a counter. Matt or soft touch suits serums better.

If a carton turns up misprinted or knocked about, photos inside 10 days get it put right with a reprint or refund.

To start, send your serum bottle sizes for a quote and follow the steps below.

1. Measure the bottle with the dropper fitted, or send the supplier's drawing.
2. Choose a tuck style, board and any foil or lamination.
3. Give us a quantity; one quote covers the order, from £0.25 per unit.
4. Send your logo and label text, and our designers lay it out for free.
5. Check and approve the free proof, including the dieline.
6. Making takes 4–6 business days; the free tracked UK delivery takes 2–3 more.