Kraft Packaging Trays

A Tray That Matches a Brown Box Inside and Out

Open a kraft mailer and find a bright white tray inside, and the pack reads as two decisions made by two different people. Kraft trays fix that by carrying the same unbleached board from the outside of the pack to the cavity holding the product, so the whole thing looks planned. Buyers here are usually brands whose identity rests on that natural look: small-batch food producers, tea blenders, soap and candle makers, refill and zero-waste shops. Some already ship in kraft boxes and want the interior to follow suit. Others are moving an existing range onto one stock so the packaging tells a single story from shelf to unboxing. The tray takes the same cavity work as any other in the range; only the board changes.

Unbleached Tray Board and Cavity Options

Every tray here is cut from brown kraft tray board, the unbleached stock itself rather than a brown print laid over white.

Because the board isn't bleached, its brown is part of the design and shows through any ink laid on it, so pick ink colors with that warm base in mind, and judge them on a kraft proof rather than on screen.

Kraft for the Tray When Color Isn't the Selling Point

The argument for kraft is strongest when the product does the talking. A tray of loose-leaf tea tins, hand-poured candles or jars of preserves doesn't need the board to add color; the brown surface frames the product and says something about how it was made. That's the same instinct behind most dry-goods and pantry packaging, where a natural, lightly printed look reads as honest. The case weakens when the product relies on printed color to sell, such as a bright cosmetics set or a children's toy, because brown board dulls what the packaging is there to show. If the outer box is kraft, match it. If the tray is visible and the brand is bright, choose coated board instead, rather than paying for a look you then fight.

One-Ink Marks on a Natural Tray Surface

Ink sits into kraft rather than on top of it, so what prints well here is bold and simple. A single dark ink such as black, navy or deep green gives the cleanest result on brown board. A white underprint is available where a lighter color has to read, though it adds a pass. Small type and fine linework soften as the ink spreads into the fiber, so keep text at a comfortable size and avoid hairline rules. Metallic foil suits a premium natural range and stands out against brown. What doesn't work is full-color photography, which comes out flat and dark. Plenty of kraft trays are left unprinted, with the brand carried by the outer box, and for an interior piece that's often the better use of budget.

Kraft Trays for Tea, Coffee Pods and Farm Shop Ranges

Tea blenders use them to hold a row of tins or sample pouches in a gift set, so the customer sees the whole tasting range at once. Roasters do the same with coffee pods and tea sachets, giving each flavor its own slot. Farm shops and food producers set kraft trays under jars of honey, chutney and jam in hamper boxes, where a brown interior suits the produce. Soap makers place bars in individual cavities so the edges don't scuff against each other. Candle makers use them for trios of small votives. In each case the brand already leans natural, and the tray continues that rather than introducing a new material halfway through the unboxing. For the same layouts printed in bright color, the coated tray is the better match.

Kraft Tray Orders From 100, With the Proof First

The minimum is 100 trays, which suits makers testing a gift set before a busy season. You send product and box dimensions, we build the dieline, and you approve a proof before any board is cut. Design help costs nothing at any stage. Production runs 8–12 business days from approval, and shipping is included in the price. Rush is possible at an extra cost, quoted before you decide. Orders above 10,000 trays come with free samples, so you can check fit with your actual product before the full run. If you plan to call the tray recyclable or plastic-free on your packaging, tell us the exact wording you'll use, so we can check the board specification against the claim you choose to make.