Tube Packaging

For Goods That Roll, Not Fold

Some products are damaged by folding. A poster takes a permanent crease, a silk scarf keeps a sharp line, a canvas print cracks along the fold. For these, a box is the wrong shape, and a flat package big enough to hold them unfolded is expensive and awkward to handle. A tube lets them roll instead, which is often how they were stored before they reached you anyway. Buyers here are print shops and artists, textile and scarf brands, map and calendar sellers, and anyone sending long, narrow items such as architectural plans or incense. It also suits products that are simply long and thin. If your product folds without harm, a flat box is usually the cheaper and simpler choice.

Tube Specs: Length, Diameter and End Cap Fit

Tubes are made from corrugated tube stock, formed into a cylinder and closed at each end with a cap.

Measure the product rolled, not flat, and add the length of anything that sticks out, such as a dowel, a hanger or a protective sleeve, before you send the figures, so the caps close without pressing on the ends.

Why Textiles and Prints Travel Better Rolled Than Folded

A fold puts stress on one line, and that line is where damage shows. Rolling spreads the bend across the whole item, so the piece unrolls without a fixed line across it. For rolled scarves and textiles, that means a silk or wool piece arrives ready to wear without steaming. For art prints, it means no mark across the image. The shape protects in transit too: a flat package can bend in a sorting bin, while a cylinder has no flat face to fold across. The trade is size. A tube is longer than a folded box, and carriers charge on dimensions, so for small items that fold safely a box ships cheaper. Use a tube when a fold would cost you the product.

Artwork That Wraps a Seam and Meets an End Cap

Tubes give you a long panel that wraps all the way round, so a design can run its length like a banner or repeat to read from any angle. The seam is planned at artwork stage, so keep logos and text clear of it. Because the body is corrugated, flute telegraphing blurs hairlines and very small type, which is why bold marks and larger text hold up best. Think about the ends as well: tubes are often stored or displayed with only the ends facing out, so put the product name on the body close to each cap, where it stays readable. A one- or two-color design keeps cost down on longer runs; full color suits art prints and gift tubes.

Tubes for Posters, Puzzles and Play Mats

Print shops and artists send posters and art prints in them, often signed and numbered. Toy brands use them for jigsaws, posters and play mats that roll, and for long items such as kites and craft sets. Map makers and calendar publishers use them for wall pieces. Textile brands send scarves, table runners and tea towels rolled. Architects and design studios use them for plans and presentation boards. Gift brands package a rolled blanket or throw in a printed tube with a tag tied around it. Incense makers and other sellers of long, slim products use them because nothing else holds the shape as neatly. In every case, the length of the product decided the format before anything else did.

What a Tube Order Covers, From Proof to Delivery

Send the product's rolled diameter and length, and we'll build the dieline and confirm in writing whether those figures are internal or external. Design help is free and unlimited, with a proof to approve before production. Tubes run 8–12 business days from approval. If a date is fixed, we can quote a rush run; it costs extra, and you see the figure first. Your quote includes dies, plates and setup, so there are no extra charges once the order is placed, and shipping is included in the price. Each tube is checked at three stages before it leaves, and if the bulk run doesn't match the approved proof, we reprint at our cost. The minimum order is 100 units, and above 10,000 units samples are free.