18 styles
Tuck box styles
A tuck box closes with a flap that slides inside the carton. The styles below differ in where the flaps hinge, what holds the bottom and what the box is built to do. All of them ship flat.
| Style | How it closes | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Tuck End (STE) | Top and bottom tuck flaps both close from the front to the back, so the front panel is uninterrupted. | Shelf boxes where the front panel carries the design; window and hang-tab builds; light products up to about 1 lb (estimate). | from $5.59 for 1 piece |
| Reverse Tuck End (RTE) | Top flap tucks from back to front and bottom flap from front to back (opposite directions). The most common folding carton style. | Cosmetics, supplements, candles, tea, vape and CBD cartons, playing cards; the default when a buyer says "tuck box". | from $5.59 for 1 piece |
| French Reverse Tuck End (FRT) | Like RTE but the top tuck flap hinges on the long side, so the box opens like a tray with a lid that tucks at the front. | Flat, wide products shown face-up: eyeshadow palettes, socks, gift cards, stationery sets. | quote |
| Tuck Top Auto Bottom (crash lock) | Tuck flap on top; the bottom is pre-glued and pops into a locked base when the flat carton is opened. | Heavier retail items (jars, bottles, electronics), fast hand-packing lines. | from $5.59 for 1 piece |
| Tuck Top Snap Lock Bottom (1-2-3 bottom) | Tuck flap on top; four bottom flaps interlock by hand (no glue), stronger than a tuck bottom. | Medium-weight products where a glued auto bottom is not worth it: candles, mugs, hardware, glass bottles. | quote |
| Tuck Top, Seal End Bottom | Hybrid: glued (seal end) bottom for strength or tamper evidence, tuck flap on top for re-opening. | Food and OTC cartons filled on a line; cereal-style cartons. | quote |
| Tuck End with Hang Tab | Straight or reverse tuck carton with an extended back panel die-cut with a euro slot or round hole for peg hooks. | Peg-wall retail: phone accessories, chargers, hardware, auto parts, lashes, socks. | from $5.59 for 1 piece |
| Tuck End with Window | Any tuck style with a die-cut window, open or closed with a clear film patch. | Toys, baked goods, soap, candles, lashes, socks: anything that sells by being seen. | from $5.59 for 1 piece |
| Tuck Box with Insert or Partitions | Tuck carton plus a die-cut paperboard insert, cradle or partition that holds bottles, vials or several items in place. | Dropper bottles, vial sets, mugs, multi-pack candles, gift sets, electronics with accessories. | from $5.59 for 1 piece |
| Double Wall Tuck Front (paperboard) | Folding carton with doubled side walls (rolled over) and a tuck-in front lid; a stiff tray-style box without corrugate. | Premium-feel retail and gift boxes, jewelry, apparel accessories, stationery. | quote |
| Roll End Tuck Front Mailer (E-flute) | Corrugated mailer: the lid has a tuck flap that slides into the front wall, sides roll over and lock with ears. | Shipping direct to customers, subscription boxes, PR kits, donuts and baked goods (with food-contact liners where needed). | from $18.99 for 1 piece |
| Roll End Tuck Top (paperboard tray with tuck lid) | Paperboard version of the mailer: rolled side walls, hinged lid with a tuck flap. | Lightweight gift and retail sets, soap and bath sets, stationery, kits. | quote |
| Tall Tuck Carton (cereal style) | Tall, slim reverse tuck or tuck-top/seal-end carton with a large front billboard. | Cereal, granola, pasta, snacks, bath salts, long candles, bottles of wine-style spirits mock packs. | from $5.59 for 1 piece |
| Tuck Display Box (counter display) | Tuck-end carton whose lid folds back or tears off on a perforation to become a countertop display tray. | Lip balm, gummies, vape and CBD singles, lighters, candy bars at checkout. | quote |
| Tuck Box with Outer Sleeve | Printed tuck carton inside a slide-on sleeve (belly band or full sleeve) for a two-layer reveal or seasonal re-skin. | Seasonal editions, limited drops, soap and tea where one box serves several SKUs and the sleeve changes. | quote |
| Hexagon Tuck Box | Six-sided folding carton with a tuck-in top lid (only the tuck-lid version; two-piece rigid hexagons are excluded). | Candles, gift sets, chocolates, tea, premium soap. | quote |
| Playing Card Tuck Box | Small reverse tuck carton sized to a deck, usually with a thumb notch and dust flaps. | Playing cards, tarot and oracle decks, card games, flash cards, business card sets. | from $5.59 for 1 piece |
| Kraft Tuck Box | Any tuck style on natural brown kraft paperboard; prints best with bold colours and white ink. | Soap, candles, tea, coffee, natural and handmade products that want a raw look. | from $5.59 for 1 piece |
STE
Straight Tuck End (STE)
Shelf boxes where the front panel carries the design
from $5.59 for 1 piece
RTE
Reverse Tuck End (RTE)
Cosmetics, supplements, candles, tea, vape and CBD cartons, playing cards
from $5.59 for 1 piece
FRT
French Reverse Tuck End (FRT)
Flat, wide products shown face-up: eyeshadow palettes, socks, gift cards, stationery sets.
quote only
Auto bottom
Tuck Top Auto Bottom (crash lock)
Heavier retail items (jars, bottles, electronics), fast hand-packing lines.
from $5.59 for 1 piece
Snap lock
Tuck Top Snap Lock Bottom (1-2-3 bottom)
Medium-weight products where a glued auto bottom is not worth it: candles, mugs, hardware, glass bottles.
quote only
Seal end
Tuck Top, Seal End Bottom
Food and OTC cartons filled on a line
quote only
Hang tab
Tuck End with Hang Tab
Peg-wall retail: phone accessories, chargers, hardware, auto parts, lashes, socks.
from $5.59 for 1 piece
Window
Tuck End with Window
Toys, baked goods, soap, candles, lashes, socks: anything that sells by being seen.
from $5.59 for 1 piece
Insert
Tuck Box with Insert or Partitions
Dropper bottles, vial sets, mugs, multi-pack candles, gift sets, electronics with accessories.
from $5.59 for 1 piece
Double wall
Double Wall Tuck Front (paperboard)
Premium-feel retail and gift boxes, jewelry, apparel accessories, stationery.
quote only
Mailer
Roll End Tuck Front Mailer (E-flute)
Shipping direct to customers, subscription boxes, PR kits, donuts and baked goods (with food-contact liners where needed).
from $18.99 for 1 piece
Roll end
Roll End Tuck Top (paperboard tray with tuck lid)
Lightweight gift and retail sets, soap and bath sets, stationery, kits.
quote only
Tall
Tall Tuck Carton (cereal style)
Cereal, granola, pasta, snacks, bath salts, long candles, bottles of wine-style spirits mock packs.
from $5.59 for 1 piece
Display
Tuck Display Box (counter display)
Lip balm, gummies, vape and CBD singles, lighters, candy bars at checkout.
quote only
Sleeve
Tuck Box with Outer Sleeve
Seasonal editions, limited drops, soap and tea where one box serves several SKUs and the sleeve changes.
quote only
Hexagon
Hexagon Tuck Box
Candles, gift sets, chocolates, tea, premium soap.
quote only
Card deck
Playing Card Tuck Box
Playing cards, tarot and oracle decks, card games, flash cards, business card sets.
from $5.59 for 1 piece
Kraft
Kraft Tuck Box
Soap, candles, tea, coffee, natural and handmade products that want a raw look.
from $5.59 for 1 piece
Not sure which one?
Start with reverse tuck end: it is the everyday carton. The style picker suggests a style from four questions, and the RTE vs STE guide explains the most common choice.
What is not a tuck box
- Pillow boxes: Closed by pressing curved end flaps, not by a tuck flap.
- Gable boxes: Handle-top closure, no tuck flap.
- Rigid (set-up) boxes, drawer boxes, two-piece lid boxes: Rigid chipboard wrapped in paper; no tuck closure.
- Full seal-end (glued both ends) cartons: Glued, not tucked; covered on a comparison page only.
- Regular slotted shipping cartons (RSC): Taped flaps, not tuck.
- Bags, pouches, labels, tissue: Not boxes.