Printed open-format food trays where the branding is visible the moment they're handed over, printed to your brand across the whole surface. Orders start from 100 units.

▧Zero Die
& Plate Costs
▣High Resolution
Offset Printing
▤High-End
Screen Print
▥Digital Printing
Solutions
♨Quick
Delivery Timing
◈100 Unit
Minimum Order
✣Custom
Design & Sizes
▦Market Competitive
Pricing

A box’s lid can carry the branding on its own, seen before anything inside is visible. An open tray doesn’t have that layer. The surface itself does the branding job the moment it’s handed over, uncovered from the start.

What going without a lid actually trades away

Speed and visibility are the appeal: food handed over or displayed straight from the tray, nothing to unseal first. In exchange, the material itself picks up work a lid would otherwise share, since nothing else in the structure is holding the fill in place. One supplier’s own case study describes exactly this going wrong: a bakery’s takeaway trays buckling once loaded with something hot and heavy, fixed only once the construction itself was upgraded. It’s one account, not a market-wide statistic, but it illustrates the mechanism plainly: an open tray under a demanding fill needs the board choice to be a genuine decision, not a default. Kraft, cardboard, corrugated and rigid each cope differently with that kind of load, and Hot Dog Trays walks through that comparison in full for the open hot-dog shape; the same logic carries across to most open-tray formats.

That same absence of a lid changes the print, too. The whole face is on show at once rather than a lid panel doing the first impression, so artwork gets planned as one continuous surface instead of a lid-and-interior pairing.

Board and coating can be selected to suit direct or indirect food contact depending on the specification. Food-contact material suitability is confirmed for the specific material before production. Allergen and nutritional labelling stays your business’s responsibility.

Design support is free. A digital 3D mock-up is free. Sending it back on the specific stock you’re weighing up is how the load question gets settled ahead of production. Orders start from 100 units. Standard production takes 6 to 8 business days after approval. UK delivery is free. There are no setup fees.

An unlaminated paperboard construction may be easier to process through suitable paper-recycling streams than a heavily laminated alternative. Final recyclability depends on the full material and finishing specification and the facilities available locally.

If the shape is already settled and it’s specifically a hot dog tray, Hot Dog Trays covers the material decision for that shape directly. Where a window doing visibility work for a shared platter is the actual need, Food Platter Boxes With Window is the better fit. For anything outside those three, Custom Food Boxes is the full range to browse instead.

Box StyleAll Custom Packaging
DimensionAll Custom Sizes & Shapes
Quantities100-unit minimum order
Paper StockKraft, corrugated, rigid board, cardstock
PrintingCMYK, Pantone, digital and offset
FinishingGloss, matte, spot UV, embossing, foiling
ShippingFree delivery options
✦ Finishing Options

Finishing & Material Options

Choose from premium coating, board, printing and finishing options for your insert boxes.

Varnish

Varnish

A transparent finishing layer available in gloss, satin, or matte effects. It enhances the printed surface and adds an extra layer of visual appeal and light protection.

Spot UV

Spot UV

A UV-cured coating applied to specific areas of the design to create gloss or matte contrast and draw attention to important details.

Soft Touch Coating

Soft Touch Coating

A smooth, velvety coating that creates a soft tactile feel and gives packaging a refined luxury look. It improves the unboxing experience and supports a high-end product presentation.

Silk Lamination

Silk Lamination

A soft, smooth lamination with a refined satin-like finish. It gives packaging a premium feel while keeping the surface elegant, subtle, and easy to handle.

Spot Gloss UV

Spot Gloss UV

A high-gloss UV coating applied only to selected design areas to create sharp contrast, highlight logos, and add a premium visual effect without coating the whole surface.

Aqueous Coating

Aqueous Coating

A clear, fast-drying water-based coating that adds a smooth protective layer while maintaining a clean and professional surface finish. It is a practical choice for everyday printed packaging.

Anti-Scratch

Anti-Scratch

A durable protective film that helps reduce visible scratches, scuffs, fingerprints, and daily handling marks. It keeps packaging looking clean, polished, and premium for longer.

White Kraft Paper

White Kraft Paper

A bleached kraft paperboard made from a mix of virgin and recycled pulp, offering a clean white surface for crisp and polished packaging designs.

Uncoated Unbleached Kraft

Uncoated Unbleached Kraft

A natural kraft paperboard without coating, made from virgin and recycled pulp. It provides a raw, organic appearance with sturdy packaging strength.

SBS C2S Paper

SBS C2S Paper

A premium bleached paperboard coated on both sides, designed for excellent print quality, die-cutting, and professional packaging results.

SBS C1S Paper

SBS C1S Paper

A high-quality bleached paperboard coated on one side. It provides a clean printable face with a premium packaging feel.

Printing Paper

Printing Paper

A smooth printable paper stock that supports high-resolution graphics, clean text, and rich color output for refined packaging presentation.

Natural Brown Kraft Paper

Natural Brown Kraft Paper

A natural kraft paperboard made from strong virgin and recycled pulp. It provides an organic, earthy look for sustainable and simple packaging.

Metallic Paper

Metallic Paper

A specialty paperboard with a laminated metallic surface available in gold, silver, and other premium finishes for luxury visual impact.

Holographic Paper

Holographic Paper

A specialty paperboard with a laminated holographic surface that creates a reflective, rainbow-like appearance for eye-catching product packaging.

Fully Recycled CCNB Paper

Fully Recycled CCNB Paper

A recycled duplex paperboard with a white printable surface. It is ideal for economical packaging that still requires clean graphics and brand presentation.

Clay-Coated Kraft Back

Clay-Coated Kraft Back

A kraft board with a smooth clay-coated white face for quality printing and a natural kraft reverse side for a strong, authentic appearance.

Clay Natural Kraft

Clay Natural Kraft

A kraft paperboard with a clay-coated printable top surface and a natural unbleached kraft back. It balances clean branding with a rustic natural look.

CCNB Paper

CCNB Paper

A duplex paperboard made with recycled pulp and a coated white printable surface. It delivers smooth print results for affordable carton packaging.

Black Kraft Paper

Black Kraft Paper

A black-dyed kraft board with a natural paper texture and excellent strength. It creates a bold, premium look for luxury and specialty packaging.

Window Patching

Window Patching

A packaging technique where a die-cut opening is covered with a transparent film, allowing the product inside to remain visible while staying protected.

Registered Embossing

Registered Embossing

An embossing technique where the raised design is precisely aligned with printed artwork to improve detail, texture, and overall presentation.

Hot Foil Stamping

Hot Foil Stamping

A finishing process in which heat and pressure transfer metallic foil to the surface, creating a premium, shiny, and luxurious effect.

Combination Embossing

Combination Embossing

A premium finishing method that combines embossing with foil stamping to create a raised design with metallic color and strong visual impact.

Cold Foil Stamping

Cold Foil Stamping

A decorative process that transfers foil onto selected areas of the surface using UV-curable adhesive, creating a bright metallic effect with sharp detail.

Blind Embossing

Blind Embossing

A technique that raises a design from the surface without ink or foil, giving packaging a clean, elegant, and textured appearance.

Blind Debossing

Blind Debossing

A finishing technique that presses a design into the material to create a recessed impression without using ink or foil. It adds subtle depth and a refined tactile effect.

UV Printing

UV Printing

A fast-curing printing process that uses ultraviolet light to dry ink instantly, delivering sharp detail, vibrant colors, and a premium finish.

Screen Printing

Screen Printing

A durable printing method that uses a mesh screen and stencil to apply ink to surfaces. It is ideal for bold colors and high-impact packaging designs.

Offset Printing

Offset Printing

A traditional high-quality printing process that transfers designs from plates to a rubber blanket before printing, making it ideal for large-volume production.

Digital Printing

Digital Printing

A modern printing method that does not require printing plates, making it cost-effective and efficient for short runs, sample production, and small-batch quantities.

Triple Wall Flute

Triple Wall Flute

Built with three corrugated layers between four linerboard sheets, providing heavy-duty strength for large or industrial packaging needs.

Single Wall Flute

Single Wall Flute

A standard corrugated structure with one fluted medium and two linerboards, providing dependable strength for everyday packaging.

Single Flute

Single Flute

A corrugated sheet with one flute layer between two liners, offering lightweight strength for protective packaging.

F-Flute

F-Flute

An ultra-thin flute grade designed for lightweight packaging, small retail boxes, and high-quality printed presentation.

E-Flute

E-Flute

A slim flute grade with a flatter surface, ideal for detailed printing, display packaging, and premium retail boxes.

Double Wall Flute

Double Wall Flute

Made with two layers of corrugated medium between linerboard sheets, offering added strength and durability for heavier products.

C-Flute

C-Flute

A versatile corrugated flute that offers balanced compression strength, cushioning, and printability for many packaging applications.

B-Flute

B-Flute

A thinner flute grade with a smooth surface, making it suitable for high-quality printing, precise die-cutting, and neat retail packaging.

A-Flute

A-Flute

A thick corrugated flute profile that provides excellent cushioning, compression strength, and stacking support for protective packaging.

Oyster White Board

Oyster White Board

A coated linerboard with an off-white surface, suitable for high-quality printing and a refined packaging appearance.

Natural Kraft Board

Natural Kraft Board

An unbleached kraft linerboard made from recycled paper pulp, offering a natural look with strong durability for eco-conscious packaging.

Kemi White Board

Kemi White Board

A coated semi-gloss linerboard with a smooth white surface, ideal for sharp printing, premium presentation, and retail-ready packaging.

Bleached White Board

Bleached White Board

A fully bleached corrugated board with a bright white surface, designed to produce clean, vibrant, and high-quality printed packaging.

UV Ink

UV Ink

A UV-cured ink that dries instantly under ultraviolet light and creates crisp, high-quality print results on a wide range of packaging materials.

Soy Ink

Soy Ink

A plant-based ink made with soybean oil, offering rich color output and a more sustainable printing option for carton packaging.

Pantone

Pantone

A standardized color-matching system used to achieve consistent, accurate brand colors across packaging, labels, and printed materials.

CMYK

CMYK

A full-color printing process using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks to create vibrant images, gradients, and detailed packaging artwork.

Customer reviews

What Customers Say About Our Packaging

Real feedback from customers who trust us with their custom packaging.

Product FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Clear answers about ordering, artwork, production, materials and delivery.

Why choose a tray instead of a box with a lid?

A tray shows the food and lets it move from hand to counter in one step. A lidded box adds a layer between the two, useful for a longer trip but not for a quick handover.

Will an open tray hold up under a hot or heavy portion?

Corrugated stock is the sturdier default for that kind of fill. For the fuller picture, including when rigid stock is or isn't worth its higher cost, see Hot Dog Trays.

Does it matter that there's no lid to print on?

It means there's only one design decision to make, not two. Send over what you'd normally put on a lid and we'll work out how it fits across the open face instead.

Can I get a premium finish on a tray, like foil or spot UV?

Gloss, matte, spot UV and foil are all available depending on the specification, an open tray included.

What is the minimum order for custom printed food trays?

Orders start from 100 units. Standard production takes 6 to 8 business days after approval. UK delivery is free.