
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.
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.
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.
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 Style | All Custom Packaging |
| Dimension | All Custom Sizes & Shapes |
| Quantities | 100-unit minimum order |
| Paper Stock | Kraft, corrugated, rigid board, cardstock |
| Printing | CMYK, Pantone, digital and offset |
| Finishing | Gloss, matte, spot UV, embossing, foiling |
| Shipping | Free delivery options |
Choose from premium coating, board, printing and finishing options for your insert boxes.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A full-color printing process using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks to create vibrant images, gradients, and detailed packaging artwork.
Real feedback from customers who trust us with their custom packaging.
Clear answers about ordering, artwork, production, materials and delivery.
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.
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.
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.
Gloss, matte, spot UV and foil are all available depending on the specification, an open tray included.
Orders start from 100 units. Standard production takes 6 to 8 business days after approval. UK delivery is free.