DTC Brand Packaging Set: 3 Print Products That Make Every Unboxing Count
DTC brand packaging is the printed box, the branded tape and the insert card a direct to consumer brand ships its product in, and it is the one physical moment you get with a customer, on a doorstep. This set covers all three surfaces of that moment: the container the product travels in, the tape that seals the carton, and the card waiting inside. Carry one logo and palette across the box, the tape and the card and the whole delivery reads as one brand.
The DTC brand packaging set is three printed pieces that cover an entire delivery. Custom packaging protects the product and carries the artwork, printed packaging tape brands the outer carton that everyone actually sees first, and printed insert cards turn the open moment into a second order. Print the packaging first because it sets the size and finish rules, then match the tape to it, then size the card to the interior. Every piece is priced live and ships from one printer.
The picks
Boxes at 250, tape at one roll, cards at 100
The first run of all three starts at $1,076.46. The box is the big line at $711.78, and that price covers 250 or 500 boxes, so a 500 run costs the same as 250. Each piece is priced live on its own page so you can size a real run before committing.
| Piece | Sizes | Stock and print | Starts at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis packaging | 5 x 7 x 1.7 in or 5.5 x 5.5 x 2.625 in boxes | 14pt uncoated cover or 18pt cover gloss 1 side, 4 color outside | $711.78 for 250 or 500 |
| Printed packaging tape | 2 or 3 in wide, 55 or 110 yd rolls | White or clear polypropylene, one or two ink colors | $347.11 |
| Insert cards | 2 x 3.5 in, 2 x 2 in or 1.5 x 3.5 in | 14pt gloss cover, or uncoated and soft touch stocks | $17.57 for 100 |
Design and print help
Two tape inks, one box palette, one card stock
Tape prints in one or two ink colors, such as black, white or PMS 281 navy, so pick your box and card colors to match an ink the tape can carry. Lay out the box panels, the tape repeat and the 2 by 3.5 in card in one online designer session, and order free paper samples to compare the 14pt uncoated box board with the card stock before the first run.
How they work together
Box first, tape second, card last
Each piece covers one stage of the delivery, from the carton landing on a doorstep to the product in someone's hands. Print them in that order, because the box sets the size and finish rules for the other two, and nothing gets reprinted.
Lock the primary container. Its dimensions, closure, and finish decide the artwork, the tape width, and the insert size for every other piece in the set.
The tape is what the neighbor, the courier, and the porch camera see. It turns an anonymous brown carton into a shipment that clearly belongs to your brand.
The card inside is the second sale. A reorder code, a care note, or a handwritten thank you is what moves a first purchase into a repeat one.
1. Cannabis packaging: the container that carries the whole brand
The primary container is the only part of your brand a customer holds before they touch the product. Custom printed packaging from 4OVER4 goes on rigid stock that survives a cross country van, keeps required panel copy legible, and still looks like something worth filming. Decide the structure before the artwork, because the shape determines how much brand surface you actually get to use.
Then give the box a job beyond containment. Flat matte panels photograph cleanly under phone cameras, a spot gloss logo catches light when the lid turns, and a soft touch coating changes how the whole thing feels in the hand. Our roundup of brand packaging examples shows how small teams win with one strong panel instead of six crowded ones, and packaging and labels covers the sleeves and stickers that finish the build.
Order this piece first. Everything else in the set is sized, colored, and coated to match whatever you decide here, so lock the structure before you print anything else.
2. Printed packaging tape: brand the carton nobody else brands
Printed packaging tape is the cheapest branding per square foot in ecommerce. Wrap a plain carton in your tape and it stops being an anonymous brown box in a mailroom and starts being a parcel with an owner. It also reads clearly on a porch camera, in a hallway of identical shipments, and in the first three seconds of every unboxing clip filmed on a phone. The tape comes 2 or 3 in wide in 55 or 110 yd rolls, on white or clear polypropylene with one or two ink colors, from $347.11. To see how custom printed tape goes from artwork to finished roll, read how it is made.
Keep the artwork simple, because tape is read in motion and at an angle. One logo, one short phrase, and a repeat that survives being cut mid word is the whole brief. Hold the same two colors you committed to on the box, using our notes on choosing your brand colors, and if sustainability is part of your story, the eco friendly packaging ideas are worth reading before you pick a substrate.
Buy tape in deeper quantities than feels comfortable. It is consumed faster than any other piece in the set and the per roll cost falls hard as volume rises.
3. Make up artist business cards: the insert that earns the second order
The most valuable moment in direct to consumer retail is the second after the lid comes off, when attention is at its highest and there is nothing else competing for it. A printed card sitting on top of the product owns that second. Beauty and wellness brands have used artist cards this way for years, and the format transfers to any category that ships a small, considered product.
Give the card exactly one job: a reorder code, a care instruction, a referral offer, or a genuine thank you. Print it on the same coating family as the box so the pair feels intentional, following the company business cards branding guide, and if the product itself needs a tag rather than a loose card, the custom branding tags guide covers that variant.
As the brand grows, the same card logic extends outward into branded drinkware for events and acrylic signage for pop ups and markets.
Specs and pricing
Anchor the set: printed packaging tape specs and live pricing
The tape is the piece you reorder most often, so it is the easiest place to check widths, roll counts and how quickly the per unit price falls as your shipping volume grows. The first quantity step starts at $347.11, two cost $604.80 and five cost $1,362.67, in 2 or 3 in widths and 55 or 110 yd lengths. Clear tape lets the kraft carton show through; white tape gives the ink a solid ground.
| Quantity | Price Per Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $347.11 | $347.11 |
| 2 | $302.40 | $604.80 |
| 5 | $272.53 | $1,362.67 |
| 10 | $233.28 | $2,332.75 |
| 20 | $189.39 | $3,787.89 |
| 30 | $176.79 | $5,303.65 |
| 40 | $166.70 | $6,667.83 |
| 50 | $162.16 | $8,107.79 |
Wally explains the set
Three pieces, one delivery, printed to be opened
Wally thinks of a direct to consumer parcel as a three second commercial you paid the courier to deliver. The tape sells it on the porch, the packaging sells it as the lid lifts, and the card inside asks for the next order. Miss any one of the three and the moment goes quiet. Put the same mark on all three and the whole delivery speaks in the same voice.
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Explore more
Where to go next
The brand packaging examples show small teams building an unboxing around one strong panel. The eco friendly ideas cover lighter packaging choices before you pick a tape substrate, the hang tag guide covers tags on the product itself, and the card branding guide keeps the insert in line with the box.
By the numbers
One set, printed to ship strong
Common Questions
Common questions about the DTC brand packaging set
What is the DTC brand packaging set?
It is a curated three piece print set for direct to consumer brands that ship physical product. The set covers custom printed packaging for the product itself, branded packaging tape for the outer carton, and printed cards that ride inside the box. Together they cover every surface a customer sees between the courier handoff and the moment the product is in their hand.
In what order should I print these three pieces?
Print the packaging first, because its size and finish set the rules for everything else. Order the tape second, matching the brand color you committed to on the box. Print the insert cards last, once you know how much interior space you have and what offer you want the customer to act on after opening. Working in that order avoids reprints.
Do I really need branded tape if my box is already printed?
If your printed packaging ships inside a plain outer carton, then yes. The outer carton is the first thing anyone sees, and it is usually the piece brands forget. Branded tape converts that anonymous shipper into part of the experience for a small fraction of what a fully printed mailer costs, and it doubles as a visible tamper indicator in transit.
How do I keep all three pieces looking like one brand?
Repeat three things everywhere. Use one logo lockup at one proportion, hold two brand colors and resist adding a third, and pick a single coating language so matte stays matte across the set. Then place the logo in the same relative position on each piece. Customers do not consciously notice the repetition, but they absolutely notice when it is missing.
What should the insert card actually say?
Give it one job. A reorder code, a care instruction, a referral offer, or a short thank you outperforms a card that tries to do all four. Print the offer large enough to read at arm length, put a short URL or QR destination under it, and leave clean space so a team member can add a handwritten line before sealing the box.
How much does the full set cost to print?
Each piece is priced live on its own product page, so the total depends on quantity, size, stock, and turnaround. 250 printed packaging boxes start at $711.78, one case of 36 rolls of printed packaging tape at $347.11, and 100 printed cards at $17.57. Run the quantities you actually plan to ship in a quarter, since per unit cost drops sharply as volume climbs on all three.
Can I add more pieces as the brand grows?
Yes. The set is a starting point, not a ceiling. Most brands add hang tags, product labels, thank you postcards, and retail signage once the core three are working. Because everything prints in the same place on the same color standard, later additions match what already ships.
Get Started
Printed packaging tape starts at $347.11
Print the packaging, the tape, and the insert cards from one place, on one color standard, with live pricing on every quantity and turnaround you are considering.
Legal Disclaimer
Gold Standard guarantees apply to all standard orders placed through 4over4.com. Price match requires verifiable proof of a competitor's published price for an equivalent product with matching specifications and turnaround time. Satisfaction guarantee covers manufacturing defects and print quality issues. Contact support with order number and documentation.
