Why a U.K. Maker Is the Best Pick for Carlton
Custom Pack Studio is part of KennedySmith (Press) Ltd, an established manufacturer that has been making print and packaging in Scotland since 1997.
When you ask about a final finish, a substance or a deadline, you are speaking to someone who works with the press on a daily basis. They do not need to put the question on to a factory abroad and await a response.
UK to UK delivery is prompt and trustworthy in a way an order from abroad hardly ever is.
The majority of orders are made ready within two to three weeks after you sign off on the proof, and once sent, our courier network delivers to Carlton addresses within 1 to 2 working days.
Set that against that with a standard 8 to 12 week baseline lead time for packaging brought in from the EU or the Far East, before you even factor in a delayed container or a customs hold-up.
Should you have an important launch date or event deadline, please inform us when you make your enquiry.
We’ll be straightforward about whether the timeline is workable, rather than offering a turnaround that fails to deliver.
Tailored Wrapping for Carlton Firms
The formats we supply cover most products, and every one is crafted to your dimensions and printed with your logo.
The right setup varies according to the way in which the product is marketed sent, so the quickest way to get the right answer is to let know to our packaging experts what you are packing .
Retail and item packaging
A branded carton promotes the product on the shelf when nobody from your team is present to explain it.
Reverse tuck-end boxes are particularly suited to lighter retail goods such as cosmetics, supplements and beauty products, whereas a crash-lock base gives heavier items with a stable floor that will not give way during transit.
Both branding on every panel, including the inside, so the branding remains visible whatever way the box is placed on a shelf or in a stockroom.
Packaging Boxes for E-Commerce Merchants
Carlton’s online retail brands are shipping all the time.
A custom mailer box is frequently the only real-world interaction a customer has with a brand, as there is no shop visit or face-to-face handover to rely on.
Printed inside and out, it helps protect the product across the courier network whilst making the unboxing itself a promotional opportunity. An appropriately fitted box also lowers the damage and returns that a poorly sized one can cause.
A unmarked brown outer will get the parcel where it needs to go, but it gives the customer nothing about who mailed it or why it looks the way it does.
Make an impact from the moment it arrives with Custom Pack Studio.
Token and presentation boxes
Bespoke gift boxes make a noticeable difference.
A sturdy box with an smooth closure, foil decoration on the lid, or a soft touch coating alters the way a product feels before it is even opened.
It is specifically the case for jewellery products, perfume, and boutique food brands, where the packaging is part of what the customer has paid for.
Foil stamping is the finish that does the most work on a shelf, catching the light in a way flat print never can, while soft-touch coating works more successfully once the box is actually in someone’s hands, as it feels premium the moment they handle it.
Embossing sits between the two, creating an impression that you can both feel and see, and it works especially well on jewellery and perfume boxes where the surface itself makes up part of the presentation.
Sleeves and wallets
Not every branding project calls for a total box rebuild.
A custom-printed sleeve slips over an existing tray or product and provides your branding without the need to revamp the whole pack, making it perfect for a limited promotional run or a holiday variant.
A wallet style box fits neatly around flatter products such as cards or cosmetics sets, while printed insert sheets stop loose items from sliding inside a larger box during transit.
Corrugated boxes and delivery boxes
A fold-away carton will not survive a prolonged delivery journey or a fragile item by itself.
Fluted board is created exactly for that use.
We produce corrugated cardboard boxes to bespoke pack sizes and print them in full-colour, so a Carlton brand sending nationwide gets protection and visual branding built into a single format, well beyond a plain double walled box with a sticker affixed on top.
Domains We Support Across Carlton
Carlton’s client mix covers beauty and skincare brands, jewellery makers, food producers, corporate offices and e-commerce companies.
Food and beverage businesses must meet the strictest requirements, as safety in contact with the product needs to take precedence over all additional considerations regarding the appearance of the box.
This is where our BRC Global Packaging certification at High Hygiene level really matters, whether you’re a small batch bakery or a wholesale supplier. It is the standard that supermarket buyers and independent retailers often want to see before they will list a new product.
Jewelry brands frequently get more value from their packaging investment than most other business sectors.
A stiff box with a custom-fitted insert is typically containing an item worth considerably more than the box itself, so the presentation must convey that importance.
Cosmetics and perfume brands make use of protective fitments and premium finishes for a very similar reason. The product itself is small, so the box does most of the selling on a shelf.
E commerce and recurring businesses need packaging solutions that gets to buyers through the courier network safely.
For a lot of online sellers, the parcel is frequently the only tangible contact a customer has with the brand.
There is no minimum order, every quantity welcomed
Most packaging suppliers will provide 50 boxes custom printed with your personal design.
You might regularly be requested to return only once you are prepared to commit to 500 or 1,000. For a Carlton business trialling a new product or trying a small batch before growing, that is a substantial commitment.
We do not set a minimum amount at all.
Order one sample to check the print quality, fifty carton boxes for a market stall, or several thousand once a retail listing proves demand. The method and pricing structure remain the same across every quantity.
Unit unit cost falls as quantity rises, as is typical throughout the industry.
Repeat orders use the same artwork and setup, so you are never charged twice for the design work.
We confirm the price and lead time in writing before production begins, so there is no difference between the quote and the invoice.
Assistance with design solutions on hand, no matter stage of your journey
You do not need an in house designer to order custom packaging from us.
If you have a logo and a rough idea of what you want, that is enough to get started. Our staff will set out the box structure, produce the print-ready artwork and send you a proof to approve before anything goes to press.
For a product that doesn’t fit an ready-made format, structural design is included in the price. It is not billed as an extra.
Files provided as a JPEG or screenshot are recreated to proper print specification.
Most artwork comes lacking the image resolution or bleed that a box actually requires.
Our team verifies colour accuracy, resolution and bleed against the press profile before anything enters production, ensuring the finished print corresponds to what you approved.
If you would prefer to go over the options before completing a specification, a design meeting is available.
You can also use our own online design tool if you would like to design the artwork yourself.
Sustainably sourced eco-friendly materials
Every package we produce is entirely recyclable and made from board certified by FSC and PEFC. This means it can be traced through an verified supply chain back to a well managed forest.
We are moving away from single use plastic and EPS foam across the range, replacing them with paper-based and biodegradable options wherever the format allows. These materials decompose appropriately at the end of their life in a way plastic and foam not.
If a reliable eco-friendly claim matters to you and your customers, we can help take you through the various ways your bespoke packaging can have an impact in reducing waste.
The Reasons Why Carlton Businesses Choose Custom Pack Studio to be These Packaging Provider
One plant beginning at inception through to conclusion
Every carton we create is cut, printed and completed under one roof at our Irvine factory.
The same group oversees standards at each stage, rather than the work moving between various subcontractors.
A colour that appears right on screen does not always come out exactly, and the person verifying it is the one using the press.
Faults are identified and fixed before a box arrives at dispatch, by the team that noticed the issue initially.
Board and ink supplies are also sourced from the identical suppliers again and again, so a shade that was a match for your initial proof will continue to match your fifth reorder two years on.
Bolstered by close to three decades in print and packing
The Custom Pack Studio was launched in 2025, yet the factory behind it has a much deeper history.
We are part of KennedySmith (Press) Ltd, a leading print and packaging manufacturer operating presses since 1997.
That history gives us strong relationships with board mills and material suppliers. It also means a team that has already tackled most of the issues a new packaging order can create.
It happens in subtle ways, such as knowing which board weight will survive a courier journey.
It is also the reason we can deal with a sensitive perfume box and a heavy duty shipping carton in the same week, with presses that have been working with both for many years.
Named point of contact during the transaction
You will be dealing with the very same person from your first enquiry right through to the last delivery.
There is transfer between the sales team and a separate production department.
They already know your specification, your due date and the request you made at the proofing stage, so there is no reason to repeat yourself at each stage.
If a material is on back order or a finish option needs reviewing, you will be told directly from the individual managing your job.
It also means you’re never having to go over your job from the beginning to a new person halfway through production.
You can ring, send an email to or text that person directly, without needing to go through a general enquiries inbox first.
The identical process no matter the quantity
A one sample and a five thousand unit reorder are subjected to the very same proofing and quality checks before either leaves the factory.
Nothing is rushed because the run is small, and nothing receives additional scrutiny because it is big.
A Carlton business trialling a new product is given the same level as one submitting a reorder for a national retail listing. The procedure remains the same, whatever order size.
That consistency matters far more than the saving made gained through a greater order, because a inconsistent run will cost more to fix than it would save in price per unit.
Whether it is fifty units for a market trial or a few thousand for a retail launch, the proofing sign off adheres to the same process each time.
Get a No-Cost Quote for Bespoke Packaging in Carlton
Kindly call 01294 314 919 or email contact@custompackstudio.co.uk. Tell us what you are packing, approximately how many units you require, and how the product is distributed or shipped. We will then issue a written quotation with no obligation to place an order.
Not quite to go ahead to a full purchase? Request for a physical sample first, at no cost. You will notice exactly how the colour appears in natural light and how the soft touch finish feels when held in your hand, instead of relying on a screen.
Design support is always available whenever you need it, there is no minimum order to meet, and every box is made to suit your product, rather than drawn from a shelf of templates.
We produce every item in house and deliver to Carlton and areas across the UK from our own factory in Irvine. Explore our entire range of packaging products or speak to the team straight away to begin.
