Custom Chip Boxes.

A chip box carries a deeper meal portion and its coating is specified against vinegar as well as oil. Fries only need a hot-oil barrier. Thick-cut chips get doused in vinegar, and the acid attacks the board fibre rather than simply soaking in, so a grease-only coating starts to fail at the base within minutes.

We also cut the box deeper and on a heavier caliper because a loaded portion gets carried, and the open top has to work harder because thicker chips give off more steam for longer.

An open top is deliberate, because any enclosure traps steam and turns thick chips soft. Fried potato keeps venting for a good while after it leaves the fryer, and a lid holds that moisture against the surface. The box is built for eat-now service at the counter.

We do not offer a lidded chip box for that reason. If your operation needs a closed carry-home format, a vented clamshell is the better fit and we can quote one alongside.

We use an acid-resistant coating that is rated against vinegar and oil together, and it is PFAS-free. Clay-coated board is the usual base, with the sealed surface handling grease and moisture and giving a clean print face. Kraft is the other option and hides vinegar marks well.

Grease-only barriers are not something we put on this format. They hold oil but let the acid in, and the box goes limp in the hand.

Yes, the newsprint effect is still the most popular finish in this category and we print it as standard artwork. It references the old paper-wrapped chip shop look and sits well on white or kraft board. Flexo in one or two colours covers a logo and simple graphics at the lowest cost, and full CMYK suits branded chains.

Whatever you choose, we run grease-tolerant ink so the print stays legible once oil and vinegar reach the surface.

Most operators land on 4 x 3 x 5 inches for a standard portion or 5 x 4 x 6 inches for a large. Dimensions are quoted as width by depth by height in inches, measured on the outside of the erected box. The depth matters more here than on a fry box because the portion is meal-sized.

Send us your portion weight and we will confirm which of the two fits, or cut a size between them.

The minimum run is 500 boxes. That covers a single size and one print design, and pricing steps down once you pass 1,000. Runs go up to 100,000 on the same tooling.

If you want two sizes, each one is its own 500 because the cutting die changes.

Standard production runs 7 to 10 business days from artwork approval, with a rush option at 5 to 7 business days. A printed sample takes 5 to 7 business days and we would suggest one, because the coating needs to be tried against your own chips and vinegar rather than judged on a spec sheet.

The fee for the sample comes off the invoice when the production order is placed.

The board is fibre-based and the coating is PFAS-free, so a lightly soiled chip box goes in paper recycling and a heavily soaked one is better composted. Where we run a certified compostable stock we print the disposal mark on the panel so the customer knows where it goes.

Ask for the stock certificate before you print a compostability claim. We only mark boxes where the material actually carries one.