Match Boxes.

The drawer should stay shut in a pocket yet slide open under one thumb. A loose drawer spills matches and a tight one jams, so drawer friction is something we tune on purpose.

We cut the drawer a fraction under the sleeve's inside dimension and check the slide on a physical sample before production. Board caliper matters here too, since a heavier sleeve closes up the gap.

The striker is a separate abrasive strip applied after printing, usually along one or both long sides of the sleeve. Because it goes on last, your artwork should leave those side panels clear of fine type and logos.

With safety matches the head lights only on that strip, so its placement is part of how the box works. We check strikers for wear over repeated strikes and in damp conditions before a run is released.

Beyond the pocket box we make kitchen drawers, long-match boxes for hearths and candles, hospitality matchbooks and gift presentation builds. All of them share the same sleeve-and-drawer logic except the matchbook, which folds a printed cover over a comb of paper matches.

Long-match boxes need a stiffer drawer because the span is longer. Candle brands often order them as a matching accessory for their own range.

Full-colour CMYK or Pantone print wraps all four sleeve panels, and foil, embossing or spot UV can pick out a logo on the face. Matchboxes have long been an illustrator's format, and a detailed drawing reads well even at this scale.

Hotels, bars and restaurants hand them out because guests keep them, so the design tends to live on a shelf for years. Keep the strike panels plain and leave space for the safety wording that has to appear.

The standard pocket matchbox is about 2.2 × 1.4 × 0.5 in, with kitchen and presentation sizes built larger. We start from match length, since the drawer's inside length has to clear the head and the stick with a little room at each end.

Tell us the match length and how many you want in each box, and we will draw the drawer and sleeve around them. That dieline costs you nothing.

Printed matchboxes have a 500-piece minimum. That keeps a short run for one hotel or a new restaurant realistic, and the ceiling sits at 100,000 pieces for chain-wide orders.

For a venue giveaway we would order enough to cover the first few months, because matchboxes that are handed out freely go faster than people plan for.

Plan on 7 to 10 business days from artwork approval to finished boxes. When an opening date is close, rush production can do it in 5 to 7 business days.

A sample is worth seeing for this format, because drawer slide and striker placement only really show in the hand. Samples are ready in 5 to 7 business days, and the fee comes off your production order when you go ahead.

Most matchboxes are SBS paperboard or kraft board, both recyclable, with rigid board saved for presentation boxes. Kraft suits a heritage or craft look, and SBS gives cleaner colour for detailed illustration.

Matches are combustible, so cartons of finished boxes move under dangerous goods provisions and carrier limits. We pack the retail boxes tightly into outers and leave room on the panel for whatever handling marks your carrier specifies.