Tab Lock Mailer Boxes.

The fit between tab and slot is the entire difference between a good tab lock and a poor one. Cut the tab undersized and it rattles loose in handling. Cut it oversized and the packer has to force it, which tears the slot and leaves a closure that won't hold a second time.

We cut the slots on precision dies matched to the board caliper, since E-flute and B-flute need different allowances.

Yes, the tabs push back out of their slots, so the box comes through opening intact. Nothing gets torn and there's no tape to cut, which means the same mailer can go back for a return or get used for storage. Customers do notice when a box still works after it's been opened.

A small printed line inside suggesting a second use is a cheap way to encourage it.

A properly sized tab lock holds through conveyors, sorting and normal drops on its own. The tabs give a positive mechanical lock, which is more secure than a tuck that relies on flap tension alone. For heavier contents we move to B-flute or the double-wall option.

Before you commit to a spec, send your heaviest order through your own carrier in a sample box and see how it arrives.

Slightly, because each tab has to be lined up with its slot before it's pressed home. On a hand-pack bench that's a few seconds per box compared with a plain tuck. What you get back is a lid that doesn't pop open when the contents shift.

Automated erectors and sealers are a separate question, so check the closure geometry with your equipment supplier before planning a machine line around this style.

Fit samples take 5 to 7 business days, and full production follows in 7 to 10 business days after you approve. We have the sample closed by someone who didn't design the die, because a designer knows the fold and a packer on day one doesn't. If fresh hands struggle, the tolerance changes before the run.

If you're short on time, a rush run takes 5 to 7 business days. Whatever the fit sample costs is credited against the tab lock run.

Flexo on kraft or white liner covers most branding, and litho-laminated board is there when you want photographic print. A tab lock gets opened and often reused, so the inside is seen more than once and interior print tends to pay off on this style. Matte or gloss lamination and a water-resistant coating are both available.

Keep fine text away from the tab and slot area, where scuffing from repeated closing shows first.

Our common tab-lock sizes are 7 × 5 × 2 in and 10 × 7 × 3 in, both quoted as inside dimensions. The format suits small to mid-size e-commerce goods. Each die is custom, so we size to your product plus whatever insert or padding goes in with it.

A snug fit helps the lock as well. Loose contents push against the lid and strain the tabs in transit.

We start tab lock runs at 500 pieces, the same as the rest of our mailer range. The slot die is custom to your size, so reorders on the same dimensions skip that setup. One order can go as high as 100,000 boxes.

If you ship several product sizes, it's often cheaper to cover them with two box sizes and an insert than to run a separate die for each.