Custom shipping tubes
Spiral-wound kraft paperboard200 minimum · 10 to 12 business daysA shipping tube is a spiral-wound kraft paperboard cylinder built to protect a rolled poster, print, blueprint or garment in transit. We produce them from 200 units in 2, 3 and 4 inch diameters, with metal or paperboard end caps, ready in about 10 to 12 business days after proof.
When to choose it, and when not to
Choose a shipping tube when what you're sending is rolled, not folded: posters, art prints, blueprints, canvases, rolled apparel like scarves. The rigid barrel keeps the roll from crushing or creasing the way a flat mailer will.
Choose a flat mailer or a rigid mailer instead when the product can lie flat without damage. A tube costs more to freight per unit than a flat mailer of the same weight, since it can't nest or palletize as densely.
Specifications
| Barrel | Spiral-wound kraft paperboard, 0.06 to 0.08 in wall |
|---|---|
| End caps | Crimped metal or glued paperboard plug, your choice per end |
| Offset CMYK on a paper label wrap, or flexo direct to the barrel for larger runs | |
| Diameters | 2, 3 or 4 inches inside diameter |
| Lengths | Cut to your rolled item, 12 to 48 inches is the common range |
| Minimum | 200 units |
| Lead time | 10 to 12 business days after proof |
| Prototype | On request; timing confirmed in your quote |
| Ships | As rigid tubes, in bundles of 10 to 25 depending on diameter: a tube cannot be shipped flat |
| Sizes we run | 2 x 18 in 3 x 24 in 3 x 36 in 4 x 40 in made to your rolled item, any length from 12 to 48 in |
Materials that suit it
Questions people ask
Can the tube be crushed in a mail sorting facility?
A 3 or 4 inch diameter tube at our standard 0.07 inch wall holds up to normal parcel sorting and stacking. For high-value art or anything irreplaceable, we recommend the 4 inch diameter and a metal end cap, which resists crushing better than a glued paperboard plug.
Do you print directly on the tube or use a label?
Both. A paper label wrapped and glued around the barrel is the standard for runs under 1,000 units, since it prints separately and doesn't require custom tooling. For larger runs we can flexo-print directly onto the kraft barrel before it's spiral-wound, which removes the label seam.
What end cap should I choose?
Metal ends crimp on and hold up best in transit. That's what we'd send art or anything fragile in. Paperboard plug ends are lighter, cheaper, and look more premium for retail or gifting use where the tube won't go through a parcel network.
Can a tube ship flat to save on freight?
No. A spiral-wound tube is a rigid cylinder by construction and can't be collapsed. If flat-pack shipping matters for your budget, a rigid mailer or a reinforced flat mailer is worth comparing instead, even though it protects a rolled item less completely.
What's the smallest and largest diameter you run?
2 inches is our smallest standard diameter, sized for small prints or single rolled garments. 4 inches is our largest standard; anything wider is a custom quote since it changes the spiral-winding tooling.
Is the tube water resistant?
The kraft barrel itself is not waterproof, but we can add a moisture-barrier laminate or a poly liner inside for an extra cost. That's worth it for anything shipping through humid regions or over an extended transit time.
How are custom shipping tubes different from a paper tube with lid?
Shipping tubes are long spiral-wound kraft barrels, 2, 3 or 4 inch inside diameter and usually 12 to 48 inches long, with crimped metal or paperboard plug end caps, built to protect rolled prints and drawings in the mail, from 200 units in 10 to 12 business days after proof. The paper tube with lid is a retail tube with a slip-on cap and a printed wrap, 1 to 5 inches across, from 200 units in 10 to 14 business days. Rolled items in transit need the shipping tube.
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Ready to price your custom shipping tubes?
Send the size and quantity for a quote and a dieline, usually within one business day. Your digital proof follows, usually within one business day of your artwork. Design help and the Swatch Book of materials are free.