Custom Printed Pizza Boxes in E and B Flute Corrugated

How is a standard pizza box made?

It starts as one flat sheet of corrugated board, cut and creased in a single shape. The base, walls and lid all come from that sheet, so there is no glue to set.

Folded up, the side walls are doubled over and locked with tabs. The lid swings down and its front flap tucks inside the front wall. Our photos show this in kraft, in white and with a black outer face.

A small half-moon notch at the front lets the customer lift the lid with a thumb. Round holes in the side walls let steam out.

Because it ships flat, a hundred boxes take up little more room than a stack of trays. That matters in a small kitchen with no stock room.

Should you choose E flute or B flute?

Flute is the wavy layer inside corrugated board. It sets how thick and stiff the box is, and how well it holds heat.

E flute is about 1.5 mm thick. It folds neatly and suits pizzas up to about 12 inches. B flute is about 3 mm thick and keeps large boxes flat when they are carried or stacked.

If you sell both small and large pizzas, you can mix flutes on one order. Each size gets the board that suits it.

What size pizza box do you need?

Pizza sizes are sold in inches, but boxes are made in millimetres. The inside of the box should be a little wider than the pizza so the crust does not touch the walls.

A 12 inch pizza is about 305 mm across, so its box is often about 310 mm inside. Deep pan pizzas need more height than thin bases. Our pizza box sizes guide in inches and mm covers this in full.

The table above lists common sizes we make. Send us your dough sizes and we match each box to them.

Write your sizes down in both units when you ask for a quote. It avoids confusion between a 12 inch box and a box for a 12 inch pizza.

Who orders plain pizza boxes?

Independent pizzerias, kebab and pizza shops, pubs with a wood-fired oven and mobile pizza vans all use them. Many start with plain kraft and add print later.

Plain boxes still work hard. A sticker or stamp on the lid adds your name for very little effort, and the kraft board looks honest and simple.

Frozen and part-baked pizzas sold from a deli counter go in the same box. The customer bakes at home and reuses the box to serve.

• Pizza takeaways selling three or four sizes
• Pubs and bars with a pizza menu
• Pizza vans at markets, festivals and weddings
• Cafés selling flatbread or frozen pizzas to take home

How do vents stop a soggy base?

A hot pizza gives off a lot of steam. Trapped in a closed box, it condenses on the lid and drips back onto the toppings, and the base softens.

Side vent holes let some of that steam out before it settles. They keep the pizza warm but stop the crust going limp on a long delivery run.

Oil is a separate issue. A grease-resistant lining or coating on request keeps cheese oil from soaking the base, and a loose pizza box liner under the base helps too.

Vents work best on the side walls rather than the lid. Holes in the lid let heat out too fast and can catch toppings.

Can a plain pizza box carry your brand?

Yes. Print runs from one colour on kraft up to full colour CMYK on white, with inside lid print available.

If you want the lid to do the selling, see our separate page on custom printed pizza box designs. It covers artwork choices, flood colours and inside print in more depth.

A black outer face, like the one in our photos, also stands out on its own. It works well with a single white or gold logo.

Kraft, white or black: which outside suits your shop?

The outer face changes how the box looks on a counter more than any other choice. It also changes how your print looks.

Kraft is the familiar brown pizza box. It hides small oil marks and suits one or two dark inks. White gives brighter colours and a cleaner look, which our page on white pizza boxes for a clean finish explores. A black outer face feels more premium and needs a light ink for the logo.

Inside, most boxes stay plain brown whatever the outside colour. Inside print is available if you want the lid lining to carry a message.

How to fold and stack pizza boxes at the make line

Speed at the oven depends on boxes being ready before the first order. These steps keep a rush under control.

Run a test on a busy night before you order large numbers of a new size. Real orders show problems faster than measurements alone.

1. Fold boxes for the first hour before opening and stack them by size.
2. Keep each size in its own pile, labelled, close to the oven.
3. Slide the pizza in from the front, then cut it inside the box.
4. Close the lid and tuck the flap in fully so it does not spring open.
5. Stack no more than five or six boxes high in a delivery bag.

Which pizza box mistakes cost the most?

The expensive errors are usually about size and board. They are hard to fix once a full order has arrived.

Watch storage as well. Corrugated board left near a sink or a dishwasher absorbs damp and loses stiffness.

• Ordering boxes the same size as the pizza, so the crust gets crushed
• Using E flute for 16 inch boxes that sag when lifted
• Leaving out vents, then seeing soggy bases on delivery
• Ordering one depth for thin and deep pan pizzas

How do you order pizza boxes from us?

Tell us your pizza sizes, the flute you prefer and whether you want plain or printed lids. Our pizza box quote form takes a few minutes, and prices start from £0.25 per unit, confirmed in writing.

Printed orders get a free proof first, with free layout help if you need it. After approval, production takes 4–6 business days, then free tracked UK delivery takes 2–3 business days.

Quantities are quoted per order. Photograph any misprint or damage and tell us within 10 days for a reprint or refund.