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Barton Jones Packaging Ltd

Bespoke packaging

Bespoke packaging and custom cardboard boxes, made in Hertfordshire

Bespoke packaging, custom boxes and custom corrugated packaging manufactured in-house at our Letchworth factory, from one-off samples and short production runs to large-format and heavy-duty boxes up to 2.8 metres wide.

With multiple box-making machines, design and sampling capability and our own production team, we control the process from the first idea through to the finished box. Browse our packaging product range, see the services that sit alongside manufacturing, or use Packassist to narrow down a box style.

Request a QuoteArrange a Manufacturing Visit

Buying guide

How much does bespoke packaging cost?

The six things that move a bespoke quote, why a made to measure box is often cheaper delivered than a stock box plus void fill, and what to send us for a comparable price.

Read the cost guide

Manufactured in Letchworth

We have manufactured corrugated packaging in Letchworth since 2019

Today, our in-house manufacturing operation allows us to produce everything from straightforward made-to-measure cartons to oversized industrial packaging, heavy-duty boxes and more complex bespoke designs.

Manufacturing ourselves gives us control over size, specification, quantity and lead time, without relying entirely on an external converter to tell us what is possible.

Made to your dimensions

Boxes manufactured around the product rather than forcing your product into the nearest stock size.

Short runs to production volumes

From prototypes and small bespoke quantities through to regular production requirements.

Large-format capability

Oversized corrugated boxes manufactured up to 2.8 metres wide for products that simply do not fit a conventional box.

No tooling on many case-maker styles

A wide range of standard case styles can be manufactured without a cutting forme, making bespoke and shorter production runs commercially viable.

Manufacturing

See our manufacturing in action

See inside our Letchworth manufacturing facility and how we turn flat corrugated board into bespoke packaging ready for our customers.

Want to see it for yourself?

Customers and prospective customers are welcome to visit us, meet the team and see our manufacturing and warehousing operation in person.

Arrange a Manufacturing Visit

The capability

From a small bespoke box to a 2.8 metre case

Not every packaging requirement belongs on the same machine.

Running multiple box-making machines gives us the flexibility to match the production method to the job, whether that means a quick sample, a small quantity of made-to-measure boxes, a regular production run or an unusually large industrial case.

What we can manufactureStandard boxes, large format, heavy duty, die-cut and printed boxes.

Standard corrugated boxes

Regular slotted boxes and other common FEFCO-style boxes made to the dimensions your product actually requires.

Single and double wall grades can be specified according to product weight, stacking, handling and transport conditions.

Large-format packaging

Our large-format capability allows us to manufacture corrugated boxes up to 2.8 metres wide.

Where a conventional stock box would require joining, double boxing or excessive void fill, we can often design a single purpose-made pack around the product.

Particularly suited to

  • Engineering components
  • Machinery and equipment
  • Furniture and interiors
  • Automotive parts
  • Large framed artwork
  • Doors, panels and long products
  • Awkward or oversized manufactured goods

Heavy-duty corrugated

For dense, heavy or vulnerable products we can specify double and triple wall materials designed to provide significantly greater compression and transit protection.

Used correctly, heavy-duty corrugated can provide an alternative to more complicated timber-based packaging on suitable applications while remaining easier to handle, store and recycle.

Die-cut packaging

For packaging that requires more than a conventional case, we can design and manufacture die-cut styles including fitted packs, trays, divisions and more complex structural designs.

Printed boxes

Branding, product information and handling instructions can be incorporated into your packaging using the print process most appropriate to the job, including flexographic, digital and lithographic options.

Designed around the product

We don’t start with the box

We start with what has to go inside it.

Product dimensions are only part of the specification. Weight, fragility, stacking, storage, handling, transport method and the way your team actually packs the product all influence what the finished packaging should be.

That is why our process can include:

  1. Step 1

    Product review

    We look at the product, existing packaging and how it moves through your operation and supply chain.

  2. Step 2

    Packaging design

    We select an appropriate box style, dimensions, board grade and internal protection.

  3. Step 3

    CAD sample

    Where appropriate, we manufacture a physical sample so you can test the fit and performance with the real product before committing to a production run.

  4. Step 4

    Approval

    Dimensions, specification and any artwork are agreed before production.

  5. Step 5

    Manufacture

    The approved packaging is produced on the most appropriate equipment in our Letchworth manufacturing facility.

  6. Step 6

    Finish and assembly

    Boxes can be printed, stitched, glued and, where required, assembled with inserts or other packaging components.

  7. Step 7

    Stock or delivery

    Finished packaging can be delivered to you or held within our warehouse for scheduled call-off.

Why manufacture with us?

In-house manufacturing with direct control over lead times and specifications

We control the production schedule

Because we manufacture in-house, we are not simply placing your order with another box manufacturer and waiting for their production slot.

That gives us greater control over urgent jobs, samples, short runs and repeat requirements.

Same-day manufacturing may be available on suitable case-maker products where the required board is held in stock. Tell us the deadline and we will tell you what is realistically achievable.

Several machines, not one production route

Different jobs need different production methods.

Our manufacturing capacity allows us to run different sizes and styles across our equipment rather than trying to force every requirement through a single machine.

Bespoke does not have to mean huge quantities

For many applications we can manufacture relatively small quantities economically, particularly where the design can be produced without dedicated tooling.

If a different quantity would materially reduce the unit cost, we will show you.

Manufacturing and merchant supply together

A bespoke box rarely represents everything a customer needs.

Alongside the packaging we manufacture, Barton Jones can supply your tape, film, void fill, foam, protective packaging, pallet materials and other consumables.

One supplier. Fewer purchase orders. Fewer deliveries.

Large format

Packaging for products ordinary boxes cannot handle

Large products often create unnecessary packaging problems.

Two boxes are joined together. Timber is added because the carton is not strong enough. Excessive void fill is used because the nearest stock size is too large. Packing becomes slow and inconsistent.

Our large-format manufacturing capability gives us another option.

By designing the pack around the actual product, we can consider:

  • A single correctly sized outer case

  • Heavy-duty double or triple wall board

  • Integrated or separate corrugated fittings

  • Foam protection where required

  • Reinforced areas

  • Pallet-compatible designs

  • Stitching for demanding applications

  • Packs designed around the way the product is actually loaded

The objective is not simply to manufacture a bigger box. It is to create a more practical packaging system.

Explore heavy-duty & large-format packaging

More than manufacturing

We can finish the job as well

Manufacturing the box can be only one stage of the process.

Our wider operation allows us to combine the manufactured packaging with the other components your team needs.

Assembly & kitting

We can erect packs, fit inserts and combine multiple packaging components into a single ready-to-use item.

Instead of your production team collecting a box, foam set and fittings from three different locations, we can deliver a completed pack ready for the product to be placed inside.

Stock holding & call-off

If lack of space is a problem, regular packaging lines can be manufactured in economic quantities and held at our Letchworth warehouses.

You then call off stock according to your production requirement.

This can provide the cost benefit of a larger manufacturing run without requiring you to find space for the entire quantity.

Own delivery

Packaging can be delivered on our own vehicles across Hertfordshire and surrounding areas, with national supply available for requirements further afield.

Come and see us

Bring us your packaging problem

Sometimes the easiest way to understand what we can do is to see it.

Customers and prospective customers are welcome to visit our Letchworth facility, meet our manufacturing and packaging teams and see the machinery in operation.

Bring a current box, drawing, product or packaging problem with you.

We can review how it is currently packed, discuss alternative constructions and show you the manufacturing processes available.

A visit can also include our warehouse and stockholding operation, so you can see how manufactured packaging, packaging consumables and scheduled call-off supply can work together.

Visit our Letchworth facility

Arrange a Manufacturing Visit

Prefer us to visit you?

Our external account managers can come to your site, see the product and packing process in its real environment and carry out a packaging review with your team.

Book a Free Packaging Review

Quality and traceability

Manufacturing backed by an audited supply operation

Our manufacturing is supported by the systems and accreditations expected by customers operating in controlled supply chains.

FSC® certified

FSC® certification under licence C214479 supports responsible sourcing requirements for eligible paper-based products.

BRCGS Storage & Distribution

Our storage and distribution operation is certificated to BRCGS Storage & Distribution, supporting customers where traceability, hygiene and controlled handling are important.

Environmental responsibility

We continually review materials, manufacturing, energy use, transport and waste with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of both our own operation and the packaging solutions we supply.

View Our AccreditationsEnvironmental Policy

Who we manufacture for

Built around real-world packaging problems

Our corrugated manufacturing capability is used across a wide range of industries, including:

Industries we manufacture forSeven sectors, each with its own packaging page.
Explore industries

Get an instant estimate

Box quote calculator

Enter your internal dimensions, pick a box style and board grade, and send the specification straight to our sales team for a real quote. Every request is handled by a real person — no automated pricing, no commitment.

Box quote calculator

Enter the internal size you need and how many, and we will price it. Sizes are internal dimensions in millimetres. Every request is quoted by a real person, so you get the right board grade and a proper price rather than a guess.

1. Your box

Box style (FEFCO)

Select a style to see it larger. Not sure? Pick the last tile and we will advise.

Selected: Regular slotted case (RSC) (FEFCO 0201)

Your specification

Internal size
Enter sizes
Internal volume
-
Board area per box
-

Board area is an indication only, calculated for your chosen style (FEFCO 0201). Send the request and our sales team will confirm the spec and price, normally within one working day.

2. Do you use any other packaging items?

We stock the lot, so most customers consolidate and buy everything from us. Tick anything you buy elsewhere and we will price that too.

3. Where we send the quote

Your request goes straight to our sales team and opens in your email app, so you keep a copy. Prefer to talk? Call 01462 680888.

Common questions

Bespoke packaging questions we get asked

What is bespoke packaging?
Bespoke packaging — also called custom packaging — is made to measure for one specific product rather than bought off the shelf. The board grade, internal dimensions, box style and any fitments are chosen for what is going inside, so the product is protected without relying on void fill to take up the spare space.
Is custom packaging the same as bespoke packaging?
Yes. 'Custom packaging', 'custom boxes' and 'bespoke packaging' all mean the same thing: a box made to your product's exact dimensions rather than a stock size. The terms are used interchangeably across the packaging industry, and all three describe what we manufacture in Letchworth.
Do you manufacture bespoke boxes yourselves?
Yes. We manufacture on our own box-making machines at our Letchworth site in Hertfordshire, with design and sampling in-house, so the same team handles the first idea, the sample and the production run.
Can I get a sample before placing a production order?
Yes. Where appropriate we produce a physical sample from your brief, drawing or existing box so you can pack your product and test it before committing to a production quantity.
How much does bespoke packaging cost?
There is no single price. Cost is driven by board grade, box size, box style, print, any tooling and the run length. A made to measure box is often cheaper delivered than a stock box plus void fill, because you stop paying to ship and store fresh air.
What is the largest bespoke box you can make?
We manufacture large-format and heavy-duty corrugated boxes up to 2.8 metres wide, which covers most oversized, long and awkward products that standard stock ranges cannot handle.
Is bespoke corrugated packaging recyclable?
Our corrugated packaging is made from approximately 70% recycled material and is 100% recyclable through a single recycling stream. We hold FSC certification under licence C214479 and are BRCGS certificated.
Read the cost guideMore FAQs

Explore more

Related pages

Case study

Aston Microphones: sustainable packaging redesign

A bespoke design example: we replaced Aston Microphones' polyethylene foam insert with a precision corrugated fitment, cutting packaging storage by around 80% and unit packaging cost by around 50%.

Read the case study

The next step

Give us one packaging line to look at

You do not have to move your entire packaging supply to Barton Jones to see what we can do.

Send us one existing box, drawing or product specification.

We will review it, advise how we would manufacture it and provide a quotation. Where appropriate, we can also produce a physical sample for you to test before you commit to a production order.

Or arrange a visit to Letchworth and see our manufacturing operation for yourself.

Request a QuoteArrange a Manufacturing VisitBook a Free Packaging Review

No obligation. Send us a box, drawing or product to review.