Ordering Corporate Gift Boxes: Timings, Artwork and Delivery

How long does a corporate gift box order take?

Add up four stages: the quote, the proof, production and delivery. Only one of them depends on you, and that is the proof sign-off.

The quote arrives within one working day. Production starts once you approve the proof and takes 4–6 working days for folding card or 8–10 for rigid. Free tracked delivery to a UK mainland address then takes 2–3 working days.

The table below adds those stages together. The proof row is an estimate, because it depends on how quickly your team replies.

Working days are Monday to Friday, so a 15 working day plan is three calendar weeks, longer over a bank holiday.

How do I plan backwards from an event date?

Start with the day the gifts must be in someone's hands, not the day the boxes arrive. Then count back through each step, adding a little buffer at every stage you do not control.

Busy gifting periods fill up fast for everyone involved, from your packers to your couriers. The earlier your brief arrives, the more room each stage has.

1. Write down the hand-out date, for example a client dinner or the first day of a new starter group.
2. Take off the days your team needs to pack the gifts into the boxes. For a few hundred gifts, allow at least two working days.
3. Take off 2–3 working days for delivery, plus one day of buffer.
4. Take off production: 4–6 working days for folding card or 8–10 for rigid.
5. Take off proof time, based on how many people need to approve the artwork.
6. Take off one working day for the quote. The date you are left with is the latest day to send your brief.

If that date has already passed, a folding card style can save four working days against rigid. Our corporate gift boxes page shows both builds.

What should go in the brief?

A clear brief gets an accurate quote first time. Missing details mean a second round of emails, which eats into the timeline before anything has started.

• The contents of the gift, with each item measured in millimetres
• The inside size you need, or the items and a request to size it for you
• Quantity, and whether you may need a top-up run later
• Style: rigid magnetic, lid and base, presentation box or folding card
• Print, Pantone colours, inside print and any foil or spot UV
• Extras: inserts, ribbon pulls, belly bands, tissue
• Delivery address or addresses, and the date you need them by

If you are unsure on sizes, our guide to measuring a gift box in millimetres walks through it step by step.

Which artwork files print cleanly?

Send your logo as a vector file: PDF, SVG, AI or EPS. Vector artwork stays sharp at any size and can be used for foil, emboss or spot UV, which need clean outlines.

A logo pasted into a document or taken from a website is usually too small and blurs when printed on a lid. If that is all you have, ask your brand or marketing team for the master files before you request a quote.

For brand colours, give Pantone references if you have them. Pantone matching is available on request, and it keeps your colour close to the one on your stationery and signage.

Any message, team name or date should be sent as typed text in an email, not inside an image. The designer can then set it in your brand font, and nobody has to retype it from a screenshot.

How does the free proof and sign-off work?

Once you go ahead, a designer places your artwork on the flat layout of the box and sends a free proof. It shows every panel, fold and finish area, along with the inside size.

Request changes as often as you need. Nothing is printed until you approve, and production time only starts from that approval.

In a company, the delay is usually internal. Agree before the proof arrives who has the final say, and send the proof to one person who gathers comments. Three people replying separately often means three rounds instead of one.

Check the proof against a short list: logo the right way up on the lid, colours named correctly, spelling of any message, and the inside size. Those four checks catch most problems before they reach print.

Which box styles suit corporate gifts?

For a client gift or a senior thank-you, rigid styles are the usual choice. A magnetic lid box suits a desk gift or a drinks set, and the box often stays on the desk afterwards.

For awards, sample kits and launch packs, a presentation box with a shaped insert keeps every piece in its place. See the options on our presentation boxes for awards and kits page.

For staff welcome kits and large events, folding card is quicker to make and arrives flat, so it takes up far less space in the office before packing day. Our starting price of £0.25 a box is for folding card; rigid styles are quoted higher on your quote.

What about food and drink hampers?

Food and drink gifts are heavier and more awkward than most. Bottles need a deep box and an insert or divider that stops them knocking against jars.

Measure every item, including the tallest bottle with its cap. Decide whether bottles stand up or lie down, as that changes the box completely. Corrugated board is an option for larger hampers that carry real weight.

Our hamper gift boxes page lists common starting sizes for small to deep hampers.

How does delivery work for a corporate order?

Your boxes travel free and tracked once they are ready, reaching UK mainland addresses in 2–3 working days. Folding card styles arrive flat; rigid styles arrive made up.

Rigid boxes take a lot of room. A few hundred made-up boxes can fill a meeting room, so check where they will be stored and who will sign for them.

If boxes need to go to more than one address, or to an address off the UK mainland, say so in the brief so it is covered on your quote. Full details are on our gift box delivery information page.

What if something arrives damaged or misprinted?

Open and check a sample from each carton on the day the boxes arrive, not on packing day. That leaves time to act if anything is wrong.

Count the cartons against the delivery note, then open one box from each carton and check the print, the size and the finish. Photograph anything that looks wrong straight away.

Misprints or damage reported within 10 days with photos are reprinted or refunded. A reprint goes through production again, so build that possibility into your plan when the deadline is close.

The full terms are set out on our reprints and refunds page.

How do I get a quote for a corporate order?

Send your brief through the corporate gift box quote form. Minimums are low and quoted per job, so a small team gift and a large client run are both welcome.

If you want to talk it through first, call or WhatsApp +44 7578 382054 or email info@thegiftboxes.co.uk. We are open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5.30 pm UK time.

If your logo is ready, you can also try it on a box straight away before you send the brief.