How do I make a box net to a specific size?

Choose the box type and enter the inner dimensions (width, depth, height) in mm so your item fits, and the net for those dimensions is drawn immediately. The paper thickness is added automatically, so just press “Print at actual size” and print at 100% scale to assemble a box with the inner dimensions you specified.

How many mm larger should the lid be than the base?

Make the lid’s inner size “base inner size + paper thickness × 2 + gap”. The base has paper thickness on both sides of its outside, so add that (0.5mm for 0.25mm Kent paper) plus a 1mm gap, which makes the lid roughly 1.5mm larger on the inside. In this tool, choosing the paper and gap calculates the lid size automatically and shows “X mm larger than the base’s inner size”.

How do I decide the dimensions of a tuck box net?

The front and back faces are width × height, the side faces are depth × height, and the top and bottom lids are width × depth, each with the paper thickness added. A tuck of about 60% of the depth and a glue tab of around 10mm are easy to work with. For 100 business cards, about 57×22×93mm inside is a good guide; for one deck of playing cards, about 65×20×91mm.

What is the largest box I can make from one sheet of A4?

As a cube with 0.25mm paper and a 10mm glue tab, the largest that fits on one A4 sheet is about 49mm per side for a tuck box, about 59mm for a lid box (shallow lid, base and lid laid side by side on one sheet), and about 48mm for a drawer box (tray and sleeve). On A3 you can make a tuck box up to about 78mm. The “Max size by paper” tab also shows the largest size when you scale up the current shape.

How do I make a trading card deck case from paper?

For about 50 sleeved cards (around 66×92mm), a tuck box with inner dimensions of 70mm wide, 32mm deep and 96mm high is a good guide. Choose “50 trading cards (sleeved)” from “Pick from common sizes” to enter it. If you have more cards, increase the depth. It fits on one sheet of A4, and thicker Kent paper or drawing paper makes it sturdier.

How do I make a pillow box net?

Place two faces of equal size (front and back) side by side, cut the top and bottom edges with curves that bulge outward, and fold along curves that bulge inward. The depth of the curve becomes the thickness at the middle. In this tool, enter the width, length and thickness and the curve radius is calculated and drawn for you. Print it, cut it out, score the curves and push them in to close.

How much larger should the outer box of a drawer box (matchbox) be?

Make the inner size of the sleeve (outer box) the tray’s outer size (inner size + paper thickness) plus the gap. With 0.25mm paper and a 1mm gap, it comes out 1.5mm larger in width and 1.25mm larger in height than the tray’s inner size. In this tool, enter the tray’s inner size and the sleeve’s inner size is calculated automatically, with both nets laid out together.

The net prints smaller than it should

It shrinks if “Fit to page” or “Shrink to fit” is selected in the print dialog. Set the scale to “100%” or “Actual size” and print again. After printing, measure the face dimensions (the numbers written on the drawing) with a ruler to check that it is at actual size.

Box Template Maker | Print Custom-Size Nets (Tuck Box, Lid Box, Pillow Box, Drawer Box), Paper Thickness and Lid Gap Auto-Calculated, Largest Size on A4

Box Template Maker is a free tool that draws a net for the box you want and prints it at actual size, just from the inner dimensions (width, depth, height) in mm. It supports four types: the tuck box (tuck-in flaps at both ends), the lid box (a slightly larger lid that fits over the base), the pillow box (curved ends pushed in to close), and the drawer box (a matchbox-style tray that slides into a sleeve). Because each fold makes the inside narrower by the paper thickness, the thickness of copy paper, drawing paper, Kent paper, craft board and so on is added to each face, the lid is automatically sized as “base outer size + gap”, and the drawer sleeve as “tray outer size + gap”. Solid black lines are cut lines, dotted lines are fold lines and gray areas are glue tabs, and you can print each face with its name and dimensions. It automatically checks whether the net fits on A4, A3, B5, B4, a postcard or Letter, and in which orientation, and when it does not fit it shows the largest size you can make in the same shape. You also get a table of the largest size and largest cube per paper size, common presets such as business cards, playing cards, trading cards, chocolate bars, accessories, L-size photos and matchboxes, SVG export, and a shareable URL with the dimensions.

Box type

Pick from common sizes

Inner size that fits your item

WidthmmDepthmmHeightmm

The tuck-in lids are attached in the height direction (top and bottom). For cards, a good guide is “width = short side of the card + 2mm, height = long side + 2mm, depth = thickness of the stack”.

Paper typePaper thicknessmmGlue tab widthmm

Kent paper: Around 180kg. Gives crisp corners. Face sizes are drawn as “inner size + 0.25mm”, allowing for each fold making the inside narrower by the paper thickness.

Paper to print onFace colorPrint face names and dimensions

Finished outer size (approx.): 57.5×22.5×93.5 mm
Capacity (approx.): About 117 mL
Net size: 169×164 mm
Sheets needed for A4: 1 sheets

Black solid line = cut line, gray dotted line = fold line (mountain fold, with the printed side facing out), gray area = glue tab

How to assemble (Tuck box)

Cut out along the solid (black) lines with scissors or a craft knife.
Hold a ruler along the dotted lines, score them with a dry ballpoint pen or similar, then mountain-fold so the printed side faces out.
Apply double-sided tape or glue to the glue tab and stick it to the inside of the left edge of the “Back” face to form a tube.
Bottom: fold the small side flaps inward, then fold the “Bottom” face over and tuck its tab into the body.
After putting in the contents, fold the small flaps at the top in the same way, then close the “Lid” and tuck it in.

After printing, measure the “Front” face with a ruler and check that it matches the numbers on the drawing. If it is smaller, “Fit to page” is turned on in the printer settings.

ABOUT

About Box Template Maker | Print Custom-Size Nets (Tuck Box, Lid Box, Pillow Box, Drawer Box), Paper Thickness and Lid Gap Auto-Calculated, Largest Size on A4

Box Template Maker draws a net on the spot from the inner dimensions (width, depth, height) in mm and prints it at actual size. It supports four types: the tuck box (tuck-in flaps at top and bottom, one glue tab), the lid box (a slightly larger lid that fits over the base), the pillow box (curved ends pushed in to close), and the drawer box (a matchbox-style tray that slides into an outer sleeve). Each fold makes the inside narrower by about the paper thickness, so face sizes are drawn as “inner size + paper thickness”, the lid’s inner size is “base inner size + paper thickness × 2 + gap”, and the drawer sleeve is “tray outer size + gap”, all calculated automatically. Solid black lines are cut lines, dotted lines are fold lines and gray areas are glue tabs, and each face can be printed with its name and dimensions. The tool checks whether the net fits on A4, A3, B5, B4, a postcard or Letter (in which orientation, and whether the base and lid can sit side by side on one sheet), and when it does not fit it gives the largest inner size you can make in the same shape. You can also pick from common sizes such as 100 business cards, playing cards, 50 trading cards, a chocolate bar, accessories, L-size photos and matchboxes, and an SVG export can be imported into a cutting machine.

How to use Box Template Maker | Print Custom-Size Nets (Tuck Box, Lid Box, Pillow Box, Drawer Box), Paper Thickness and Lid Gap Auto-Calculated, Largest Size on A4

1Choose the box type (tuck box, lid box, pillow box or drawer box). For a standard size, use “Pick from common sizes”
2Enter the inner dimensions (width, depth, height) in mm so your item fits, then choose the paper type (thickness) and glue tab width
3For lid boxes and drawer boxes, set the lid or sleeve gap (clearance) and the lid depth
4Choose the paper to print on, and use the preview to check how many sheets are needed, plus the outer size, capacity and lid dimensions
5Press “Print at actual size”, and in the print dialog set the scale to 100% (actual size) and print. Cut along the solid lines, score and fold along the dotted lines, and glue the tab to assemble

Great for

You want a box that fits an item you already have, made to a size you specify
You want to make a paper deck case for business cards, playing cards or trading cards
You want to know how many mm larger the lid of a lid box should be than the base
You need a pillow box template for handmade goods or sweets packaging
You want a matchbox-style drawer box in any dimensions you like
You want to know the largest box that can be made from one sheet of A4 or a postcard
You are using craft board or thick drawing paper and want dimensions that allow for the paper thickness
You want a box net as an SVG that can be imported into a cutting machine

Good to know

Face sizes are drawn as “inner size + paper thickness” (each fold makes the inside narrower by roughly the paper thickness). Paper thicknesses are estimated as 0.1mm for copy paper, 0.2mm for drawing paper, 0.25mm for Kent paper, 0.35mm for thick drawing paper and 0.45mm for craft board. If you know the thickness of your paper, enter it as a number.
The lid’s inner size is “base inner size + paper thickness × 2 + gap”. Start with a gap of 1mm; if it is too tight, increase it by 0.5mm at a time, and if it is too loose, reduce it and make it again for a better fit.
The tuck box is drawn as a reverse-tuck style, with the top lid attached to the back face and the bottom lid (base) attached to the front face. The tuck length is about 60% of the depth (6 to 25mm), and the small side flaps are no longer than half the width.
The curve depth of the pillow box is “thickness ÷ 2”, up to 30% of the width. The curves do not fold cleanly without scoring, so go over them several times with a dry ballpoint pen or a compass point before folding.
Fit is judged after excluding a 5mm unprintable margin from the edge of the paper. Even with a printer that supports borderless printing, we recommend keeping this margin.
When printing, set the scale in the print dialog to “100%” or “Actual size”. If “Fit to page” is selected, the print will be shrunk. After printing, measure the face dimensions with a ruler to check.
Capacity is the product of the inner dimensions for the tuck box, lid box and drawer box, and a rough estimate for the pillow box that approximates the cross-section as a lens shape.
The dimensions and settings you enter are stored only in this device’s browser (localStorage) and are never sent to a server.

Questions this tool answers

Use Box Template Maker | Print Custom-Size Nets (Tuck Box, Lid Box, Pillow Box, Drawer Box), Paper Thickness and Lid Gap Auto-Calculated, Largest Size on A4 for searches like these:

I want to make a box net to a specified size
I want to print a tuck box template
I want to know how many mm larger a lid box lid should be
I want to make a pillow box template in any size
I want a net for a matchbox-style drawer box
I want to make a trading card deck case from paper
I want to know the largest box that fits on one sheet of A4
I want box net dimensions that allow for paper thickness

FAQ

How do I make a box net to a specific size?: Choose the box type and enter the inner dimensions (width, depth, height) in mm so your item fits, and the net for those dimensions is drawn immediately. The paper thickness is added automatically, so just press “Print at actual size” and print at 100% scale to assemble a box with the inner dimensions you specified.
How many mm larger should the lid be than the base?: Make the lid’s inner size “base inner size + paper thickness × 2 + gap”. The base has paper thickness on both sides of its outside, so add that (0.5mm for 0.25mm Kent paper) plus a 1mm gap, which makes the lid roughly 1.5mm larger on the inside. In this tool, choosing the paper and gap calculates the lid size automatically and shows “X mm larger than the base’s inner size”.
How do I decide the dimensions of a tuck box net?: The front and back faces are width × height, the side faces are depth × height, and the top and bottom lids are width × depth, each with the paper thickness added. A tuck of about 60% of the depth and a glue tab of around 10mm are easy to work with. For 100 business cards, about 57×22×93mm inside is a good guide; for one deck of playing cards, about 65×20×91mm.
What is the largest box I can make from one sheet of A4?: As a cube with 0.25mm paper and a 10mm glue tab, the largest that fits on one A4 sheet is about 49mm per side for a tuck box, about 59mm for a lid box (shallow lid, base and lid laid side by side on one sheet), and about 48mm for a drawer box (tray and sleeve). On A3 you can make a tuck box up to about 78mm. The “Max size by paper” tab also shows the largest size when you scale up the current shape.
How do I make a trading card deck case from paper?: For about 50 sleeved cards (around 66×92mm), a tuck box with inner dimensions of 70mm wide, 32mm deep and 96mm high is a good guide. Choose “50 trading cards (sleeved)” from “Pick from common sizes” to enter it. If you have more cards, increase the depth. It fits on one sheet of A4, and thicker Kent paper or drawing paper makes it sturdier.
How do I make a pillow box net?: Place two faces of equal size (front and back) side by side, cut the top and bottom edges with curves that bulge outward, and fold along curves that bulge inward. The depth of the curve becomes the thickness at the middle. In this tool, enter the width, length and thickness and the curve radius is calculated and drawn for you. Print it, cut it out, score the curves and push them in to close.
How much larger should the outer box of a drawer box (matchbox) be?: Make the inner size of the sleeve (outer box) the tray’s outer size (inner size + paper thickness) plus the gap. With 0.25mm paper and a 1mm gap, it comes out 1.5mm larger in width and 1.25mm larger in height than the tray’s inner size. In this tool, enter the tray’s inner size and the sleeve’s inner size is calculated automatically, with both nets laid out together.
The net prints smaller than it should: It shrinks if “Fit to page” or “Shrink to fit” is selected in the print dialog. Set the scale to “100%” or “Actual size” and print again. After printing, measure the face dimensions (the numbers written on the drawing) with a ruler to check that it is at actual size.

Special Thanks

SOLO GUILD | サービス作るAIエンジニア

Back to all tools