A printed sleeve is the cheapest way to turn a plain black meal-prep tray into a branded product that looks like it belongs on a shelf. Here's how to choose and set one up.
Sizing the sleeve to your tray
Sleeves are made to fit a specific container, so the most important thing you give us is your tray. Tell us whether it's a single, double or triple-compartment tray, or send the exact width, height and depth in millimetres — or just post us a sample and we'll measure it. The sleeve wraps around the outside with a small overlap tab, so it slides on snugly and shows off your branding without touching the food.
How many should you order?
Because we print digitally, you can start at just 50 sleeves — most packaging printers won't quote you under a few hundred. 50–100 is perfect for testing a design or a market stall; the per-sleeve price drops sharply from 250 up, so once your design is locked, larger runs are far better value.
Board & finish
- 300gsm white — the cleanest base for full-colour print.
- 300gsm kraft — a natural brown look for eco and artisan brands.
- Matte or gloss laminate — adds real grease and moisture resistance, which matters for chilled and frozen meals where condensation would otherwise mark the print. Worth it for anything going in the fridge or freezer.
Is it food-safe?
The sleeve wraps the outside of your lidded tray and doesn't touch the food, and we print with food-safe inks. For chilled or frozen meals we recommend a laminate so the print survives the cold and any condensation.
Setting up your artwork
Download the template for your tray size — it marks the cut line, the crease lines where the sleeve folds, a 3mm bleed and a 6mm safe zone. Keep logos, text, nutrition and allergen panels inside the safe zone, and run backgrounds out to the bleed. Supply a print-ready PDF in CMYK. No artwork? Send your logo and details and we'll lay it out and send a proof to approve.
Turnaround
Standard sleeves are a few working days from approved artwork; laminated runs add about a day. We print and crease in-house in Mount Maunganui and courier NZ-wide, and we keep your file on hand so reorders are one click.