Materials2 min readUpdated Nov 13, 2026

Foam inserts

A foam insert holds a product still inside its box, in a cut-out shaped to fit it. Three foams are common. Pick by how heavy and how fragile the product is, and by how the box should feel when someone opens it.

Pick by the product

• Heavy or awkward items, large runs: EPE. Light and springy, and it costs less than EVA.
• A premium unboxing: EVA. Dense and firm, with crisp, clean cut-outs. It costs more.
• Small, delicate items such as glass or optics: PU. The softest of the three; it settles around the shape.
• Damp places: EPE or EVA. Their closed cells keep water out, while PU's open cells can soak it up.

Three foams side by side

Each foam comes in many grades and densities. Ask your foam supplier for a sample of the grade they suggest.

We don't draw inserts

The dielinesDieline The flat outline of a pack before it is cut and folded: where to cut, where to fold and where artwork is safe. on this site are for the box itself. We don't draw foam inserts, and we don't draw card inserts either. A foam supplier cuts the insert to your product and your box.

Size the box for both. The foam takes room on every side, so the inside of the box is your product plus the foam around it. Agree on the foam's thickness with your supplier first, then type the box's inside sizesInside dimensions A box's sizes measured inside, from crease to crease. This is what you type on our boxes, and what box makers quote..

What to send your foam supplier:

• The box's inside sizes. In our editor, your box sizes run crease to creaseCrease A fold line pressed into board so it bends cleanly, also called a score. Dashed green on our dielines., and that is the room inside.
• The product itself, or its exact sizes and shape.
• How many items go in, and where each one sits.
• The foam and colour you want, or what the insert has to do.

Before the full run, ask for one insert in a real sample box. The fit is easier to judge in your hand than on a drawing.

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