The insert
does more than hold the product
A custom insert has several jobs.
- It needs to hold the products securely.
- It needs to create the right spacing.
- It needs to establish hierarchy.
- It needs to help control what the recipient sees first.
- And it needs to work with the overall box structure during assembly and shipping.
That's why we don't design the exterior packaging first and simply figure out how to fill the empty space afterward.
The box and its interior should be developed together.
We need to know what's going inside
Accurate insert design starts with accurate products.
Product dimensions are helpful, but physical products or accurate production samples allow us to understand details that measurements alone may not reveal:
- Weight
- Shape
- Balance
- Closures
- Fragile areas
- How it's removed
- Finger access
- Upright or flat
Those details influence the structure.
That's why Salt & Pepper Gifts typically requests physical products or accurate production samples before final structural engineering begins.
Custom insert options
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Custom Trays
Interior trays can organize multiple products while creating a clean, intentional presentation.
Example: Your Friends & Neighbors
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Die-Cut Inserts
Precisely cut openings can be developed around product dimensions to position individual items within the package.
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Compartments & Dividers
Structural dividers can separate products and create individual areas without necessarily requiring foam.
Example: MIKA Restaurant
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Platforms
Products can be raised or positioned at different heights to create hierarchy and improve presentation.
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Inverted Boxes
Smaller box structures can be incorporated inside a larger package to create compartments, hide products or introduce additional reveals.
Example: Shrinking × Apple TV
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Multi-Level Structures
Products can be presented across multiple layers or elevations when a single flat plane doesn't create the desired experience.
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Doors & Panels
Interior panels can conceal, reveal or organize information and products as part of the opening sequence.
Example: Netflix × Olivia Rodrigo
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Foam Inserts
Foam can be an effective solution when products require precise support, protection or positioning. It is one option—not the automatic answer for every project.
Do you actually need foam?
Not necessarily.
Foam is useful when a product needs precise support, cushioning or a clean die-cut presentation.
But depending on the project, paperboard structures, dividers, platforms, compartments or other engineered solutions may create a better presentation while reducing unnecessary material.
We look at the products, box construction, shipping requirements, budget and desired experience before recommending the insert.
For Shrinking, instead of standard foam inserts, we built a series of inverted compartments so every gift had its own dedicated space.
The goal isn't to use a particular material. It's to solve the problem correctly.
Product placement tells a story
Not every product needs equal visual weight.
If there's a hero product, the interior should make that obvious. Secondary items can support it rather than compete with it.
Spacing, elevation, orientation and negative space can all help establish that hierarchy.
For SirDavis, the brief came down to one thing: make the bottle the hero of the unboxing. The interior was built to hold and showcase it rather than simply contain it.
Before deciding where everything goes, we ask a simple question: what do you want them to notice first?
Every extra inch has a cost
Product layout doesn't only affect appearance. It affects the overall size of the package.
A larger box can require more material, larger inserts, larger shipping cartons and potentially higher freight and parcel costs.
That's why we pay attention to how products can be arranged efficiently without sacrificing the presentation. Sometimes changing an item's orientation or using a different compartment structure can reduce the overall footprint significantly.
The goal is intentional space—not wasted space.
The box and insert should be designed together
The insert affects the box. And the box affects the insert.
Interior height, wall thickness, product clearances, compartments and opening mechanisms all influence the final package dimensions.
Developing them together allows the complete structure to function as one system rather than trying to retrofit an insert into a finished box.
Inserts for
PR boxes & influencer mailers
PR boxes and influencer mailers often contain products of completely different shapes and sizes.
Bottles. Cards. Merchandise. Cosmetics. Books. Electronics. Promotional products.
The interior has to make those unrelated objects feel like they belong together.
Custom inserts allow us to create structure, hierarchy and a deliberate opening sequence while keeping the products secure.
Why we prototype the interior
A dimension on a screen doesn't tell the whole story.
Sampling allows us to evaluate how the actual products fit, whether they're easy to remove, whether the spacing feels right and whether the presentation works in real life.
Depending on the project, a white structural sample may be created before final production.
That sample can help confirm overall size, construction, product placement and functionality before printed production begins.
See how we put it together
How custom packaging inserts are developed
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Gather the Products
We start with the actual products or accurate production samples whenever possible.
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Determine Hierarchy
We decide what should be seen first and how the products should relate to one another.
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Explore Layout
Different orientations and arrangements are considered to balance presentation, box size and efficiency.
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Engineer the Structure
The interior structure is developed around the chosen layout and packaging construction.
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Sample
Depending on the project, a structural sample can be produced to evaluate fit, placement and functionality.
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Refine
Adjustments are made as needed before final production.
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Produce & Assemble
Approved inserts and packaging move into production and can then be assembled with the products by Salt & Pepper Gifts.