Custom Archive Boxes

Cartons for Records That Stay on the Shelf

An archive carton has a different job from a box that gets opened every week. It is packed once, numbered, logged and shelved, then left alone until an audit, a legal hold or a disposal date calls it back. What matters is that the carton keeps its shape in a stack, carries a label staff can read from the aisle, and opens cleanly years later.

For day-to-day filing and frequent retrieval, the custom banker boxes product page is the better fit. are set up for retention programs: records centers, off-site storage, municipal clerks, hospital records departments and university archives.

Archive Carton Sizes for Retention Programs

These are typical planning sizes used by records programs. Exact dimensions are set from your contents and confirmed on the die at quoting.

Size	Inside W x L x H (in)	Inside (mm)	Volume (geometric)	Best used for
Records storage carton	12 x 15 x 10	305 x 381 x 254	1.04 cu ft	Standard retention for letter or legal files; the size most records centers shelve
Half-height carton, letter	12 x 10 x 5	305 x 254 x 127	0.35 cu ft	Ledgers, bound reports and flat items that should not stand on edge
Half-height carton, legal	15 x 10 x 5	381 x 254 x 127	0.43 cu ft	Legal-length flat documents, deeds and plats folded once
Letter transfer carton	12 x 24 x 10	305 x 610 x 254	1.67 cu ft	Emptying a full letter file drawer in one move
Legal transfer carton	15 x 24 x 10	381 x 610 x 254	2.08 cu ft	Emptying a legal file drawer; needs its own shelving bays

Records programs often round the standard carton to 1 or 1.2 cu ft for inventory reporting. Use whatever figure your storage provider bills by, and the geometric figure when estimating how many cartons a file room will fill.

Board Grades for Static, Stacked Storage

An archive carton spends most of its life with other cartons on top of it. Board choice should follow how high you stack and how long the carton stays put.

• 200 lb test corrugated: the rating most records programs list as a minimum. The Library of Virginia's carton specification, for example, calls for 200 lb test, double-wall construction and three-ply ends.
• B-flute vs C-flute: B-flute is about 0.098 in thick and gives a smoother face for printed label panels. C-flute is about 0.142 in thick and gives more stacking resistance for the same footprint.
• Double-wall ends: the end panels carry the handholds and much of the vertical load, so many specs reinforce the ends even when the sides are single-wall.
• Archival corrugated: buffered, lignin-free board for permanent files. Suppliers commonly quote pH 8.0 to 9.5 for this grade. Ask for the test data if your program needs it on file.
• Gray boxboard with metal edges: a lighter option for flat collections that are shelved one or two high, not stacked on pallets.

The trade-off is space. Heavier walls give more stacking margin but take inside room from a fixed outside size, and they add board cost. For the chemistry behind archival board, see acid-free archival boxes blog post.

Lids, Handholds and Assembly

• Lift-off two-piece lid: the most common records-center format. The lid comes off fully, so files can be checked without tipping the carton.
• One-piece fold-up with attached lid: faster to set up and harder to lose a lid. The hinge side cannot be labeled as freely.
• Handholds: one die-cut handhold in each end is standard in state carton specs. Without them, a full carton has to be hugged off a shelf.
• Interlocking assembly: some public archives require cartons that lock together without staples or tape, so nothing rusts or lets go over time.
• Metal edges: available on boxboard archival styles to reinforce corners that get handled often.

The Retention Label Panel: What to Print on the Carton

A clear end panel is what makes a shelf of identical cartons searchable. We print the panel as part of the artwork so every carton in the program carries the same layout.

• Box number: large enough to read from the aisle. Texas's state library asks for the number about 1 in high beside the handhold.
• Records series title and date range: what is inside and which years it covers.
• Disposal or review date: keep one series and one disposal date per carton, so the whole carton can be released on the same day.
• Department, barcode zone and confidentiality flag: optional fields that suit off-site storage intake and restricted files.
• Your logo or institution name: on the side or lid, away from the label panel.

Some programs prefer staff to write directly on the carton in waterproof marker rather than use stickers. A printed blank panel gives them a consistent place to do it. Printing the panel on both ends lets a carton be shelved either way round.

Stacking and Shelving Limits

Published records-program guidance gives practical limits for full cartons. Treat these as planning figures, not load ratings.

• Standard cartons: stack six high or fewer when full (Texas State Library guidance).
• Transfer cartons: four to five high when full, according to one state transportation agency.
• Shelving: the same agency limits shelves to no more than seven or eight full cartons high.
• Carton strength: the Library of Virginia's minimum spec requires a carton that holds 50 lb.

For how board grades behave under weight, see banker box weight capacity and stacking strength blog post.

Printing Options

• One-colour flexo: the usual choice for logos, label panels and box-number fields on kraft or white board.
• Two-colour flexo: a second colour for retention bands, so cartons due in different years read differently at a glance.
• Colour-coded panels by series: one panel layout printed in several colours, one per records category.
• Digital print: may suit short runs or where the artwork changes between batches. Confirm at quoting.

Keep exterior coating light. Heavy film makes marker writing smudge and adds a layer recyclers have to separate.

MOQ and Who Orders

MOQ starts from 100 cartons on standard sizes with one-colour print. Custom dies, archival board and multi-colour panels can raise the minimum, and we confirm it on the quote.

Typical buyers include records managers running a retention schedule, county and city clerks, hospital health-information teams, university records offices, and companies consolidating several offices into one storage contract. Off-site storage providers also order branded cartons for their clients.

Most retention programs run for years, so plan the carton as a standard rather than a one-off. Lock one die and one panel layout, then reorder the same carton each year as new series close. Cartons from different batches then shelve and read the same way, and the box-number field can simply continue from the last number used. If a second size is needed, keep the panel layout identical so staff look in the same place on every carton.

Mistakes to Avoid With Archive Carton Programs

• Packing to the brim. Leave about 2 in of free space so folders can be pulled without tearing.
• Mixing disposal dates in one carton. One carton, one series, one date keeps disposal simple.
• Buying legal transfer cartons for standard shelving. At 24 in long they hang off a standard records shelf.
• Labeling only the lid. Lids get swapped. Put the panel on the carton end.
• Specifying archival board for transitory records. Files due for disposal in a few years rarely need it.
• Skipping the storage provider's shelf check. A custom footprint that does not fit their shelving creates re-handling work.

For the inside and outside measurements of each carton type, read bankers box dimensions blog post.

Request Pricing for Your Retention Program

Send us the carton sizes, the label panel fields you need, the board grade, the number of cartons per series and the total quantity. We will return a proof with the panel layout and confirmed dimensions.

Get a Quote

Reorders on locked artwork may reduce proofing time because the structure and artwork are already approved, but standard production remains 10–14 business days after artwork approval unless otherwise confirmed.