How to measure for packaging templates

The tools only know what you type. A few minutes with a ruler or calipers, and a clear idea of which dimension goes where, saves reprints later.

Tools you need

• A steel rule marked in millimetres, or a tape measure for larger objects. Decimal inches work too; the tools convert exactly (1 in = 25.4 mm).
• Digital calipers if you have them. They make thickness measurements (soap thickness, cardstock) much more reliable than a ruler.
• A sample of the paper or cardstock you will actually print on.

Type decimals with a point (for example 60.5). Fractions such as 1 1/2 are not understood yet; enter 1.5 instead.

Soap bars: W, D and B

Place the bar the way it will sit in the band, with the face you want to show at the front.

• W (front width) is the width of that front face, across the direction the band wraps.
• D (thickness) is how deep the bar is from front to back. The band wraps around W and D.
• B (band width) is how wide the band is along the bar's length. It is your choice: a narrow band shows more soap, a wider band carries more text. Both ends of the bar stay open.
• E (extra length) is a total allowance around the whole wrap, not per side. The tool adds a quarter of E to each of the four panels. Around 1–3 mm lets the band slide on; 0 gives a very tight band.

Measure at the widest point of each dimension; many handmade bars are slightly domed or bevelled. If your soap is still curing it will shrink a little; measure a cured bar from the same batch when you can, or add a little more E and test one band.

Jewelry cards: card size and hole positions

Decide the card size first, then the holes.

• Card width and height are the finished cut size.
• Hole diameter d should match the punch or awl you will use and the earring post or hook. Most posts pass through a 1.5–2 mm hole; check yours.
• Spacing s is centre to centre between the pair. Measure how far apart you want the earrings to hang, not the gap between their edges.
• Height y is from the top edge of the card to the hole centres.
• A hanger hole is a single centred hole near the top for a hook or peg. Measure the hook you will use and allow a little play.

Every hole must keep 3 mm of card from the outer edge and 3 mm from any other hole. The tool tells you when a combination is impossible instead of moving holes for you.

Gift boxes: A, B, h and the lid

The box dimensions are distances between score lines on the base, not a guaranteed inside cavity. Folding and the thickness of the stock take up a little room, so:

• Measure the object's length, width and height at its largest points.
• Add at least a millimetre or two to each of A and B, more for a loose or padded fit, and choose a wall depth h that covers the object's height.
• Choose a lid wall depth hl no deeper than the base wall; a lid of about a third to a half of h is common for a shallow gift box.
• Make one sample before cutting a batch.

Measuring cardstock thickness t

The lid is enlarged by twice the thickness t plus twice the clearance c. Paper weight in grams per square metre is not a thickness, so the tool does not convert it.

• With calipers: measure one sheet in a few places and use the typical value. Light cardstock is often around 0.25–0.35 mm; the default of 0.3 mm is an assumption, not a measurement.
• Without calipers: stack ten sheets, measure the stack with a ruler and divide by ten.
• If in doubt, keep the default and tune the clearance c after the first sample: increase it if the lid is tight, reduce it if it is loose.

Write it down

Note the measurements and the paper you used next to each design. The tools can save one design per tool on your device, but a note in your workshop book survives a cleared browser.