Custom Plastic Tubes

Formulation decides it. Anything with water content, oil content, or that is dispensed by squeezing — lotions, gels, serums, creams — needs plastic, because a wet formulation will soften a wound paper wall from the inside regardless of the liner.

Solids, dry goods, powders and pressed balms are better in paper: it prints better, costs less and recycles more simply.

An aluminum barrier laminate has a foil layer inside the tube wall, which gives the highest oxygen and moisture barrier available in a squeeze tube. It does not spring back after squeezing, which some brands like and some do not.

It is worth the cost only when the formulation is genuinely oxygen-sensitive. For most creams and gels, LDPE or a PE blend is the correct answer.

Yes. PCR blends put post-consumer recycled material into the tube wall, and the achievable percentage depends on the wall material and the finish you want. Confirm the percentage per build, because it varies by supplier and by tube diameter.

Our standard minimum is 500 pieces, with smaller runs from around 100 pieces available at a higher per-piece cost, since setup and printing are fixed regardless of quantity.

Plastic carries one extra constraint: the diameter and cap combination has to come from an existing tooling set unless the volume justifies new tooling, so confirm the size is available before planning a run.

Yes. Slim tubes with a doe-foot wand in the cap are a standard format here, normally ½″ to ¾″ in diameter, and they are supplied empty for you to fill.

The two things to specify are the wand shape, which changes how the product applies, and whether you want the tube clear, frosted or opaque — a clear tube shows the color of the product, which is worth having when the shade is the selling point.

Yes, everything in this range is supplied empty. Unprinted stock tubes are the fastest route to a first fill and the lowest cost at any quantity, and they can be labeled rather than printed while a formulation is still being tested.

Tell us the fill volume and how the product is dispensed. A thick ointment wants a wider orifice and a stiffer wall; a light lotion wants a softer wall that recovers its shape after squeezing.

Yes. The standard minimum is 500 pieces and per-piece cost drops significantly with quantity, with smaller runs from around 100 pieces available at a higher per-piece cost.

One constraint that paper tubes do not have: the diameter and cap combination has to come from an existing tooling set unless the volume justifies new tooling. Confirm the size is available before planning a run.

Diameters run from about ½″ for a lip gloss up to 2½″ for body lotion, and the fill volume follows from the diameter and the length together. As a rough guide, a ¾″ tube suits a serum or eye cream, 1¼″ to 1¾″ suits a face or hand cream, and 1¾″ to 2½″ suits body lotion.

Plastic tubes are the one exception on this site: they are ordered by outside diameter and fill volume, not internal diameter.

Yes. Offset printing handles gradients and photographic work; silkscreen gives strong solid color and holds small type well; hot foil adds metallic detail.

A shrink sleeve is the other route and it is worth considering when several shades or variants share one tube — the sleeve changes and the tube does not, which cuts setup cost across a range.

A single-material PE tube with a matching cap is the most recyclable build available in this format, and it is the one to ask for if that matters. PCR blends put post-consumer recycled content into the wall, with the achievable percentage depending on the material and finish.

An aluminum barrier laminate is the opposite case: it gives the best oxygen barrier and the worst recyclability, because the layers cannot be separated. That trade-off is worth making deliberately, and only when the formulation genuinely needs the barrier.

Yes. Samples can be provided to confirm sizing, material selection and design details before full production begins, so you can check the structure and the print in your hand rather than on screen.

Free design support comes with it — artwork preparation, layout help, bleed and print-ready file setup, and 3D mockups before manufacturing starts. For a first order it is worth using both, because the two things that go wrong most often are a diameter chosen without the product to hand and artwork laid out before the flat dimensions were confirmed.

Processing takes 3 to 5 business days, which covers printing, packaging and quality checks, and orders are processed Monday to Saturday. Transit is a further 3 to 5 business days, for a total estimated delivery time of 6 to 10 business days.

Timelines vary a little with the destination city and courier workload, and a tracking link is emailed once the order ships. Embossing adds to production time, so allow extra if your build includes it.

Yes — free standard shipping to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Those are the destinations the policy covers, so it is worth checking it applies to yours before you plan around it.

The full terms, including processing and transit times, order tracking and what happens if a shipment is delayed or lost, are set out on the shipping policy page.