Custom Shipping Supplies

Shop shipping supplies for packing, protecting, and mailing products to customers, employees, or event recipients. Choose from poly mailers, paper and kraft mailers, padded mailers, corrugated shipping boxes, packing tape, bubble mailers, and other packaging supplies for small-business, ecommerce, retail, office, and fulfillment needs.

Whether you're shipping lightweight apparel, documents, gifts, merchandise, or fragile products, the right packaging can help protect your items throughout storage, handling, and delivery. Select from blank shipping essentials for everyday fulfillment or custom packaging that can showcase your logo, artwork, or brand.

Shop Shipping Supplies by Type

Poly Mailer Shipping Bags

Poly mailers are lightweight shipping bags commonly used for apparel, accessories, soft goods, and other non-fragile products. Their flexible construction makes them useful when you want packaging that takes up less space than a traditional shipping box.

Choose from multiple sizes for different products, including both blank poly mailers for everyday fulfillment and custom poly mailers for branded shipments.

Best for: Clothing, textiles, accessories, merchandise, and other lightweight non-fragile products.

Paper & Kraft Mailers

Paper and kraft mailers provide a paper-based packaging option for businesses shipping documents, apparel, merchandise, gifts, and other lightweight products.

Options include natural kraft, white kraft, padded, and other paper mailer styles in multiple sizes.

Best for: Documents, apparel, books, merchandise, gifts, and ecommerce orders.

Padded & Bubble Mailers

Padded and bubble mailers add cushioning around products that need more protection than a standard shipping bag. They combine the convenience of a mailer with protective padding, making them useful for smaller items that may be damaged by impacts or movement during transit.

Best for: Accessories, books, electronics accessories, small gifts, cosmetics, and other compact items that need cushioning.

Corrugated Shipping Boxes

Corrugated boxes provide a rigid packaging option for products that need more structure and protection during shipping. They are available in multiple dimensions so businesses can match the box size more closely to the products being shipped.

Best for: Fragile products, multiple-item orders, larger merchandise, gifts, inventory, and products requiring rigid packaging.

Shipping & Packing Tape

Packing tape helps secure boxes, cartons, and other packages before shipment. Keep shipping tape available at packing stations, warehouses, offices, retail stores, and fulfillment areas for everyday order preparation.

Best for: Sealing corrugated boxes, cartons, packages, and general shipping applications.

How to Choose the Right Shipping Supplies

Start with the size, weight, shape, and fragility of the item you're sending. Lightweight and flexible products may only require a poly or paper mailer, while products that can bend, break, or become damaged during handling may benefit from padding or a corrugated box.

Consider these factors when choosing packaging:

• Product size: Choose packaging that comfortably fits the item without excessive unused space.
• Fragility: Use padded mailers, cushioning, or boxes when products need additional protection.
• Weight: Heavier products generally require stronger and more rigid packaging.
• Shipping volume: Businesses fulfilling frequent orders may benefit from ordering shipping supplies in bulk.
• Branding: Custom mailers and packaging can extend your brand experience beyond the product itself.
• Presentation: Consider kraft, white, custom-printed, or other packaging styles based on how you want orders to appear when they arrive.

Shipping Supplies Comparison Guide

Blank vs. Custom Shipping Supplies

Blank shipping supplies are a practical choice for businesses focused on straightforward packing and fulfillment. They work well for warehouses, offices, ecommerce businesses, retailers, schools, organizations, and anyone regularly sending packages.

Custom shipping supplies add branding to the packaging itself. Adding a logo, artwork, or branded design to mailers can make packages easier to recognize and create a more consistent customer experience from purchase through delivery.

Businesses can use a combination of both: blank supplies for general fulfillment and custom packaging for customer-facing orders, promotions, gifts, or branded merchandise.

Shipping Supplies for Small Businesses & Ecommerce

Reliable packaging is an important part of ecommerce fulfillment. Small businesses can use shipping supplies to prepare orders efficiently while selecting packaging appropriate for different product types.

An apparel store, for example, may primarily use poly mailers, while a business selling fragile merchandise may rely more heavily on corrugated boxes and protective packaging. Businesses with a varied catalog can stock several mailer and box sizes so packers can choose the appropriate packaging for each order.

Ordering shipping supplies in bulk can also help businesses maintain packaging inventory for regular order fulfillment.

What Size Shipping Packaging Do I Need?

Choose packaging based on the dimensions of the product after accounting for any protective material it requires.

For flexible products such as shirts or textiles, a mailer slightly larger than the folded item may be sufficient. Products requiring padding need additional room for cushioning, while boxed products should fit securely without excessive space.

When deciding between sizes, consider:

• Product length, width, and height
• Whether the product can be folded
• Amount of cushioning required
• Number of products packed together
• Additional inserts, documents, or promotional materials

The goal is to provide enough room to pack the product properly without using significantly more packaging than necessary.

What Can You Ship With These Supplies?

Shipping supplies can be used to package a wide variety of products, including:

• Apparel and textiles
• Books and printed materials
• Documents and catalogs
• Promotional products
• Gifts and employee kits
• Ecommerce merchandise
• Accessories
• Small electronics and electronics accessories
• Retail products
• Event merchandise

The appropriate packaging depends on the item's dimensions, weight, fragility, and protection requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions About Shipping Supplies

What are shipping supplies?

Shipping supplies are packaging materials used to prepare, protect, secure, and send products or documents. Common examples include shipping boxes, poly mailers, paper mailers, padded mailers, bubble mailers, packing tape, cushioning, and protective packaging.

What shipping supplies do small businesses need?

The supplies a small business needs depend on what it ships. Common essentials include poly or paper mailers for lightweight merchandise, padded mailers for smaller items needing cushioning, corrugated boxes for larger or fragile products, and packing tape for securing packages.

What is the difference between a poly mailer and a bubble mailer?

A poly mailer is a lightweight, flexible shipping bag typically used for products that do not require substantial cushioning. A bubble mailer contains protective padding and is better suited to smaller items that need additional impact protection.

Should I use a shipping box or mailer?

Use a mailer for lightweight, flexible, or relatively durable products when appropriate. Consider a corrugated box when shipping fragile, heavy, bulky, structured, or multiple products that require more protection.

Are poly mailers good for shipping clothes?

Poly mailers are commonly used for shipping clothing and other textiles because these products are generally lightweight and flexible. Choose a mailer large enough to hold the folded garment comfortably.

What are padded mailers used for?

Padded mailers are designed for products that need more cushioning than a standard paper or poly mailer provides. They are commonly used for books, accessories, small merchandise, gifts, and similar compact products.

What size shipping mailer should I choose?

Measure the item after folding or preparing it for shipment and allow enough additional space for easy insertion, closure, and any necessary padding. Avoid choosing packaging that is significantly larger than the product when a better-fitting option is available.

Can businesses order shipping supplies in bulk?

Yes. Bulk shipping supplies are particularly useful for ecommerce businesses, retailers, offices, organizations, warehouses, and other operations that regularly prepare packages for shipment.

Can shipping supplies be customized with a logo?

Some shipping products can be customized with logos, artwork, or branded designs. Custom packaging can help businesses create a more recognizable and consistent experience when customers receive their orders.

What packaging is best for fragile products?

Fragile products generally require packaging that limits movement and provides protection from impacts. Depending on the item, this may include padded or bubble mailers, protective cushioning, or appropriately sized corrugated boxes.

What packaging is best for ecommerce orders?

There is no single packaging type that works for every ecommerce order. Poly mailers can work well for apparel and soft goods, padded mailers for smaller items requiring cushioning, and corrugated boxes for larger, heavier, fragile, or multi-item orders.

How do I choose between paper and poly mailers?

Consider the product being shipped, the amount of protection required, packaging presentation, size availability, and your business's packaging preferences. Both can work for lightweight merchandise, but their materials and construction differ.

What supplies do I need for a shipping station?

A basic packing station may include shipping boxes or mailers in frequently used sizes, packing tape, protective packaging or cushioning where required, shipping labels, and other materials needed to prepare your specific products for shipment.

Why Buy Shipping Supplies From Imprint?

Imprint offers shipping and packaging options for businesses, organizations, ecommerce sellers, events, and everyday mailing needs. Browse multiple mailer styles and sizes, corrugated boxes, tapes, protective packaging, and customizable shipping products to build a packaging setup suited to what you send.

Shop shipping supplies by product type, size, protection level, customization needs, and production time to find packaging that fits your fulfillment workflow.