Sized to the pack
There is no standard ration box. Tell us the items and quantities and we work the dimensions back from them, so nothing rattles and nothing is forced.
Corrugated packaging · Lahore
Ramzan ration & gift boxes
Two different jobs, two different boxes — the heavy carton that carries a full rashan pack, and the printed kraft box that a gift is handed over in.
A ration box is not an ordinary carton
A shipping carton is packed once, sealed, and handled by machines and trolleys. A ration box is filled by volunteers, loaded and unloaded by hand, stacked in a truck, carried up a staircase, and often set down on wet ground. It does all of that with fifteen to twenty-five kilos inside it.
That is why five-ply is the usual specification where three-ply would do for a courier box of the same size. The failure people remember is a box giving way in someone's arms, and it is entirely avoidable.
What goes inside, and why it matters
| Typical contents | What it means for the box |
|---|---|
| Atta and rice | Usually the heaviest items, and the reason 3-ply is rarely enough. |
| Cooking oil | Tins or pouches. Weight concentrated in one corner unless packed with care. |
| Pulses, sugar, tea | Bagged goods that settle and shift in transit. |
| Dates and dry goods | Light, but they should not be crushed under the rest. |
A full family ration commonly lands between 15 and 25 kg. That figure is typical rather than fixed — it depends entirely on what you are putting in — but it is the number that decides the board.
Sizing and printing
Printed with your name
One or two colours carrying a company or trust name is the usual choice — inexpensive, and the part people remember on a box handed over in person.
Hand holes if you want them
Easier to lift and far less likely to be dropped. They remove some board, so a very heavy pack needs the specification adjusted.
Ordered ahead
Demand concentrates into a few weeks and the whole industry feels it at once. Early orders get the specification you want rather than what is left.
The other Ramzan box: gifting
A rashan carton and a gift box are the same trade and completely different products. The gift box is small, it is seen, and it is usually the thing a client or employee actually keeps for a while — so it is specified for finish rather than for load.
These are typically kraft board with a single-colour print — a crescent, a star motif, a company mark — in rigid lid-and-base, sleeve or drawer constructions. Kraft is the popular choice precisely because it looks considered without looking expensive.
Dates and dry fruit
Small rigid boxes and drawer boxes, often with a fitted insert so the contents sit in place and arrive looking arranged.
Mithai and bakery
Sweet boxes in the sizes the trade already uses, printed for the shop or plain for a sleeve to go around.
Corporate gifting
Larger presentation boxes for client and staff gifts, printed with the organisation's mark rather than a supplier's.
Shapes beyond square
Octagonal, drawer and sleeve constructions are all die-cut work — see die-cut boxes.
Ordering for a season, not a shipment
Ramzan ration boxes are the one packaging order most organisations place once a year, which makes them easy to leave late. Board, print slots and machine time all tighten across the market in the weeks before Ramadan begins.
If you distribute every year, it is worth holding the specification on file so the next order is a repeat rather than a fresh design. Ask us to keep it and the second year is a phone call.
Common questions
What is a Ramzan ration box?
A large corrugated carton used to distribute a food ration pack — commonly atta, rice, oil, pulses, sugar, tea and dates — during Ramzan. Companies give them to staff, and welfare organisations and individuals distribute them to families. Because the contents are heavy and the boxes are carried by hand, they are built to a heavier specification than an ordinary shipping carton.
What ply should a ration box be?
Five-ply in almost every case. A full ration pack typically weighs somewhere between 15 and 25 kg, which is beyond what 3-ply carries comfortably, and the box is picked up, carried and stacked far more than a shipping carton is. Where the pack is unusually heavy, 7-ply is the safer specification.
What size are ration boxes usually?
It follows the pack rather than a standard. Boxes in the region of 18 × 18 × 14 inches are common for a full family ration, and smaller boxes are used for lighter packs. Tell us what goes inside and roughly what it weighs, and we will work the size back from the contents.
Can they be printed with our company or trust name?
Yes, and most are. A one or two colour print carrying the organisation’s name and logo is the usual choice — it is inexpensive, and on a box that is handed to a family in person, it is the part people remember. Send the artwork with your enquiry.
How far ahead should we order?
As early as you can. Demand for ration boxes concentrates into a few weeks every year and the whole industry feels it at once, so the sizes and board grades available late in the season are whatever is left. Placing the order well before Ramzan begins gets you the specification you actually want.
Do you make Ramzan gift boxes as well as ration cartons?
Yes, and they are a different product. A rashan carton is built for 15 to 25 kg of groceries; a gift box is small, printed and specified for finish — kraft board with a single-colour crescent or star motif, in lid-and-base, sleeve or drawer constructions, often with a fitted insert for dates or mithai. Many organisations order both in the same season.
Can gift boxes be made in shapes other than square?
Yes. Octagonal boxes, drawer boxes and sleeved boxes are all die-cut work, which means a custom die is made for the shape. There is a one-off cost for the die and then the shape is repeatable, so it makes most sense when you expect to order the same box again next season.
Do the boxes need handles?
They are carried by hand, so hand holes are worth considering — they make a heavy box far easier to lift and far less likely to be dropped. They do remove some board, so on a very heavy pack the specification should account for them. We will advise when we see the weight.
Before you specify
Worth reading first
No price list, and that is deliberate
Tell us what you need to pack
Every job is specified for one customer, so cost depends on size, board, quantity and print. Describe the product and the journey it makes, and we will propose a specification and quote it.
Request a quote