Matthew Etchemendy grew up going to Pizza Hut.

Not the Pizza Hut of today. The Pizza Hut of the late '80s and early '90s, when it was a restaurant with booths and pitchers of soda and the whole team showing up after the game. When ordering a pie meant sitting down together. When pizza was an experience, not a transaction.

"I love the idea of a pizza restaurant like I grew up with as an '80s baby," Etchemendy says. "Like when Pizza Hut was a restaurant, my parents would take me, it was such a good vibe, ordering pies and pitchers of soda to the table. It was so great back then."

Thirty years later, he looked around Brooklyn and couldn't find anything like it. New York slice shops. Fancier, expensive sit-down experiences. Nothing in the middle. Nothing that felt like where he came from.

So he built one himself.

Detroit in Brooklyn

Etchemendy is a chef by trade. He grew up in a pizza family. He'd been playing around with doughs and recipes in the kitchen at his former restaurant when he signed a lease on Driggs Avenue in Williamsburg in fall 2019.

Then COVID hit and everything stopped.

He reconvened with his team in July to finish the build-out. Ace's finally opened in February 2021, serving Detroit-style pizza to a city that mostly associated the style with somewhere else.

The choice was deliberate. In a town with thousands of pizzerias, most of them selling New York slices, Detroit style gave Ace's room to breathe.

"Matching that aesthetic and that energy and that vibe with Detroit-style pizza," Etchemendy says, "was the perfect marriage."

Not Ironic Nostalgia

Walk into the Williamsburg location and you're not walking into a set. You're walking into something that feels like it's been there forever.

Nintendo 64 consoles. A TV/VCR combo. Board games. Toys from the '80s and '90s. Red and yellow tones. Checkered tables. Klondike bars for dessert. The place doesn't wink at the past. It lives there.

"Our true north is we live in the past," says Jesse Leo, the director of operations. "Older is better."

The distinction matters. Ironic nostalgia falls apart the moment you look too closely. Ace's isn't doing a bit. The owners are '80s babies who genuinely miss what they grew up with and decided to rebuild it. The Nintendo isn't a prop. It's plugged in.

One of the sayings that floats around internally: "Fun for the whole fucking family." It's crass and warm at the same time. That's the vibe.

Everybody's Invited

Five years in, Ace's has four locations: Williamsburg, Bushwick, Long Island City, and Rockefeller Center. The expansion happened fast, but the energy hasn't diluted.

The demographic excites even Etchemendy. Parents remembering what they grew up with. Grandparents recognizing a version of the restaurants they used to take their own kids to. Three generations, all finding something familiar.

"I want adults to feel like they're kids again," Etchemendy says. "In a place they can have a drink and share some pizza and wings with friends."

The restaurant industry has gone digital. Ordering on apps. Minimal interaction. Efficiency over experience. Ace's pushes back. The team is trained to be in your face, in a good way. To make you feel warm and welcomed.

In a city that moves fast, Ace's asks you to sit down. Order a pitcher. Play some games. Stay a while.

The pizza is excellent. But that's almost beside the point.

The best cup of coffee you've ever had is not the best cup of coffee you've ever had.

That's how The Kookaburra thinks about it. The coffee matters. The pies matter. The syrups and the hot sauce and the ketchup they make from scratch every morning matter. But the thing that actually stays with you? That's the experience. The interaction. The feeling that someone behind the counter knows your name and means it when they ask how you're doing.

Spencer Hooker and Megan Vidal opened the first Kookaburra in downtown St. Augustine in July 2012. It was 420 square feet. They had an espresso machine and good vibes. Hooker is a dual Australian-American citizen who split his childhood between Australia and Alaska. He and Vidal met in Colorado, worked their way toward the coast, and landed in St. Augustine after visiting Hooker's aunt and uncle.

They saw a gap. Florida didn't have much specialty coffee in 2012. St. Augustine had a strong tourist economy, but more importantly, it had a local community that felt underserved. The Kookaburra was built for the locals first. The tourists would be a seasonal bonus.

A Shop a Year

The 420-square-foot shop became a community hub almost immediately. By 2014, they'd expanded to a larger location. Then a beachside shop. Then a roastery. Then another location, and another.

For about seven years, The Kookaburra opened a new shop every year. In 2024, they opened two. They now have nine locations, most of them within a 10-mile radius of each other, each serving a different slice of the St. Augustine community.

The downtown shop gets tourists. The beachside locations get snowbirds. The Nocatee shop serves a tight-knit golf cart community. The Alachua location, near Gainesville, was their first step outside the immediate St. Augustine area.

Every location is different. The customer base shifts. But the approach stays the same: become part of the community, not just a business in it.

Everything In-House

The Kookaburra roasts its own coffee. That's not unusual anymore. What's unusual is everything else.

They bake all their pastries and pies in-house every day. The Aussie pies are family recipes passed down through Hooker's grandmother and mother. The Jackaroo has sausage, egg, sweet potato, spinach, broccoli, and pepper jack. The Traditional Meat Pie is minced meat and onions in tomato gravy. Australians who walk in say it tastes like home.

They make their own syrups. Their own hot sauce. Their own ketchup. Three commercial kitchens across their locations fire up at 4 a.m. every morning to prep everything fresh.

Their most popular drink, the Honey Badger, started as a customer's custom order: a vanilla latte with local honey and cinnamon. Enough people tried to replicate it at home that The Kookaburra started selling ingredient kits.

"We do as much in-house as we possibly can," says Michelle Shearer, director of brand management. "Those are things that a lot of other shops aren't doing."

The Regular Who Built the Brand

In the early days, it was just Spencer and Megan behind the counter. No staff. No systems. And, by their own admission, some questionable logos.

A regular named Tommy started showing up every day. He'd work from the shop, hang out, drink coffee. He was a graphic designer. One day he approached the owners: "Hey, I like what you guys are doing. Can I help?"

Tommy built The Kookaburra's brand from the ground up. The Australian visual language. The identity that's now instantly recognizable across St. Augustine. Twelve years later, they've brought him back to help with new projects, including a brewery they're planning to open.

The brand, like everything else at The Kookaburra, came from the community.

What's Next

Nine locations. Three commercial kitchens. A roastery. Outposts at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. A brewery on the way.

The Kookaburra is no longer a 420-square-foot shop with an espresso machine and good vibes. But the thing that made it work in the first place hasn't changed. Community focus. Customer experience. The understanding that coffee is just the excuse to make someone's day a little better.

"We want you to leave happier than the second you came in," says Geneva Smallwood. "Even if you came in ecstatic, we want you to leave even happier."

The best cup of coffee you've ever had is not about the coffee.

It never was.

Many e-commerce businesses are focused on making their packaging and unboxing experience just as special as the product itself, and for good reason – people love opening packages!

Whether it’s a feeling reminiscent of Christmas morning as a kid or an appreciation for the box packaging design, unboxing is now a crucial part of the e-commerce customer journey. In a famous 2018 study by Ipsos, 72% of Americans said that product packaging influenced their purchase decision. That figure increases to 81% when buying gifts. Plus, with the rise of unboxing content on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, a carefully thought-out gift box design can make all the difference in building customer loyalty.

Let’s cover how to create gift box designs your customers will love!

Key considerations for designing a great branded gift box

At noissue, we specialize in helping businesses create and print beautiful, eco-friendly packaging that stands out. Before you start designing gift boxes for your product, think about the following:

• Box size: The size of your gift box will be determined by the products you're packaging. You'll need to leave enough room for padding and ensure that the lid closes properly.
• Material: Choose a durable, thicker box if your product is on the delicate side or if you’re packaging multiple items. FSC certification ensures you’re working with boxes made from sustainably sourced materials.
• Color scheme: Your color scheme should align with your brand identity. Depending on the product type, you can print with limited Pantone color or  unlimited CMYK colors.
• Shape: Tuck boxes are an excellent all-rounder option, especially for smaller products. If you’re packaging multiple items or bulkier products, roll end front tuck boxes offer a premium touch—making every unboxing moment magical.
• Design: Your gift box should be unique to your brand. At noissue, you can create a design from scratch with our PDF template, or upload your artwork and a brief so our designers can create packaging personalized to you.

How to design gift box packaging

Step 1: Explore gift box inspiration

Before you dive into designing your gift box, get inspired! A great place to start is the noissue blog, where you’ll find real-life examples from brands across beauty, food and beverage, retail, fashion, and more. Seeing how different industries approach shape, color, layout, and unboxing can spark ideas for your own packaging style.

Step 2: Choose your box type

Once you have an idea of the look and feel you want, it’s time to choose the right kind of product box. Two of our most popular styles that are most commonly used as gift boxes are:

Custom Gift Boxes

• Sturdy and secure, great for premium gifting and products that need extra protection.
• The front-tuck closure gives a polished, “keepsake box” feel that customers love opening.
• Dust flaps help protect the contents and create a cleaner, more controlled unboxing moment.
• Ideal for subscription boxes, curated gift sets, PR packages, and any product with multiple items.

Custom Tuck Boxes

• Lightweight, versatile, and perfect for smaller products or single-item gifting.
• The reverse tuck design makes them quick to assemble, great if you’re packing orders at scale.
• A more compact, cost-effective option that still allows full customization on all sides.
• Excellent for cosmetics, accessories, confectionery, stationery, and small retail items.

Step 3: Select your specifications

Next, it’s time to get into the details. This is where your gift box truly becomes yours.

Select from standard sizes or customize dimensions that fit your product snugly. Full-color printing lets you showcase illustrations, logos, or patterns, while minimalist single-colour designs create a premium, understated look. Both are great options — it just depends on what suits your brand personality!

Order just what you need, whether you require low minimums for your small businesses, seasonal gifting, special editions, or bulk quantities for your growing enterprise.

Step 4: Add your gift box design

Now here’s the best part: it’s time to design your gift box!

There are two ways you can do this:

A. Upload your own design

If you already have a clear design or idea for your gift box, you can download our box guidelines directly from the product page, create it offline, and then upload the finished artwork to noissue's platform. The dielines are available in both PDF and Adobe Illustrator formats, so you can work in whichever design program you prefer.

B. Brief in a noissue designer

If you don’t have a full design ready or simply want expert help, you can brief one of noissue’s designers to bring your vision to life. Just upload your logo, artwork, or any graphics you want included, then share your preferred look and feel, color palette, layout ideas, and any text or messaging you’d like on the box.

From there, our designers will create a custom gift box design that reflects your brand and fits your chosen box style and size.

No matter which route you take, you’ll receive a final design proof for your approval, so you can make sure your gift box packaging is perfect before it goes to print!

Step 5: Submit Your Order

If you want multiple sizes to package different products, make sure you meet the minimum order requirements per size. Once you've submitted your order, we’ll be in touch to confirm the final design before it goes to print.

You can also buy our gift boxes in wholesale quantities to save money if you require a large quantity.

What information should you include on a gift box?

Most businesses will include their logo, contact information, and social media handles on their gift box. A direct call to action encouraging customers to browse more gifts online is also a smart addition, whether via a website or a dynamic QR code that links to a microsite. Depending on the product, you may need to include additional information, such as care instructions or warnings.

If your product details vary or don’t make sense to print on every gift box, custom labels let you add the exact information you need to the outside of your packaging. They’re ideal for seasonal or limited-edition releases, giving you flexibility without the expense of producing new gift boxes each time.

Complete your design with other complementary packaging products

If you want to give your customers the full unboxing experience, don't forget about complementary packaging products. Small packaging touches can add real value to your product and the customer experience. It might be a thank-you card in each order, tissue paper for both protection and extra unboxing joy, or a branded sticker sealing the box for a little extra security.

If your business ships internationally, our shipping boxes and mailers come in different sizes and are the perfect way to send your products safely and securely. They're made with circular materials and are either recyclable, compostable, or reusable to help minimize environmental impact. And, like the rest of our packaging range, they’re fully customizable with your design, whether you have one ready to go or need help from our designers with creating it.

Get started designing your gift box today

Now that you know the basics of designing boxes, it's time to get started! By working with a reputable packaging supplier like noissue, you can design sustainable custom packaging in bulk that's sure to elevate your brand and leave an impression — all with ease!

Experience the difference that quality gift box packaging and a reliable supplier make, and check out our options. Start designing your own custom product box today!

If you run an artisan bakery — or if you have a passion for baking homemade bread — you might be thinking of shipping bread to online customers or friends and family. As with all perishable goods, shipping bread is a time-sensitive task, and you’ll need a bit of careful planning to ensure it doesn’t go stale.

In this guide, we’ll cover the best way to mail bread through USPS, UPS, and FedEx. Read on to learn how to protect your loaves in post so that they still feel oven-fresh after transit!

What you’ll need to mail bread

• Packaging to store the bread, such as:
• Paper bag with plastic bag or plastic wrap
• Aluminum foil with freezer bag
• Reusable beeswax bag
• Packing material, such as tissue paper, kraft paper, or crumpled newspaper
• Shipping box slightly larger than the bread
• Gel packs, if shipping frozen bread

How to package bread for shipping

1. Plan before you bake

To ensure the bread reaches your recipient at its freshest, you’ll usually need to send it out on the same day you bake.

Plan your baking schedule so that the bread has time to cool completely before packaging, and so that you have enough time to send it at the local post office before packages are picked up daily. Alternatively, if using a pickup service, ensure you have enough time to package your shipments before the carrier arrives at your home or business.

If you want to freeze your baked goods, you can pack and ship them on a different day from the baking. This is most suitable for yeast-based breads and intricate baked goods like cake or cinnamon rolls.

2. Pack baked goods based on type

How to ship banana bread, pumpkin bread, and other quick breads

Quick breads made with chemical raising agents, such as banana bread, pumpkin bread, and zucchini bread, have a longer shelf life than yeast-based bread.

To keep quick breads soft and fluffy throughout shipping, make sure your loaf has cooled completely first. Wrap the loaf in a paper bag, followed by a plastic bag or plastic wrap. Alternatively, you can store it in a beeswax cotton bag.

Place the loaf in a sturdy box and add kraft paper or tissue paper to pad out the empty space.

How to ship sourdough bread, baguettes, and other yeast breads

While you can ship yeast bread with the same process as shipping quick bread, you can also freeze the loaf to keep it feeling extra fresh! Once you remove the loaf from the freezer, tightly wrap it in foil and a plastic freezer bag, or place it in a bread bag.

Place the loaf in a box with kraft or tissue paper for padding, and add a small card with thawing instructions (frozen bread is best heated in the oven for a freshly baked feel)!

For extra protection, add gel packs to your box. If you do this, you’ll have to line the box with plastic and place it inside a larger corrugated box marked as “perishable”.

How to ship cinnamon rolls, iced buns, and other intricate baked goods

If you want to ship bread that’s a little more delicate, such as bread with icing or intricate decorations, you should freeze it first to prevent damage in transit. Once frozen, carefully wrap it in plastic multiple times, followed by bubble wrap or aluminum foil for extra protection.

Follow the same steps in the previous section to package your homemade bread in a box.

3. Ship bread to your destination

All major carriers allow you to ship fresh food. For the best results, choose the service with the shortest transit time. Keep in mind that these can often be pricier than baking the bread itself; opting for a 2-day service can help reduce costs.

These are some of the best shipping services for mailing perishables like baked goods:

• USPS: Priority Mail Express® or Priority Mail®
• UPS: UPS Next Day Air® or UPS 2nd Day Air®
• FedEx: FedEx Standard Overnight or FedEx 2Day

Most post offices and postal services only operate from Monday to Saturday. You should try to mail packages earlier in the week to ensure they don’t get stuck at a postal distribution center during the weekends — watch out for holiday delays, too!

noissue bread packaging options

Custom waxed bread bags

noissue reusable custom waxed bread bags keep your bread fresh for longer. They’re made from natural cotton canvas and coated with beeswax, providing a breathable alternative to plastic bags that customers can use time and time again.

Create custom waxed bread bags for your bakery with a choice of nine bag colors and up to four Pantone color inks. With a low MOQ of only 200 units, it’s an excellent choice for smaller bakeries looking to offer some extra special packaging.

Custom paper bags

noissue paper bakery bags are a cost-effective option for bakeries wanting to add their brand to every order. They’re lightweight, affordable, and suitable for shipping and in-store.

That’s a wrap

Now that you know how to send bread in the mail, you can safely ship baked goods to eager customers or gift homemade loaves to loved ones. No matter who your recipient is, they’ll appreciate how fresh the food arrives!

Check out the noissue blog for more packaging tips for small businesses, or explore our bakery packaging range to add more flavor to your brand.

Xavier Alexander has been in coffee for over 25 years. He started at Starbucks in Orlando in the late '90s, working shifts to fund his real goal: being a touring musician. Bands didn't work out. Coffee did.

By 2002, he'd caught the roasting bug. He was the friend in the group who wouldn't shut up about freshly roasted beans, about small local roasters, about the gospel of freshness. A decade later, he was roasting manager at Intelligentsia in Chicago, overseeing 15,000 to 25,000 pounds of coffee a day on 90-kilo roasters.

It was a big operation. It wasn't his.

Brick by Brick

Around 2010, Alexander met Darko, who owned a café called Café Streets. Darko was one of the first multi-roasters in Chicago, bringing in young West Coast companies like Heart, Verve, and Four Barrel before anyone else knew who they were. He wasn't chasing hype. He was chasing quality.

They grabbed a beer. They talked about doing their own thing. Alexander had the roasting chops. Darko had the café. They bought a roaster, moonlighted for a year while Alexander kept his day job, and launched Metric in 2013 out of a garage in the middle of nowhere.

The model from day one: buy a bag of coffee, sell it, buy three more. No investors. No board. No outside funding. Just two people building something piece by piece.

"We are DIY, we're independent, we're more punk rock in that sense," Alexander says. "Optically, people look at our brand and they're not able to assess that based on the way we brand and promote. But we're really proud of being what is by definition truly independent."

A Decade of Long Days

Independence came at a cost. No funding meant no money. Alexander has a wife and three kids. Building Metric meant long days, longer nights, time away from family, and the kind of internal battles that don't make it into brand stories.

"It's been successful and it's been joyous to some degree," he says, "but it's also been really hard. Incredibly difficult."

The original café wasn't world-class. It wasn't meant to be. The vision was always longer: build a foundation, buy a warehouse, do it right. That took over a decade.

In 2016, they opened a 400-square-foot walk-up café at the corner of their roastery in Chicago's West Town. Customers could watch production through a glass divider. It was small, considered, and built with their own hands.

Then came Milli.

Milli

Milli is the new spot. An all-day café and bakery in Avondale, serving specialty coffee, pastries, seasonal food, and a curated wine list. It sits inside a warehouse that Metric now owns.

They bought the building with an SBA loan. They built it out themselves. Darko, who handles design and project management, designed the entire space. The buildout took three years because they couldn't afford to rush it. Most people flip a space in eight months. Metric did it on their own timeline, with their own money, brick by brick.

"My business partner Darko is really well-versed in all aspects of planning to project management to design," Alexander says. "He himself designed the entire space. We're quite proud of that."

The result is a space that looks like it came from a well-funded operation. It didn't. It came from a decade of saying no to shortcuts.

Made by Humans

The tagline came from Tim Breen, a designer who used to work at Intelligentsia. When Metric was figuring out its brand identity, Breen suggested it: made by humans.

They ran with it. Then, for a while, they stepped back. It felt obvious. Some people cracked jokes. But the older Alexander gets, the more he leans into it.

"In a world of AI, in a world of digital media and getting overloaded with information and marketing, I think that reminder of 'this was made by humans' will always stand," he says.

It shows up on the coffee cups. On the tumblers. On the packaging. It's not a slogan. It's a statement of fact about how the company operates.

The Only One in Illinois

Metric is the only BCorp certified coffee roaster in Illinois. That's not a brag. It's a tool.

Alexander pursued certification after meeting other local BCorp companies and being impressed by their attention to culture, benefits, and accountability. BCorp gave Metric a framework: benchmarks to hit, guidelines to follow, a third party with no stake in the business verifying how they operate.

"You don't need to be certified BCorp to do this," Alexander says. "You can do all this regardless of the certification. But what it does is it is a third party that is vetting the way you do business."

Their score isn't the highest. There are tech companies with indoor gyms and nanny services hitting 120 points. Metric isn't there yet. They invested everything into infrastructure. The next phase is systems, materials, people.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither was Metric.

What Belongs Here

The front-of-house manager at Milli, Mo, said something recently that stuck with Alexander. They were doing wine tastings, and Mo said: "There's not a single wine that shouldn't be here."

Alexander thinks about coffee the same way. There's not a single coffee that shouldn't be here. They're taste makers. They chose every bean because they love it and know the customer will too. The same applies to pastries, wine, everything on the menu.

"Whatever it means to them to say sustainably, there is some sustainability factors applied to the packaging and the production," Alexander says. "What we do here isn't cheap and it's not intended to be cheap."

The goal is simple: when someone holds a bag of Metric coffee or steps into Milli, it should feel good. Truly good. Made by humans who give a damn.

noissue Custom Tissue Paper by @frecklstudio

At noissue, we know a fair bit about paper products; our very first packaging launch was custom tissue paper! We've spent loads of time refining our creation process for the most affordable, high-quality printed materials for you to showcase your unique brand.

We’ve heard a lot of questions about different paper weights and fabrics from people who are new to custom-printed goods.

So, we’ve made this paper guide to explain how the GSM unit relates to our custom tissue paper. We’ll also cover the grams per square meter of our custom tote bags, based on the fabric used. Plus, we’ve included design tips to help you choose the right paper size, thickness, and material weights for your needs!

What does GSM mean for paper?

GSM stands for grams per square meter. The GSM measurement refers to the thickness and weight of fabric or paper. It’s measured from a single sheet of paper or fabric measuring 1 meter by 1 meter.

What is paper GSM?

GSM measures the thickness of paper. This standard measurement is crucial in the paper and printing industry, as GSM affects the type of paper used for different projects. While GSM is the most commonly used unit globally for measuring a paper's thickness, you might also hear terms like "points" or "mils" in the US, where one-thousandth of an inch is used as a unit of measurement.

The GSM range spans thin tissue paper (such as noissue's 17 GSM custom tissue paper) to thicker card (such as noissue's 350 GSM uncoated custom cards).

Put simply, thicker paper has a higher GSM, while lighter paper has a lower GSM. But a higher GSM doesn't necessarily mean good quality. Understanding paper thickness and weight helps you find the perfect balance between durability, functionality, and aesthetics.

If you don't know the difference between GSM scores, you might end up ordering the wrong paper thickness for your needs. For businesses trying to be as cost-effective as possible, this can be an expensive mistake!

Paper thickness GSM guide

So, what is 120 GSM? What is 250 GSM? How can you visualize the weight of different paper products?

The weight conversion chart below provides some great examples of how GSM relates to paper type.

How to convert GSM paper weight to pounds

While GSM (grams per square meter) is a universal measurement that applies to all paper types, pound weight (lb) is relative and only describes the weight of paper within its own category.

The pound rating refers to the weight of 500 sheets of paper’s base size, which differs by paper type. Some of the most popular paper types include:

• Bond paper (used for office printers): 17 × 22 inches
• Text paper (used for books and flyers): 25 × 38 inches
• Cover paper (used for cards and packaging): 20 × 26 inches

Because each paper type starts with a different sheet size, a 100 GSM paper could be listed as 26 lb bond, 67 lb text, or 38 lb cover, even though they all have the same actual thickness and weight per square meter.

This paper weight chart converts GSM to lb for text and cover paper:

What is GSM in fabric?

Similar to paper GSM, fabric GSM measures the thickness of a sheet of fabric. Denser textiles, like melton wool, will have a higher GSM rating, while sheer materials, like lightweight cotton, will have a lower GSM rating. noissue's custom tote bags are 248 GSM, putting them in the medium range for fabric weight.

However, a fabric's thickness doesn't always reflect its weight. Fabrics with different weaves or fibers may have the same GSM but not the same thickness.

Understanding fabric thickness

The chart below will give you a better idea of the weight of different types of fabric.

How we use GSM in our custom packaging

noissue's custom tote bags are available in one weight: 248 GSM. They're made of Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) cotton, a lightweight yet strong, high-quality material that can safely carry up to 44 lb (20 kg). As a medium-weight fabric, they can hold lots of products and are resilient enough to be reused again and again.

Our custom printed tissue paper comes in two paper weights: 17 and 28 GSM. All of our tissue paper is acid-free and sourced sustainably from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests. This ensures high-quality and eco-friendly custom packaging for our customers.

What is the difference between 17 and 28 GSM tissue paper?

There is a subtle difference in the finish between our custom tissue options. 17 GSM is the lightest weight and has a lovely translucent finish. 28 GSM is a slightly thicker type of paper with a more traditional wrapping paper look and feel.

Which GSM paper is the right thickness for my marketing material?

The right paper for your business depends on your needs, whether you require business cards, posters, flyers or another product. Both options prioritize quality and make a great impression!

Because our 17 GSM tissue paper is thin and sheer, it’s great for giving customers a cheeky preview of their purchase! Using a single color pattern on 17 GSM gives your custom tissue a minimalist and striking look.

If you have a more colorful design in mind for your custom tissue paper, the thicker 28 GSM paper weight will show this off to the fullest vibrancy. For this reason, we usually advise customers wanting sheets with a two-color or multi-color design to choose 28 GSM, our heavier paper.

We use eco-friendly soy-based inks for printing, which produce more intense colors, as well as the Pantone Matching System in our online design platform.

Wrapping it Up

Picking the right fabric and paper GSM thickness for your custom printing materials means considering the function of your packaging design and the impression you want to make on your customers.

With our helpful fabric and paper GSM guide, you’re now well on your way to choosing paper and fabric that aligns with your business’s vision.

Ready to get started with custom printed packaging? Check out noissue's custom tissue paper and custom tote bags!

The first day, they made $120.

Sebastian Perez and Sebastian Bangsgaard had just opened a 450-square-foot sandwich shop in the East Village. No basement. Four open-face sandwiches on the menu. They'd borrowed $40,000 from Bangsgaard's uncle, built out the space themselves using YouTube tutorials, and opened the doors because they had to. They had a thousand dollars left.

That was not what they wanted to see on day one.

Seven years later, SMØR has four locations: two restaurants, two bakeries. The sandwich shop that nearly broke them became the foundation for everything that followed. But the growth came slowly. Person by person. Regular by regular. One cardamom bun at a time.

Two Sebastians

Perez and Bangsgaard met in 2015 at a Danish restaurant in New York. Both were born in Denmark. Both had moved abroad. And both were frustrated by the same thing: Scandinavian food in America meant fine dining. It meant Noma. It meant expensive, pretentious, and inaccessible.

"Almost every single culture is represented in a street way or a casual way," Perez says. "Our food was just, like, people only trying to do the next Noma."

They wanted something different. Something that felt like home. The street hot dogs. The open-face sandwiches called smørrebrød (which translates to "butter bread" and is pronounced something like "smør"). The food they actually grew up eating.

They started catering out of Perez's parents' kitchen in 2018. By the end of that year, they'd landed a space in the East Village. It was supposed to be a catering kitchen. They decided to turn it into a café instead.

Bootstrap

The buildout was brutal. They worked six days a week. Mondays were for renovations and prep. The space was so small they continued construction after opening, finishing the restaurant in stages over the next three years.

"We basically worked like dogs for six months," Perez says.

But the smallness forced something useful: intimacy. For the first year, if you walked in on a Tuesday through Friday, it was just the two Sebastians. They knew everyone who came through the door. Regulars showed up three times a week. By the end of the year, they knew the details of their customers' lives.

"Beyond the food, one of the things that really helped us build and solidify the brand was the sense of community we brought," Perez says. "We really built a unique sense of community that we were super proud of and still are."

That community became the foundation. No viral moment. No hockey stick growth. Just steady, organic expansion, one person at a time.

The Bakery

The exhale came when they opened the bakery.

SMØR had been sourcing bread from She Wolf in Union Square. The quality was right, but the dependency was risky. What if She Wolf went out of business? They'd lose so many menu items overnight.

And Perez had always wanted a bakery. Not just for the bread, but for the brand. Bakeries carry things out: cups, bags, pastry boxes. Every item is an opportunity.

A regular named Greg, a poet who'd lived in the building since the 1960s, told them about a space two doors down. The rent seemed too high. They weren't planning to inquire. Greg persuaded them anyway.

They got the space. And when they dug into the history, they discovered something: in the early 1900s, there had been a bakery in that exact spot.

Allen Ginsberg used to live in the building.

Not That Serious

SMØR now has two restaurants (East Village and Clinton Hill) and two bakeries (East Village and Williamsburg). The Williamsburg location is a 3,000-square-foot test kitchen where the team experiments with new breads and pastries. Head Baker Rowan Gill, formerly of Bien Cuit, runs the program.

The menu has expanded far beyond those original four sandwiches. Avocado toast. Cardamom buns. Smoked salmon smørrebrød. Danish hot dogs. The approach is still the same: make Scandinavian food approachable. Get people through the door with something familiar. Let them discover the rest.

"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel," Perez says. "We just want to create a fun space that does really good products, that has really good people working, that makes you feel good and makes you want to return."

The vibe is relaxed but not silent. The music is a little louder than you'd expect. Blood Orange. Steve Lacy. The occasional hip-hop, for the New York of it all.

It's pastries. It's coffee. It's not that serious.

But the thing they learned in that 450-square-foot sandwich shop, the thing that still drives everything: the win isn't getting someone through the door the first time. It's getting them to come back.

2025 marks A&A’s fourth year as the official creative partner of the World AeroPress Championship, and this time they cued up a 70’s revival as the world’s best brewers took the floor in Seoul, South Korea.

This underground competition takes on a fresh new identity every year, bringing an alternative playful edge to the somewhat-serious international coffee scene.

For 2025 A&A embraced Seoul’s vinyl revival to capture the electric energy and rhythm of Aeropress. Throwing it all the way back to the golden age of disco they channelled 70’s dancehalls and a Studio 54 attitude to create an identity just like the coffees - smooth, funky, bold and bright.

Inspired by the aesthetics of album covers and gig posters A&A used bold, chunky typefaces and a luxurious colour palette to find that distinct retro balance between playfulness and effortless style.

The competition logos feature fat geometric curves and a glittering disco ball mark that would look equally at home representing an independent label. The brand’s digital rollout takes cues from vinyl sleeves and cassette tapes, capturing the nostalgic tactility of collectable analog media.

With noissue on board as sponsors, the 2025 World AeroPress Championship presented A&A with an exciting opportunity to design fully custom coffee packaging that really shows off what’s possible. The result is a richly layered experience that goes beyond function, using structure, materiality, and retro-inspired references to extend the world of the brand identity.

The outer box is a bold and larger-than-life object. A&A’s concept of a ‘dismantled lava lamp’ can be seen in the silver metallic box base and the vibrant yellow-orange gradient lid. Clean black typography grounds the colour with confidence, while the metallic accents add a sharp, reflective contrast that elevates the structure beyond standard packaging.

Designed for use at the event, the box is a sculptural design object rather than a simple carton. Celebratory and premium it sets the stage for the tension and excitement of the competition’s action.

The coffee bag is crisp and graphic. The unique square format features circular typography and forms echoing the shape of vinyl records, their central label, and subtle groove-like details. Silver foil elements tie the bag back to the box, acting as a visual bridge between the two pieces, while the minimal palette ensures the bag feels iconic and collectible in its own right.

You can never have too much tinned or canned food in your pantry. It’s convenient, accessible, and can serve as various meal courses—from appetizer and snack to the main dish. Depending on the contents of it, it can also be a reliable, healthy option or addition to your diet, making it a versatile staple in many people’s kitchens.

Back in 1997, former veteran Joshua Scherz witnessed the slow decline of canneries in New England and the US. In his dismay, an opportunity presented itself: to bring back a little bit of life to fishing as a way of life and canning as an art, he collaborated with a family-owned factory based in Portugal to realize the seafood brand that BELA has become today.

BELA honors tradition, craftsmanship, and sustainability by doing things the right way since the beginning. They source seafood from pristine, non-industrial waters in Europe, hand-packed by their Portugal-based, family-owned canning partners, and shipped in sustainable packaging from noissue. Now that’s a brand you can trust!

Read on to learn more about BELA!

Tell us a bit about your brand!

BELA is a heritage-driven seafood brand rooted in Portugal and New England, built around the belief that good fish brings people together. We source responsibly, honor tradition, and bring a warm, familiar energy to the modern pantry. For us, “Fish Means Family”—in how we source, how we cook, and how people enjoy BELA at home.

Tell us about your packaging, how you’re using it, and the importance of it for your brand.

Packaging is the first moment people feel the BELA experience. Our noissue pieces help us create a thoughtful, gift-worthy unboxing—whether it’s a holiday set, a subscription box, or a simple reorder. The textures, colors, and details all reinforce what BELA stands for: care, craft, and quality.

What made noissue a good fit for your packaging?

The alignment in values. noissue gives us beautiful, customizable, sustainable packaging that feels true to who we are. It lets us elevate every shipment without compromising on environmental responsibility or design consistency.

Where are you finding inspiration for BELA and in life at the moment?

We’re always inspired by the worlds that shaped BELA—Portuguese canneries, New England kitchens, family tables, and the rise of modern tinned-fish culture. BELA lives in the space between heritage and the new wave of food storytelling, and that blend keeps us energized.

BELA’s featured products:

• Custom Recyclable Mailer Boxes
• Custom Compostable Tissue Paper

Justin Tiu Lerias was making 500 pastries out of his apartment when he realized he no longer had a home. He had a production kitchen with a bed in it.

The freezer was full. The fridge was full. Every surface was staging for the next pop-up, the next sellout, the next round of longganisa croissants filled with the Filipino breakfast sausage he grew up eating in the southern Philippines before moving to Chicago at 14.

The pastries weren't supposed to become a business. They were supposed to be an escape. Lerias was working as a pastry chef at an American southern restaurant, making food he wasn't passionate about, when he started baking at home. The recipes came from memory. The flavors came from childhood. The technique came from years in professional kitchens. What emerged was something he hadn't seen before: pastries that looked like one thing and tasted like another.

For two years, he ran pop-ups at Side Practice Coffee, selling out every time. The community that showed up week after week became the foundation for what came next. When Lerias finally decided to open a brick-and-mortar, they helped him raise the funds to do it.

"It looks very different," he says, "but it tastes very familiar."

From the South

Del Sur translates to "from the south." Lerias's family comes from the southern region of the Philippines. He spent his childhood there before immigrating to the US as a teenager. The name was supposed to honor his mother directly, but she declined. So he named it after the place instead.

The bakery sits in Lincoln Square, a quiet neighborhood on Chicago's north side where young families push strollers past a growing cluster of Filipino-owned businesses. Locals have started calling it Manila Town. Lerias looked at 16 locations before landing here. He wanted somewhere that matched the pace he was building: intentional, neighborhood-scale, unhurried.

When he opened the doors on March 29, 2025, he braced for criticism. Would Filipinos think his pastries weren't Filipino enough? But then the messages started coming in. Older Filipinos telling him the flavors reminded them of something they ate as kids. That recognition became the foundation. Filipino flavors, Midwestern flare. The flare, Lerias explains, is hospitality. Warmth. The feeling that you're welcome before anyone says a word.

People Forward

Everyone on Lerias's team is older than him. He's 24. His bakers and baristas are late twenties, early thirties. The dynamic could be awkward. Instead, it's become the proof of concept for everything he believes about running a business.

Four-day work weeks. Fair wages. Health insurance. A policy that the customer is not always right, because the people behind the counter are human and humans make mistakes. These aren't aspirations. They're operational.

"We're not driven by profits," Lerias says. "Which is funny, because we make a lot of profit. I think it's because of how happy our workers are."

He frames the relationship in reverse of how most owners think about it. His employees aren't working for him. He's providing a platform for them. "These people are spending their time to make my dreams come true. The least I can do is make sure they're happy."

The goal is to be a stepping ground, not a ceiling. If someone on his team wants to open their own place someday, he wants Del Sur to be the reason they're ready.

Beautiful Chaos

The bakery is mid-renovation when we visit. The original space, a to-go counter operation, is expanding into the unit next door. Soon there will be indoor seating. For now, there are boxes everywhere.

Stacks of pastry boxes line the walls, printed and folded, ready for the morning rush. The packaging has become its own small phenomenon. Customers send Lerias photos of strangers carrying Del Sur boxes around the neighborhood. The branding travels.

Less than a year in, Del Sur is already outgrowing itself. The recipes that started in an apartment, the ones Lerias was afraid wouldn't translate, are now moving thousands of pastries. Same flavors. Same intention. Just more hands to shape the dough.

What Stays the Same

Growth hasn't changed the math. The bakers still arrive at 4 a.m. The pastries still sell out. The values Lerias built the business on (equity, transparency, a workplace that treats people like people) still dictate how decisions get made.

The neighborhood has noticed. Lincoln Square isn't just gaining another bakery. It's gaining a proof point that the food industry doesn't have to operate the way it always has. That a 24-year-old can open a shop, pay a living wage, offer a four-day week, and still turn a profit. That hospitality can extend behind the counter, not just in front of it.

Del Sur means from the south. But what Lerias has built belongs to the place it landed. A Chicago bakery, Filipino at its core, Midwestern in its welcome, expanding one pastry box at a time.

For Francesca, baking has always been one of her many passions, and having learned it from her beloved Nan, it’s easily a core childhood memory of hers and the seed upon which her dream to build a bakery has taken root. When passion and skill combine, magic is made, and years later, Drizzle was born.

When you walk along Christmas Steps in Bristol, smell a mix of freshly baked loaf cakes and freshly brewed coffee, and see a small shop in lively shades of green, you’re bound to have a sweet, cozy time. Drizzle's loaf cakes are baked fresh every morning—with flavors changing daily—and their selection of drinks pairs delectably well, too.

Drizzle partners with noissue for their custom-designed, food-safe packaging. With a combination of rich flavors, design sensibility, and sustainability, every serving of their signature loaf cake becomes a feast for both eyes and taste buds.

Read our chat with Drizzle founder, Francesca, below!

Tell us a bit about your brand!

Drizzle is an independent cake and coffee shop in Bristol. All loaf cakes are made fresh on-site every morning and paired alongside coffee from a local roastery. The aim of Drizzle is for customers to feel like they have walked into a home kitchen, where cakes are fresh and made with love from passed down family recipes.

Why 'Drizzle'? It is because of my Nan, Mo, her favourite cake was Lemon drizzle and she taught me how to bake. Unfortunately, my nan passed away before I started this business. When I opened my shop, Drizzle was designed to be somewhat of an ode to her and how she helped me find my passion and dream through something so simple as baking with me from a young age.

Tell us about your packaging, how you’re using it, and the importance of it for your brand.

We use noissue custom food safe paper to display our cakes. We use them on our main display trays but also on smaller trays for customer orders, to give a more personal touch.

When I was thinking about what I wanted to personalise in the shop the paper stood out, given how the cakes are designed to be the star of the show at Drizzle. When people take pictures of the cakes or simply look at them on the counter, it instantly showcases them as Drizzle's own loaves.

What made noissue a good fit for your packaging?

Once I had decided on using custom food safe paper I looked around and found the best deal, quality and efficiency from noissue and it seemed like the perfect fit.

Where are you finding inspiration for Drizzle and in life at the moment?

Drizzle is such a small team, there are just two of us and we absolutely love getting to know everyone who walks through our doors. We aim for Drizzle to be a safe space, whether you want to grab and go, sit in and watch the world go by on Christmas steps, it will always be a space where people feel welcomed and safe.

We endeavor to make it feel like a warm hug, with the smell of fresh cakes and freshly ground coffee. It can hopefully  make you forget about what's going on outside and give you a sense of comfort for as long as you need.

Photographed by: Elly Deakin (Instagram)

For most people, coffee serves as fuel to get the day started. Whether you make it at home or pick it up at your favorite store, it's undeniably an important part of the day. But for coffee makers, roasters, and businesses, it serves more as a spark for new connections, unforgettable conversations, and building communities.

Good Neighbor Coffee Co. has that same spark. Founded by Matt and Brittanie McCoy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Good Neighbor serves as a place where creatives, clients, and collaborators are welcomed, with good coffee at hand—roasted using patented infrared technology and served in sustainable coffee packaging.

Tell us a bit about your brand!

Good Neighbor Coffee Co. is a Kingdom-minded coffee brand built on Matthew 22:39 — “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

We launched with a heart for creating meaningful, high-quality gifts… but what started as a gifting solution has grown into something more. Today, Good Neighbor is a brand, a mission, and a coffee destination located right on the iconic Route 66 in Tulsa, OK.

Our headquarters is our creative hub — the place where we dream, plan, and serve up lattes in our noissue cups to clients, collaborators, and community members who stop by. It’s where connection is brewed and vision comes to life.

Tell us about your packaging, how you’re using it, and the importance of it for your brand.

Our noissue cups are part of our weekly rhythm and the overall Good Neighbor experience. Every week, our in-house barista serves lattes at HQ to guests, collaborators, and our community - creating an atmosphere of hospitality, creativity, and connection.

These branded cups aren’t just packaging - they’re part of the culture. Whether someone’s popping in for a strategy session, filming content, or attending an event, they’re welcomed with excellence in hand.

When people see the Good Neighbor cup, they instantly feel the care, intentionality, and warmth that defines our brand. We love any details that turn a simple coffee moment into something memorable.

One thing we especially loved about the cup was that it’s double insulated, which means no need for a coffee sleeve - giving us a clean canvas for our branding. It also removes the concern of too much heat hitting the hand. The cup really feels luxurious and modern, yet timeless. It’s a small touch that reinforces the kind of experience we aim to deliver at every level.

What made noissue a good fit for your packaging?

We chose noissue because the brand mirrors so much of what we care about — intentional design, sustainable practices, and high-quality presentation.

We wanted packaging that didn’t just look good in a photo but felt right in the hand. noissue delivered on that. From our launch party to everyday lattes at HQ, their products have helped us serve with excellence in the smallest details.

Where are you finding inspiration for Good Neighbor Coffee Co. and in life at the moment?

Right now, we’re inspired by hospitality, the kind that goes beyond transactions. It’s the simple act of welcoming someone in, handing them a warm cup, and making them feel seen.

We’re also deeply inspired by the people who visit our space: visionaries, ministry leaders, entrepreneurs. When you surround yourself with dreamers and doers, you can’t help but think bigger, build better, and keep showing up with purpose.

There's a particular kind of care that reveals itself in the details you weren't meant to notice.

The weight of a ceramic mug in your hands. The way light catches the rim of a glass. The quiet satisfaction of an object that simply works. These aren't accidents. They're decisions. Small, deliberate ones made by people who understand that daily rituals deserve better than disposable.

This is the world Fable has been building since its founding: a bridge between mass-market homeware and the unattainable luxury tier, designed for people who want to love the objects they live with. Their stoneware comes from Portugal's central region. Their glassware, from Japan's Kanto district. Their flatware, from northern Portugal. Each piece is crafted to transcend trends. Timeless enough to stay, beautiful enough to notice.

But walking into Fable's Vancouver flagship, you realize the products were never meant to exist in isolation.

The Café Was Always Part of the Plan

The espresso bar wasn't an afterthought. When Fable designed their retail space, the café infrastructure was built in from the start. Plumbing roughed in, bar installed, the vision clear even before the permits came through.

"Retail gives people a tactile experience," explains co-founder Max Tims. "But a café lets them live in the brand."

The logic is simple: you can admire a dinner plate on a shelf, but drinking a flat white from that same stoneware, served by someone who understands why it matters? That's different. That's the moment a brand becomes a feeling.

Quality as Through-Line

Fable's café operates on the same principle as their product line: source the best, work with people who care, let the details speak.

The espresso comes from April, the Copenhagen roastery known for its precision and restraint. The milk is from Farmhouse. Local, clean, the kind of thing you notice when you're paying attention. The team is paid a living wage, hired for craft, and given the tools to execute at a level that matches the brand.

Every cup is served in Fable's own stoneware. Every to-go order leaves in packaging that holds the same standard. Double-walled, matte-finished, printed with the kind of care that suggests someone actually thought about it.

The café doesn't announce its quality. It just delivers it, consistently, across every touchpoint. From the beans to the cups to the people behind the bar.

Letting the Host Shine

Fable's ethos has always been curatorial rather than declarative. Their products are designed to elevate the host, not compete with them. A dinner party should feel like yours, not like a showroom.

The café extends this philosophy. It's not trying to impress you with its sustainability credentials or its sourcing story. It's simply offering a beautiful cup of coffee, served well, in a space that feels considered without feeling precious.

That restraint is rare. Most brands can't resist explaining themselves. Fable trusts you to notice what matters.

A Template for What's Next

Vancouver is the first chapter. The model will expand to other markets: Australia, London, wherever Fable goes. Retail and café as integrated brand experience. Quality as the common thread. Every detail earning its place.

The approach stays the same: build something worth discovering, and let people find their way to it.

In an era of loud brands and louder marketing, Fable is betting on something quieter. That if you get the details right (the stoneware, the espresso, the packaging, the people) the story tells itself.

Some things don't need to be explained. They just need to be experienced.

There is always a balance to things. An outfit needs enough accessories to look complete; a latte needs an espresso and milk for the perfect mix; a meal is not well-rounded without a fine choice of drink; and Swiss café DRAFT. Coffee blends play with precision, from branding to packaging.

Tobias Nagele and Felix Rocha founded DRAFT. Coffee in 2024. The brand was born from their combined passion for excellent design, quality coffee, and creating community-driven experiences. To set a unique atmosphere that translates to inimitable, unforgettable moments, the concept of blending play and precision comes into focus.

Their Zurich flagship and the newly opened Basel café have the same polished look and feel in their designs—cool, sleek table and chair ensembles against the warmly colored backdrops—and paired with the scribbled, illustrative elements found on their food packaging and merchandise, it all establishes the perfect balance that is original to the DRAFT. Brand.

Read on for more!

Tell us a bit about your brand!

DRAFT. — contrary to what many people assume about the origin of the name — stands for something unfinished, something that is always evolving. As a concept, we began with DRAFT. Coffee, and our second location has since developed into a broader coffee-and-eatery concept. We kept our core branding, but allowed the interior to evolve.

This reflects our entire brand philosophy: some elements of our brand are intentionally playful, unfinished, or even slightly “wrong,” while our approach to interior design is quite the opposite. This contrast is important to us. On the one hand, we have exceptionally detail-oriented interiors that can feel almost strict; on the other hand, our brand collateral is purposefully more unpolished and playful.

This is where our napkins play a key role - they break the interior’s perfection and add a small twist that makes the overall brand experience feel more approachable. This sense of contrast and playfulness is also reflected in our wider company culture.

Tell us about your packaging, how you’re using it, and the importance of it for your brand.

For us, the napkins are of essence - why? Because our cafés have a very unique design language that is very precise and can be almost seen as “strict” - this is why our different brand elements are more playful, such as our hand drawn cloud logo, the name (DRAFT. stands for something unfinished) and our napkins which are a nod to playfulness.

What made noissue a good fit for your packaging?

We’ve been following noissue for many years and felt that the brand offers a fresh, modern approach to packaging. We’ve created napkins, tote bags, and coffee bag labels with noissue and love both the quality and the creative approach they bring to more contemporary merchandise and packaging for small businesses.

Where are you finding inspiration for DRAFT. Coffee and in life at the moment?

In the messiness of it all! We are, at our core, a family-run business, and we draw inspiration from the life around us, from art, and from the unpredictability that shapes our days. We try to break conventions wherever it makes sense to do so - never at the expense of quality.

Inspiration comes in many shapes and forms, and we are incredibly lucky to have a very dedicated team that is fully invested in pushing DRAFT. forward, day in and day out.

DRAFT. Coffee’s featured products:

• Custom Compostable Napkins
• Custom Reusable Classic Tote Bags
• Custom Recyclable Coated Labels

Whether you have a business selling live plants or are a plant lover sending green gifts to friends or family, mastering the process of prepping and packaging plants for shipping ensures they arrive safely by mail to any destination, whether across the country or abroad.

The horticulture industry is huge, with annual revenues amounting to $20 billion in the US alone. That’s why there is an existing, easy-to-navigate ecosystem for shipping plants, seeds or seedlings, cut flowers, and house plants across the country.

In this article, we will show you how to ship plants, discuss the regulations applicable when shipping plants across state boundaries, and explain how to select the right shipping courier for your needs.

Essential materials for shipping plants

To ship plants effectively, you will need most or all of the following tools and materials:

• Gardening gloves
• Lightweight plastic pots
• Sterilized potting soil
• Wrapping paper or newspaper
• Plastic or eco-friendly bag
• Ties or rubber bands
• Bubble wrap
• Paper towels

Prepping and packing plants safely for shipping

1. Prep and remove the plant from the soil

Plants are generally best shipped with bare roots instead of in their pots. Start by removing your plant from the garden or its potting soil.

Apply fresh water to the plant five to six hours before you start digging it out of the soil. Semi-dry soil is perfect for shipping plants.

When digging, dig a few inches away from the plant's main stem to avoid damaging the roots. Put on your gardening gloves and gently remove the plant’s roots from the pot.

Next, gently loosen the soil around the plant’s roots, then shake off the excess. Keep the exposed roots in a shaded area until you are ready to pack the plant for shipping.

2. Wrap the roots in moist paper

We recommend wrapping the plant in dampened paper towels or newspaper, so that the water slowly releases moisture into the plant en route to its destination without oversaturating it.

Soak four or five sheets of crumpled newspaper in a bowl of water until the papers are wet but not sopping. If you expect the trip to be lengthy, soak two teaspoons of polymer moisture crystals in water to make a slurry, then add it to the plant's roots.

Fold the newspapers in half and place the dug-up plant sideways on it with the roots and stem in the center of the paper. Adjust the foliage so it is outside the edge of the newspaper. If you don’t do this, the plant will rot during shipment.

Roll the paper gently around the roots and stem while keeping the foliage sticking out of the rolled newspaper. Use a compostable sticker or a custom hangtag made from recycled cardstock to label the plant sustainably.

Fold the newspaper bottom into a roll to serve as a moist base for the roots and stem inside. Then place the rolled-up newspaper with the bottom folded upright inside a sustainable bag.

If the plant is of decent thickness and not too delicate, you can add extra protection by wrapping a few layers of bags loosely around the plant while still keeping the foliage outside the bag. You shouldn’t close the top of the bag because air and moisture must get to the roots to keep them alive.

3. Place the plant in a sturdy box

You need a box that is sturdy enough to protect your plant and can withstand being kicked, thrown, or dropped during transit. Corrugated boxes are the best choice for mailing live plants. They’re eco-friendly, easy to pack and sturdy.

If you sell live plants, you can get custom shipping boxes from noissue designed specifically for the types of beautiful foliage you ship regularly, from orchids to succulents and spider plants.

If you’re shipping multiple plants at once, use partitioned corrugated boxes to keep all the items neatly separated but still in a single box.

Recycled Kraft Box by @jennavandenbrink

Gently squeeze excess air out of the bag, then place the plant wrapped in wet paper towels inside a similarly sized cardboard box for a snug fit. The box should be only slightly larger than the plant, as limiting extra space prevents the plant from moving around too much.

Movement can cause plant stems and leaves to break. Use twist ties, cable ties, or bands to secure the floral arrangements or foliage to the box to prevent movement during shipment. If there is extra room in the box, use shredded tissue or packing paper, newspaper, bubble wrap, or packing peanuts to fill any pockets.

4. Seal the box with strong packing tape

Close the lid of the corrugated cardboard box and tape all the seams and edges with strong packing tape. It’s better to use the H tape method to ensure adequate protection for the package and its contents.

💡 Pro tip: The H tape method means applying tape to seal the box's opened seams. This will make an H-like shape across the top and bottom of your box.

Custom noissue tape by @zellieskoipond

If you are concerned that the box may be handled roughly, reinforce its edges with strapping tape to protect your live plants.

5. Add proper shipping and handling labels

When it’s time to ship plants, make sure your package is labeled properly. You should consider using custom compostable stickers for your boxes that say “live plant”, “indoor plant”, and “perishable”, as this lets the postal service know the package must be handled with care and treated as priority mail.

Shipping guidelines also require that you add a standard shipping label with basic information, including the shipping name and address, the courier code, and your return address. Avoid using a paper shipping label, as it might absorb moisture in the package and get damaged.

It’s important that dug-out plants are packaged and shipped as soon as possible. Mail your plant at the beginning of the week to ensure it won’t be left at the shipping center over the weekend. Note that national holidays or peak mailing periods, such as Mother’s Day, may result in slower shipping.

Pay attention to the local weather in the area you are shipping to. If the recipient’s location is experiencing extreme weather, wait before you mail the plant. You could lose the plant if it’s stuck in a big truck with extremely hot weather or if it freezes up when left at the recipient’s doorstep during final delivery.

Shipping potted plants

You may also prefer to ship a potted plant instead of uprooting it. While this helps ensure the plant is well-protected, be mindful that it also increases shipping costs.

To ship a potted plant, get a plastic flower pot from a nursery or home improvement store that won’t break during transit, like a clay pot might. Transfer your garden or house plant to the flower pot and water it thoroughly the day before it is shipped, keeping the soil moist.

Wrap the pot in a newspaper and wrap burlap around the plant’s foliage. Place the wrapped pot in a plastic bag and tie the handles of the bag around the plant’s stem. If the plant has more than one stem, place paper over the soil and secure it to the pot. To cushion the pot inside the box, use bubble wrap or packing peanuts to fill any remaining space.

Place the plant inside the box and use a corrugated divider to separate the flower pot from the flowers (with the pot at the bottom). Place the plant upright if possible and mark “this end up” outside the box. If the recipients’ local temperatures are low, you can wrap the package in bubble wrap to help it withstand exposure to cold.

Seal the box with packing tape and add the appropriate labels. You should never ship potted plants with water since it may leak during transit and damage other products.

Regulations for shipping live plants across the country and globally

Although shipping plants across the country doesn’t require any special equipment, there are laws and limitations you need to keep in mind. These regulations apply when you are shipping plants across state lines or internationally.

Shipping plants domestically

Most plants can be shipped to most states within the US, provided mailing them is not prohibited by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). Check the National Plant Board’s state law regulation summaries for importing plants in each state.

These guidelines will differ from state to state. Each state’s department of agriculture considers the impact of imported plants on the local vegetation and how such plants could bring harmful diseases, insects, or pest infestation to the state.

Rules apply to soil type, plant type, and pest-free certifications. Most states require that imported plants must have been grown indoors in sterilized potting soils. There are also states with stricter rules in place that may require certain plants to be quarantined.

States like California, Hawaii, and Florida are particularly known for rigid regulations around the shipping of plants. For example, California bans the import of citrus plants due to the threat of pest infestations, such as the gypsy moth.

Shipping plants internationally

The first thing you need to obtain before you can ship plants internationally from the United States is a phytosanitary certificate. Healthy plants certificates are issued by the department of agriculture or horticulture of the new location country, and they certify that your shipment has been treated to be free of harmful pests and plant diseases.

You will need the appropriate customs forms and declarations, and you must also follow all the other applicable regulations and restrictions of the destination country.

Countries have these regulations in place to prevent the introduction of harmful pests, diseases, and environmentally damaging invasive species. Check with the relevant government agency or authority in the destination country about any applicable rules and restrictions to avoid having your potted plants denied entry.

If you’re shipping plants into the United States from abroad, view the USDA’s plant import hub to find relevant information for your shipment, including the required permits.

Best courier options for shipping plants

You will need fast shipping when mailing perishable items, such as potted plants, flowers, or plant cuttings. The longer your plant is cooped up in transit without light and water, the less likely it is to survive the trip.

You can ship plants using any of the major carriers, including USPS, FedEx, and UPS, as well as other plant shipping service companies.

Exact costs and timeframes depend on the size, urgency and new location of your plant. Where possible, opt for overnight shipping and priority mail services.

Wrapping it up

Shipping perishable items, such as garden or house plants, requires careful planning and a firm grasp of the relevant regulations (both local and international). But with the right packing and preparation, your plants can be shipped safely to their new location in full compliance with all applicable laws and restrictions. Good luck!

Need custom, sustainable materials for wrapping, packaging, and shipping your plants? Check out noissue’s collection of small business-friendly shipping products.

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