White SBS cardstock
A bright, smooth sheet. Photography, gradients and fine type all hold their detail, and colors sit where the proof says they will.
- Home
- Food Sleeves
- Pastry Sleeves
Sleeve and tray · Bakery and patisserie
Custom Pastry Sleeves
A printed outer that slides off a plain inner tray. It is the format patisserie counters use because the artwork can change every season while the tray underneath stays exactly the same.
- 500 piece minimum
- Sleeve plus inner tray
- Reprint artwork only
- Free digital proof
500
Minimum per design
Volume pricing from 1,000
6–7 days
Standard production
After you approve the proof
Free
Dieline and proof
Built around your item
Worldwide
Tracked shipping
Quoted with the job
In short
Pastry sleeves are printed board bands that slide over a plain inner tray to hold cakes, brownies and patisserie. Because only the sleeve carries artwork, a bakery can change designs seasonally without reprinting the tray. The Cone Sleeves prints them from 500 pieces per design with a free proof and 6–7 business day production.
Why shops order pastry sleeves from us
Artwork changes, tray does not
Reprint the sleeve for a season or a holiday and keep using the same inner tray, which cuts the cost of a design change by more than half.
Premium by construction
A sleeve that slides is the format customers associate with patisserie rather than takeaway, before a single word is printed on it.
Protects the product
The inner tray takes the handling and the sleeve takes the scuffs, so the cake arrives with its decoration intact.
Takes a real finish
Foil stamping and spot UV read properly on a flat sleeve face in a way they never do on a curved wrap.
Window optional
A die-cut window shows the product without opening the box, which sells better on a shelf than any photograph of it.
Flat storage
Sleeves and trays both ship flat, so a bakery with one shelf of storage can still hold a thousand pieces.
Printed work
Pastry Sleeves we have printed
Every run below started as somebody's artwork on plain board. Yours is quoted the same way, whatever the shape.
Specifications
Everything this order includes
These are the options we quote against. If you need something outside them, ask — most custom sizes and finishes are possible, and the quote will say so plainly.
| Construction | Printed outer sleeve plus a plain inner drawer tray |
|---|---|
| Board | White SBS or natural kraft, 300–350 gsm for the sleeve, 350 gsm for the tray |
| Sizes | Cut to your product; single slice, four-pack and six-pack are the common ones |
| Printing | Full-color CMYK, single-color logo, Pantone spot colors or foil stamping |
| Finish | Matte lamination and spot UV are common here; uncoated for a plainer look |
| Minimum order | 500 pieces per design; volume pricing from 1,000 pieces |
| Turnaround | 6–7 business days after proof approval; 3–4 day rush on request |
| Window | Die-cut window with or without film, on request |
Why bakeries choose sleeve and tray
A one-piece printed box means every design change is a full reprint. A sleeve and tray splits that in two: the tray is plain and never changes, and only the printed band has to be reordered when the season does.
For a bakery running a Christmas design, a Valentine's design and an everyday line, that difference decides whether seasonal packaging is affordable at all.
It also simplifies stock. One tray size covers three product lines if the footprint matches, and the sleeves distinguish them on the shelf. Counters that also sell single desserts to go often pair these with printed sleeves for boxed desserts from the same artwork.
Getting the slide right
A sleeve that is too tight scuffs the tray and frustrates staff; too loose and it slides off in a bag. The tolerance is small, usually a millimeter or two, and it depends on the board weight of both parts.
We cut both dielines together for exactly this reason, and the proof comes as a matched pair so you can slide one over the other before approving the run.
If you already have a tray you like, send us one. We will measure it and cut the sleeve to fit rather than asking you to change a supplier you are happy with.
Windows, foil and when they earn their cost
A die-cut window without film is cheap, keeps the pack recyclable and works well for anything that is not fragile or prone to drying out. Adding a film panel costs more and complicates recycling, but it is necessary for a product that needs to stay covered.
Foil stamping is the other upgrade worth considering. On a matte laminated sleeve, a small foil mark reads as expensive in a way that a printed gold never does, and it costs less than most people assume at a run of a thousand.
Neither is necessary. Plenty of the best-looking bakery sleeves are a single ink on uncoated board, and the quote will price the plain version alongside the upgrades so the comparison is real.
Where these are used
- Patisserie and cake counters
- Brownie and traybake brands
- Hotel and restaurant desserts
- Wedding and event favors
- Seasonal gift ranges
- Subscription and mail-order bakeries
Not sure on size?
Send a sample or a photo with a ruler beside it and we cut the dieline to fit. There is no charge for the dieline or the digital proof.
Ask a questionHow the order runs
- You send sizes, quantity and artwork, or just a photo of the item.
- We build the dieline and come back with a written price.
- You approve a digital proof with your artwork laid on it.
- We print, cut and ship, with tracking on the carton.
Materials and printing
Board and print, side by side
Three boards and three ways to print on them. Every combination below is quoted the same way, so the choice is about how you want the packaging to feel in the hand.
Choose the board
Natural kraft
Unbleached brown board. Ink sits into the surface rather than on top of it, which mutes bright colors and reads as craft and small-batch.
Recycled board
Post-consumer fiber with a slight fleck through it. It takes a one or two color mark well and tells the customer what it is without a claim printed on it.
Choose how it prints
Full-color CMYK
Four process inks. The right choice when the artwork is a photograph, an illustration or anything with a gradient in it.
Single-color logo
One ink on plain board. It is the least expensive way to print a run and, on kraft, it is often the better looking one.
Pantone spot colors
A mixed ink matched to a Pantone reference. Use it when a brand color has to be exact across every reprint.
Quote configurator
Configure your pastry sleeves
Five short steps. Answer what you know, skip what you do not, and we come back with a written price and a free dieline.
Questions
Pastry Sleeves: common questions
Do I have to buy the tray from you as well?
No. If you already have a tray you are happy with, send us one and we will cut the sleeve to fit it. Buying both together is usually cheaper and guarantees the tolerance is right, but it is not a requirement.
How many designs can I run on one tray size?
As many as you like, as long as each sleeve design reaches 500 pieces. Running four seasonal designs over a year on one tray is exactly what this format is for, and each reprint reuses the same dieline at no setup cost.
Can the sleeve have a window?
Yes. A plain die-cut window costs very little and keeps the pack easy to recycle. Adding a clear film panel costs more and makes recycling harder, so we only suggest it where the product genuinely needs to be covered.
Is the board food-safe for direct contact with cake?
The inner tray is specified for direct food contact. The printed sleeve does not touch the product, which is one of the quiet advantages of this construction: the artwork can use finishes that would not be appropriate against food.
Will a matte laminated sleeve still recycle?
A plastic lamination makes it harder in most municipal systems. If recycling matters more than the finish, ask for a matte varnish instead. It gives a similar look on the shelf and keeps the sleeve in the paper stream.
What sizes are already on file?
Single slice, four-pack and six-pack footprints are the ones we cut most often. Anything else is a new dieline, which we still build at no charge; it simply adds a day before the proof is ready.
Related products
Often ordered alongside
Free quote · No obligation
Tell us your cone, we will price the sleeve
Send your size, quantity and artwork. You get a written quote and a free digital proof before anything goes to press.