Mailer types we source
Poly mailers (standard) — lightweight, waterproof, tear-resistant polyethylene sleeves. The most common DTC shipping format for apparel, accessories, non-fragile beauty products, and soft goods. Available in custom sizes and a full range of printed colors and patterns.
Matte poly mailers — a frosted or matte-finish polyethylene with a premium look and feel compared to standard glossy poly. Extremely popular with beauty and lifestyle brands who want the mailer itself to feel on-brand.
Kraft paper mailers — brown or white kraft paper mailers with a water-activated or peel-and-seal closure. A recyclable alternative to poly mailers. Not waterproof, but increasingly requested by eco-positioned brands.
Padded bubble mailers — a poly or kraft outer with a bubble-wrap lined interior. Suitable for fragile or semi-fragile small products: cosmetics, small electronics, supplements, jewelry.
Rigid photo mailers / stay-flat mailers — a card-backed sleeve that keeps flat contents (prints, documents, fabric swatches) from bending in transit. Not commonly used in retail but relevant for stationery and art brands.
Co-extruded (co-ex) poly mailers — a heavier-grade poly mailer with improved puncture resistance. Used when products have sharp edges or when extra durability is required.
Opaque inner-lining mailers — standard mailers with a light-blocking inner lining that conceals the contents from light. Popular in subscription box services where the product reveal is part of the experience.
Key specifications to consider
Size: Measured as width × height in closed position. Measure your most common packaged product (folded + any inner packaging) and add at least 1–1.5 inches on each dimension for comfortable sealing.
Thickness (gauge): Measured in microns or mils. A standard lightweight mailer is around 60 microns; heavy-duty is 100+ microns. If your products have any sharp corners or points, always spec heavier gauge.
Closure type: Peel-and-seal adhesive strip is standard. A secondary safety seal (a second strip for returns or recipient confidence) is also available and increasingly popular.
Printing: Flexographic printing is standard for high-volume mailer runs. Full-color custom printing available, though most brands opt for a clean two to four-color design (logo, brand color, tagline) for cost efficiency.
Inner color: The interior of a mailer is typically white or grey. Custom inner color printing is available but adds cost.
Sustainability note
100% recycled-content poly mailers and compostable mailers (made from PLA or PBAT/corn starch blends) are available. Compostable mailers require specific disposal conditions to break down properly — this should be communicated clearly on the mailer if it's part of your brand messaging. Let us know if eco-material options are a requirement.
For a DTC brand shipping direct to consumers, the mailer is the packaging. It's what lands on the doorstep, gets photographed, and defines the customer's first impression of your brand. A generic grey poly mailer signals commodity. A custom-printed matte mailer in your brand color — with your logo, a small brand line, and maybe a design detail on the inner — signals intention.
Custom mailers are also one of the most cost-efficient branding investments available to small brands. The per-unit cost difference between a generic and a custom-printed mailer is small at volume. The brand impression difference is significant.
Shape Bend Form is a sourcing service built specifically for small and micro retail brands in the US, Canada, and Mexico. We work with vetted manufacturers in India and China to produce custom retail packaging, display stands, and brand extras — then ship everything direct to you via air freight. Think of us as your dedicated packaging sourcing team: we find the right manufacturer, negotiate your price, manage production, and get your order to your door.
No. We are sourcing specialists, not a factory. This is actually an advantage for you — because we work with multiple manufacturers across India and China, we can match your specific project to the supplier best suited to your materials, format, quantities, and timeline. You get access to a wider range of capabilities than any single factory could offer.
We currently serve retail brands in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
We work with micro and small retail brands across a wide range of product categories, including skincare and beauty, jewelry and accessories, specialty food and artisan beverages, candles and home fragrance, apparel and lifestyle, and subscription box businesses. If you sell a physical product and care about how it's presented, we can likely help you.
Sourcing overseas manufacturers on your own requires significant time, supplier vetting experience, language navigation, and quality oversight that most small brand founders simply don't have the bandwidth for. We already have established relationships with reliable factories, know how to read and negotiate quotes, and manage the production process so you don't have to. You focus on your brand — we handle the sourcing.