Snap lock bottom box template
Enter the finished size of your carton and the dieline below redraws instantly: four body panels, a tapered glue flap, a tuck top on the front, and a snap-lock bottom of two side flaps, a back flap with a half-moon notch and a front flap with a lock tongue. Open it in the Studio to design it, fold it in 3D and export the dieline as a 1:1 PDF, SVG or DXF.
Set your box size
- Flat sheet
- 297 mm × 226 mm
- Panels
- 13
Cutting template: a tuck top hinged on the front with slit-locked tuck, shouldered dust flaps and a thumb notch; at the bottom, two tapered side flaps, a back flap with a half-moon notch and a front flap whose tongue tucks in under the back flap. No glue on the bottom. Width, depth and height are inside sizes; panels are creased one board thickness wider and the walls three boards taller for the layered bottom. Ask your printer to confirm the allowances for their board.
What is a snap lock bottom box?
A snap lock bottom box, also called a 1-2-3 bottom or lock bottom box, is a folding carton whose bottom closes with four interlocking flaps and no glue. It ships flat with the bottom open; the packer folds the flaps in order and the last one snaps into place. The bottom is much stronger than a tuck end, and the carton costs less to make than a pre-glued crash lock, which is why it is popular for cosmetics, supplements, candles and small electronics.
What is on the dieline
The template draws every panel from your three measurements.
- Four body panels in one strip: side, front, side, back, with a glue flap with 15° tapered ends.
- A top lid on the front panel with a slit-locked tuck tongue, two shouldered dust flaps and a thumb notch in the back.
- Two tapered side flaps at the bottom that fold in first.
- A back flap covering two thirds of the depth, with a half-moon notch in its edge.
- A front flap that overlaps the back flap, with a lock tongue that tucks in under it.
- Adjustable glue flap, tuck, top dust flap, bottom side flap and lock tongue sizes in the Studio.
- Cut lines and crease lines kept separate, as in the PDF, SVG and DXF exports.
How to close a 1-2-3 bottom
Turn the open carton upside down. (1) Fold in the two side flaps. (2) Fold the back flap over them. (3) Fold the front flap over the back flap and push its tongue in under the back flap's edge, past the half-moon notch, until it snaps flat. The walls are cut so each flap creases a board above the one that closes after it, so the bottom lies flat. Watch it fold in that order in 3D in the Studio.
Snap lock vs auto lock vs tuck end
A straight tuck end or reverse tuck end bottom is the cheapest and fine for light products, but a tuck can open under weight. A snap lock bottom holds more and needs no glue, so it suits short runs and products packed by hand. An auto lock bottom is pre-glued and forms itself when the carton is opened, which is fastest on a packing line and strongest, at a slightly higher price per carton.
Is the snap lock bottom template free?+
Yes. The size picker and dieline here are free. Designing, saving and exporting happen in the Studio with a free account.
Is a snap lock bottom the same as a 1-2-3 bottom?+
Yes. Snap lock, 1-2-3 bottom and lock bottom are names for the same four-flap bottom that closes by hand without glue. A crash lock or auto lock bottom is different: it is glued at the factory and forms itself when the carton is opened.
Are the sizes inside or outside dimensions?+
Inside. Each panel is creased one board thickness wider for the caliper you set, and the walls are three boards taller for the layered bottom, so the folded carton keeps the inside size you enter.
Can I download the dieline?+
Yes. The Studio exports a 1:1 PDF with your artwork, and the cutting template on its own as SVG or DXF with cut and crease lines on separate layers. Ask your printer to confirm the allowances for their board.