Free Printable Matchbox Template

Measurement guides put a standard safety matchbox at about 50.5 × 37.5 × 12.5 mm, roughly 2 × 1.5 × 0.5 in, and Wikipedia gives about 5 × 3.5 × 1.5 cm. The classic size in this matchbox template matches it: 1.95 × 1.36 × 0.38 in inside, 1.98 × 1.47 × 0.49 in closed.

Kitchen matchboxes are much larger and vary by brand, so measure yours and type its inside size. On one Letter page, the largest box with the classic proportions is about 3.58 × 2.49 × 0.69 in inside.

A matchbox has two pieces. The tray has a floor, two side walls and two end walls, with corner flaps glued inside the end walls, like the ECMA B40.20.00.00 tray. The sleeve is a tube of four panels with a glue flap.

This matchbox box template draws the sleeve from the outside of the tray plus 2 mm of clearance (about 5/64 in) in width and height, the default templatemaker.nl uses too. The drawer slides easily but does not drop out, and the thickness of the card is counted in every panel.

Cut both pieces on the solid lines. Score the dashed lines with a bone folder or an empty ballpoint pen against a ruler and fold them away from the printed side. Fold up the tray walls and glue the corner flaps inside the end walls.

Glue the sleeve’s flap inside the opposite edge, let the tube dry flat and slide the tray in. Too tight? Raise the clearance or set the board to the card you used. Too loose? Lower the clearance. Page 1 of the matchbox template draws each step, and the 3D view slides the drawer before you print.

Use 65 lb cover card stock, about 176 gsm and 8.5 pt thick. Most home printers feed it, it folds cleanly and the matchbox template is sized for it by default.

Plain 20 lb printer paper works for a test, but the box comes out floppy. Heavier 80 to 110 lb card stock is sturdier if your printer takes it: choose it in the board settings so the sizes allow for it.

Print at 100%, Actual size or No scaling, never Fit to page. Page 1 has the instructions, a 1 in square and a 25 mm square to check the scale, the folding steps and a map of the pages.

Cut lines are solid and fold lines are dashed, and most panels show their sizes in gray. For a print shop or a cutting table, download the production PDF, SVG or DXF, with cut, crease, bleed and safe lines on their own layers.

A matchbox holds stud earrings, a ring, a pin, seeds, candy or a folded note. The deep size takes a tiny gift or a tiny book, and the gift card box a gift card. Print the matchbox template 24 times for an advent calendar, with a number on each sleeve.

For a gift, slip "reasons I love you" notes into the tray and put a name and a date on the sleeve. For a figure, a blind box template may fit better; more shapes are in the box templates library.