Custom Pencil Boxes with Die-Cut Window

Box Styles That Work for Pencils

A flat tuck end box is the simplest and cheapest style. The pencils sit on a printed card tray inside, and the box closes with tucks at each end. It suits sets sold in supermarkets, newsagents and online.

A sleeve and tray box has a printed tray that slides out of an outer sleeve, often with a window in the sleeve. It feels more considered and makes it easy to put the pencils back after use, which matters for sets that live on a desk.

For larger artist sets, a hinged lid box with a window lets customers open the pack like a case. Two tiers of pencils can be held on stepped trays so every tip is visible through a single window.

Holding the Pencils in Place

Pencils rolling about inside a box quickly lose their points and end up jumbled, which spoils the view through the window. A die-cut card insert with slots, or a tray with a row of small grooves, keeps every pencil in its place and in the right colour order.

The insert is also a chance to add useful information. Printing the colour name or number below each slot helps artists find and reorder individual shades, and it makes the pack look carefully made. For children's sets, a simple pattern or character on the tray adds fun once the pencils have been taken out.

For sets that are used in classrooms, a slightly deeper slot holds pencils more firmly so they survive being opened and closed by small hands many times. For premium sets sold as gifts, a foam or flocked insert gives a softer bed and a richer look, though it adds to the cost. We can show both on the proof so you can compare.

Measuring and Sizing

Standard pencils are around 175 mm long and 7–8 mm across, but colouring and artist pencils vary. Measure a sample of the actual pencils, including any end caps or erasers. Allow a few millimetres at each end so the tips do not press against the board, and allow the width of the slot insert in your total.

Count the pencils in each row and multiply by the barrel width plus a small gap. A set of twelve in a single row typically sits in a box around 95–110 mm wide. Larger sets either widen the box or move to two tiers, and the choice affects how the window is shaped.

Do not forget items that travel with the pencils. A sharpener, an eraser or a blending stump needs its own pocket, usually at one end of the tray or in a separate compartment beside the row. Sending us all the extras at the start avoids a resize after the first proof. Our guide on how to measure a sharpened pencil explains the clearance a tip needs under film.

Print and Finishing Choices

White folding boxboard gives bright, clean colour reproduction, which suits art brands showing off a palette. Kraft board gives a handmade feel that suits natural wood pencils and craft brands. Full colour printing works on both, though bright colours read better on white.

A matt lamination looks calm and premium, while gloss makes illustrations pop on a children's set. Spot UV on the brand name, or a foil accent, can add shelf appeal without crowding the window area. Keep a clear margin around the window so the cut edge does not run into text.

Use the back panel for practical details such as the pencil type, lead softness, whether the colours are blendable or water-soluble, and an age guidance line for children's sets. A barcode belongs there too, positioned where it will not be covered by a price sticker. Shoppers often turn a box over before buying, so a tidy, informative back panel helps close the sale.

If you sell several sizes of the same range, keep the artwork consistent and change only the count and window width. The family resemblance helps customers move up to a larger set later.

Count the Pencils, Then Decide if the Tips or the Barrels Should Show

A windowed pencil box is designed around what the window frames, so decide first whether shoppers should see the sharpened tips, the colour barrels or both. Tips sit under a slot window across the top third of the lid; barrels need a longer window and a slotted insert that keeps the colours in order. Count the pencils, measure one with its tip, and tell us whether the set is sold on a shelf, a peg or as a gift, because a peg needs a hang tab and a gift suits a hinged lid with a colour chart inside. Large sets can use a two-tier stepped tray so every tip stays visible. Single replacement pencils usually get a slim pencil carton in matching artwork.

Send the pencil size, count, box style, window shape and quantity, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day. The free proof shows the window, insert slots and artwork together. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval, boxes arrive flat by tracked courier to UK mainland addresses, and misprinted boxes or crooked film reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.