Custom Pencil Boxes with Window

Board, Film and Construction

Folding boxboard in the 300 to 400 gsm range suits most sets of up to two dozen pencils. Heavier sets, or boxes that double as a desk store for years, are better in a thicker board or with a reinforced tray. Kraft board gives a natural, studio-supply look that sits well with graphite and charcoal ranges.

The window film is a clear sheet glued to the inside of the panel before folding. It keeps dust off the pencil tips and stops small fingers poking the leads in a shop. If you would rather have an open cut-out with no film, we can do that too, though it suits pencils sold in a sealed outer wrap better than loose sets.

Common constructions include: p2 Board weights are compared in the guide to board and card types.

• Sleeve and tray, where a printed sleeve slides over a white or printed tray
• Tuck end carton with the window on the main face
• Hinged lid box that opens like a book and closes with a tuck flap
• Hanging display box with a euro slot punched into a header panel

Printing Around Clear Film

Full colour print on the outer board is standard, and the inside of the lid can be printed too, which is a nice place for a colour chart or a short note on sharpening and storage. Because the pencils show through, avoid putting critical text right next to the window edge, where the eye is pulled towards the product.

A matt laminate keeps fingerprints down on boxes that are handled a lot in stationery shops. Gloss suits bright children's ranges. Spot UV on the logo or a foil on the set name lifts a premium artist range without changing the basic carton.

When you send artwork, mark the window position on a separate layer. Our free design proof will show the cut lines, folds and window together, so you can see exactly how much of each pencil will be visible before anything is printed.

Measuring Your Pencils for a Good Fit

Measure a sharpened pencil from tip to end, then measure the width of the full row lying side by side. Add a couple of millimetres in each direction so the set drops in without forcing. Hexagonal pencils need slightly more room across the row than round ones because the flats do not always nest.

If the set includes a sharpener, an eraser or a blending stump, tell us where you want them to sit. A small pocket in the insert keeps loose items from rattling against the film. For sets that will be restocked by the buyer, a tray with individual slots is worth the small extra cost. p1 The guide to measuring a product covers rows of items side by side.

Shelf Sets Versus Gift Sets

A set sold on a busy stationery shelf has a different job from one bought as a present. On the shelf, the box has a second or two to make its case, so the window should be large, the set size printed big and the brand easy to spot from a distance. Spine or end-panel print matters too, because many shops stack sets on their side.

A gift set is usually handled and turned over, so it can afford a smaller, more framed window and more detail on the back: the shade names, a short note about the pigment, or the story of the brand. A sleeve over a rigid tray, or a hinged box with a ribbon pull, makes the opening feel like part of the present.

If you sell both ways, the simplest answer is one tray and insert with two different outer sleeves. The pencils are packed the same way every time, and you only change the printed wrap depending on where the set is going. It keeps stock simple and lets you test a new look on a short run without changing the whole pack.

Lay the Set Side by Side and Measure the Row

A pencil box with a window is sized to the row, not to one pencil, and hexagonal pencils take more room across the row than round ones because the flats do not nest. Lay the full set side by side, sharpened, measure the row width and a pencil tip to end, and add 2 mm each way. If a sharpener or an eraser goes in, say where; it needs a pocket in the insert so it does not rattle against the film.

Decide a straight window or a tip-tracing zigzag, which needs the insert to hold every pencil at the same height, and keep at least 8 mm of board around it. The custom quote arrives by email within one working day, from £0.25 a box, with the minimum set per job.

The free proof shows the window and the insert; ordering two set sizes together keeps the borders and window position matching across the range. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and the boxes reach UK mainland addresses by free tracked delivery. Brands with a sketchbook in the range usually add our stationery boxes for pads and pens in the same print.