Custom Pencil Hang Tab Boxes

Sizing for Pencils, Pens and Markers

Measure the items in the arrangement you want, whether a single row, a fanned set or a stack. Standard pencils are around 175 mm long, but pens, markers and highlighters vary considerably, so measure your actual products including caps, as the guide to measuring your product describes.

Add a few millimetres so items slide in without force, and allow for any insert. For hang tab boxes, the tab height is added on top of the box, so check the total height fits the shop's peg spacing. Most peg walls have pegs at regular intervals, and a box that is too tall can clash with the row below.

If you supply the same shop with several products, keep the box widths consistent. Matching widths hang neatly in rows and make your range look organised.

Weight affects how a box hangs. A heavy pack of markers can tilt forwards on the peg if the tab is set too far back, so the tab should sit centrally over the weight of the contents. We check the balance when we lay out the dieline.

Windows and Inserts

A window lets shoppers see the colours, points or nibs, which is especially important for coloured pencils, markers and highlighters. Cut it across the top of the box to show tips, or along the full length for premium barrels, as on our pencil boxes with a die-cut window. A clear film keeps items sealed and stops them sliding out on the peg.

Inserts with slots keep items in order and stop them rattling. For pens with clips, a shaped insert holds them at a consistent angle so they look neat through the window.

Think about how the pack looks from the side, too. On a crowded peg wall, shoppers often see packs at an angle, so a side panel printed with the brand and count helps the box work even when the front is partly hidden by the pack in front.

For sets that include a sharpener or eraser, a small pocket in the insert keeps it from sliding to the bottom of the box where it would block the window.

Printing and Finishes

White folding boxboard gives bright colour for children's and art ranges. Kraft board suits brands with a natural, handmade style. The front panel should carry the brand, product type and count in clear type, since shoppers read peg displays quickly from a step or two away.

Matt lamination looks premium and resists scuffs from handling. Gloss gives illustrations extra punch. Spot UV or foil on the logo adds shelf presence. Print the back with product details, an age guidance line where relevant and a barcode positioned so it can be scanned without unhooking the pack from the peg.

Use colour to separate products. A different background colour for graphite, colouring and watercolour pencils, while keeping the same layout, lets shoppers find what they want on a busy wall in seconds.

Who Orders Hang Tab Pencil Packaging

Pencil and pen makers, stationery brands supplying shops, school and education suppliers, art and craft brands, museum and gift shops and promotional product companies all order hang tab boxes. Many start with a single range and add sizes as they gain more stockists, often with plain pencil cartons for the school trade.

Brands supplying both shops and online customers often use the same hang tab box for both, since the tab does no harm in a parcel.

Event and conference organisers also order small hang tab packs of branded pencils as giveaways, since they display neatly on a stand and are easy to hand out.

Measure the Peg Spacing as Well as the Pencils

A hang tab box has two dimensions that are easy to forget: the tab height and the peg spacing. The tab adds 30 to 40 mm above the box, and if the shop's pegs are closer together than that total height, the boxes clash on the wall, so ask your stockist for the gap before fixing the tab. Then lay the pencils out as they will be packed, caps on, measure the length, the row width and the stack height, and decide if a window across the tips or down the length shows the colours. Keep one width across the range.

Send the item sizes, the pack count, the box style, the hole type and the quantity, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day, small printed hang tab boxes from £0.25 each depending on size and finish, minimums set per job. A free design proof shows the tab, the window and the artwork. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after sign-off and the flat boxes reach UK mainland addresses on free tracked delivery in 2 to 3 working days. Brands that sell gift pencil sets often add rigid custom pencil boxes for those.