Custom Pencil Boxes
Custom pencil boxes sized to the pencil count you sell, from 100 units. A slide box that opens like a matchbox, a stepped tray that shows every color at once, or a plain tuck carton for a school pack — each cut so the pencils lie flat and do not rattle in the bag.
Long, thin, sold in rows, and rattling is the enemy
- Board
- 16–20 pt SBS coated; rigid chipboard for artist and gift sets
- Sizes
- Built to pencil length and count; 12 in a row is 8 x 3.5 x 0.4 in
- Styles
- Slide-and-shell, tuck carton, hinged lid, window front
Get a price for Pencil Boxes
Send the size and quantity — we reply the same working day with a price, a dieline and a date. Artwork optional at this stage.
- Free dielineThe flat drawing comes with the quote, before you commit.
- Proof before pressNothing is printed until you have seen it laid on the dieline.
- Die kept for reordersTooling is paid once. Every reorder skips straight to press.
- Quoted in four marketsUS, UK, Canada and Australia, in the delivery currency.
The pencil is a fixed size, so the box is arithmetic
A standard hexagonal pencil is 7.5 in long and 0.28 in across the flats; a round one is 0.28 in diameter; a jumbo is 0.4 in. Twelve hexagonal pencils in a single row need 3.4 in of internal width, and they nest better than round ones, which need a little more. Two rows of twelve stack to about half an inch. We build the internal dimensions from the count and the profile, with a sixteenth of clearance and no more — that clearance is the difference between a snug box and a rattle.
| 12, one row | 8 x 3.5 x 0.4 in — the classic pencil box |
|---|---|
| 24, two rows | 8 x 3.5 x 0.7 in, or a stepped tray |
| 36–48 | Stepped tray in two or three tiers, or a hinged tin-style box |
| 72, artist set | Stepped tray in a rigid box, or a roll-up case |
How it opens
For a colored set, the opening matters less than the view: the pencils are the product and the box should show them. For a graphite or a school pack, the closure matters more, because the box is opened and shut every day.
- A slide-and-shell — an inner tray that pushes out of an outer sleeve, like a matchbox. The most satisfying, and the same construction as our kraft drawer boxes with a sliding tray.
- A tuck-end carton, the cheapest, for a school or promotional pack.
- A hinged lid, so the box stands open on a desk as a display.
- A window front, which is what a colored-pencil set is bought on.
The stepped tray
A set of 36 or more pencils laid flat in rows hides every row but the top one. A stepped tray — a die-cut insert that lifts each row a little higher than the one in front — shows every pencil tip and every barrel color at once, and turns a box of pencils into a display. It costs one extra die-cut part and it is the single change that makes an artist set look like an artist set.
A stepped tray only works if the box lies flat when opened. On a hinged lid, set the hinge on the long side so the tray faces the customer.
Print, and the school-year run
Pencil boxes are printed in full color on a coated board — the barrel colors on the front, the count and the grade on the end panel, which is what shows when boxes are stacked on a shelf. School packs run once a year in large quantities and are priced accordingly; artist and gift sets run smaller and take a foil or a soft-touch finish. If the set is a gift, the rigid construction is worth the step up, on the lines of our premium rigid boxes for gift sets.
Pencil Boxes — specification
The rows that are specific to this build first, then what applies to every job we run. Anything not listed is a question, not a limit — send the brief.
This build
- Board
- 16–20 pt SBS coated; rigid chipboard for artist and gift sets
- Sizes
- Built to pencil length and count; 12 in a row is 8 x 3.5 x 0.4 in
- Styles
- Slide-and-shell, tuck carton, hinged lid, window front
- Inserts
- Stepped display tray, row dividers, foam bed for a gift set
- Full color; count and grade on the end panel
- Minimum
- 100 boxes
On every job
- Print process
- Digital below about a thousand, offset above it. Both sides as standard on cards, tags and leaflets.
- Color
- CMYK with spot colors for a brand match. Uncoated and cotton stocks print noticeably lighter than coated ones.
- Tolerance
- Trim plus or minus 1 mm guillotined, plus or minus 0.5 mm die-cut. Anything over about 170gsm is creased before folding.
- Tooling
- A die only where the piece is shaped, perforated or drilled, made once and kept. A plain rectangle needs none.
- Food contact
- Food-safe inks on menus and counter print that will be handled where food is served.
- Sustainability
- Uncoated and unlaminated stocks recycle without separation, and FSC papers are available across the range.
- Artwork
- Vector PDF or AI, 3 mm bleed, 4 mm safe area, fonts outlined. We check every file and send a proof before press.
- Dieline
- Supplied free with the quote, before you commit. Yours whether or not you order.
- Sample
- A plain unprinted sample at the finished size on request, for fit and construction.
- Reorders
- Skip the tooling and go straight to press at a lower unit price.
- Lead time
- Quoted with the price against your fill date rather than promised before we have seen the spec.
- Markets
- United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia — priced in the delivery currency, freight included.
Boards and films we build pencil boxes on
Sheet print is judged in the hand more than a box is: the weight, the surface and whether a pen works on it. These are the stocks we run for cards, folders, leaflets and stationery.
Coated card 300–400gsm
The workhorse. Sharp full-color print, matte or gloss, laminated where it is handled. Does not take a pen unless the finish is matte.
300–400gsmUncoated card
No clay coat. Colors read softer and warmer, a deboss goes deeper, and it writes on with anything. Photographs lose punch.
300–400gsmCotton and textured card
Soft, thick and fibrous. Takes a deep blind deboss and reads as an invitation. Foil sits beautifully; four-color does not.
400–700gsmDuplexed card
Two sheets bonded, often with a colored core, for a very thick card with a visible colored edge. The heaviest thing we print.
600–900gsmText paper 100–170gsm
Leaflets, folder inners and booklet pages. Folds without cracking and takes a full-color print on both faces.
100–170gsmManila and kraft paper
Unbleached, tan, and cheap. One or two colors read well; white ink gives a light mark. Envelopes, folders and tags.
90–300gsmSynthetic stock
Polypropylene sheet for tags and cards that get wet, torn or handled outdoors. Prints like paper and does not soften.
200–400 micronBoard-backed
A printed face laminated to grayboard, for a rigid card, a folder back or a display that has to stand up on its own.
1–2 mm boardNot sure which? Say what goes in it and where it is sold — the material follows from that. Our notes on recycled, recyclable and compostable cover which claims each stock can honestly carry.
- 01
Send what you have
A dimension, a photograph beside a ruler, or the product itself. No technical drawing needed — that part is ours.
- 02
We quote and draw
A price, a dieline and a date come back together. If a different build would suit the product better, that is in the reply too.
- 03
Approve the dieline
The flat drawing is yours to check: which panel is the front, where the folds fall, how deep the cavity really is.
- 04
Artwork on the dieline
You place your design on the flat we sent, or we place it for you, and you see a proof before anything goes to press.
- 05
A sample if you want one
A plain unprinted sample at the finished size shows fit and construction — the things a drawing cannot.
- 06
Cut, printed, shipped
The die is cut once and kept, so every reorder skips the tooling and goes straight to press at a lower unit price.
Format
Vector PDF or AI where possible. Raster artwork at 300dpi at final size, in CMYK.
Bleed
3 mm past every trim line, so a fraction of drift on the cutter never leaves a white edge.
Safe area
Keep type and anything important 4 mm inside the cut and away from every fold.
Color
Convert to CMYK before sending. Uncoated stock prints lighter; a spot color is the only exact match.
Fonts
Outline them or supply the files. A missing font substitutes silently and the proof will not match.
Barcodes
On a light, matte, unvarnished patch with the quiet zone clear — a code on gloss fails the scanner.
Not set up that way? Send it anyway — fixing a file is a short conversation, and we check every one before press. Our guide to preparing print files covers each point.
Sheet print takes the widest range of finishes of anything we make.
Matte lamination
Soft, fingerprint-resistant, and it still takes a pen. The default on anything handled.
Gloss lamination
Maximum color depth. Shows every fingerprint and refuses a ballpoint.
Hot foil
Gold, rose gold, silver, holographic or a color. The block is small so the die is cheap.
Emboss and deboss
Deepest on uncoated and cotton stocks; shallow and prone to cracking on gloss coated.
Spot UV
A gloss shape on a matte laminate. Best on a dark ground where the contrast reads.
Edge paint and colored core
Color on the cut edge of a thick or duplexed card. Only seen when the card is picked up, which is the point.
Soft-touch
A velvet laminate on a cover or a folder. Marks on white; excellent on dark.
Uncoated and textured
No film at all. Writes on, debosses deeply, and reads as considered rather than cheap.
Not sure which suits the shelf it sells from? Say where the product is sold and we suggest one — our notes on specialty finishes show them on real boxes.
Sizing printed sheets, folds and the grain: pencil boxes
A printed piece is specified flat and finished folded, and the difference between the two is where mistakes live. Send the finished size you want and we work back to the flat.
- Finished size
- The size after folding and trimming. A6, A5, A4, DL, US letter and legal are standard; anything else is cut on its own die.
- Bleed and safe area
- 3 mm of artwork past every trim edge, and nothing important within 4 mm inside it. The guillotine drifts by a fraction on every stack.
- Grain direction
- Paper folds cleanly along the grain and cracks across it. We set the grain to the fold, which is why a sheet is not simply cut from the biggest sheet available.
- Fold allowance
- On a roll fold or a gate fold, the inner panels are cut a millimeter or two shorter so the piece closes flat.
- Creasing
- Anything over about 170gsm is creased before folding. Without it the fold cracks and the coating flakes along the line.
- Trim tolerance
- Plus or minus 1 mm guillotined, plus or minus 0.5 mm die-cut.
Not sure your numbers are right? Send the product dimensions rather than the box dimensions and we work the box out — the full method is in our guide to measuring for a box.
Interactive · five steps · no sign-up
Spec your Pencil Boxes
Pick a shape, type a size, choose a stock and a finish. The preview on the left redraws as you go, and the spec lands with us exactly as you set it.
Frequently asked questions
Got a question about pencil boxes? The answers below cover what we get asked most. If yours is not here, send it with a brief, message us on WhatsApp, or call +1 503-461-4788 — we reply the same working day.
What size box for a dozen pencils?
About 8 x 3.5 x 0.4 in for twelve hexagonal pencils in one row. Send us the pencil and the count and we build to it.
How do you stop the rattle?
A sixteenth of an inch of clearance and no more. Most rattling boxes are simply cut too wide for the row.
Does a round pencil need a different box?
Slightly wider — round pencils do not nest as tightly as hexagonal ones. Tell us the profile and we adjust.
What is a stepped tray?
A die-cut insert that lifts each row higher than the one in front, so every barrel color and tip shows at once. It is what makes an artist set look like one.
Can I have a window?
Yes, in the front or the lid. For a colored set it is worth it, because the colors are the product.
Which opening should I choose?
A slide-and-shell for a gift or artist set, a tuck carton for a school pack, a hinged lid if the box should stand open on a desk.
Can it hold 72 pencils?
Yes, in a stepped tray inside a rigid box, or a roll-up case. Above about 48 the rigid build is worth it.
Can the box be rigid?
Yes, wrapped chipboard for an artist or gift set, with a foam or stepped tray inside.
Do you supply the pencils?
No, we make the packaging. Send us a pencil and we build the box around it.
What is the minimum order?
100 boxes per size. Cartons run many-up on a sheet, so short runs are practical.
How long does production take?
It depends on the build and the insert. We give a date with the quote rather than a number before we have seen the spec.
Will you send a sample?
An unprinted box in your size, so you can load your pencils and shake it before print.
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