Contact lens cartons are a high-precision, high-volume folding carton job with a regulated information panel and variable data on every unit. This page lists what the quote needs. To order, see contact lens boxes.
Specification sheet
| Item | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blister count | Lenses per carton, for example a 30 or 90 lens pack | Sets the array and therefore the carton |
| Blister dimensions | Length, width and dome height of one sealed blister | Measure the sealed unit, including the foil flange |
| Array layout | Rows and columns, and whether strips are stacked | Two shallow layers often beats one deep one for shelf facing |
| Internal dimensions | Length x width x depth of the packed block plus clearance | State the word internal on the quote |
| Board | Folding carton caliper appropriate to the pack weight | A 90 lens carton is substantially heavier than a 30 |
| Closure | Tuck end, seal end, or a tamper evident variant | Tamper evidence is a structural decision, not a sticker |
| Variable data area | Clear, coating-free panel area for lot, expiry, power and base curve | Coding method decides the surface; confirm with your line |
| Barcode | Retail symbol on the unit; ITF-14 on the case | Verify the symbol scans off the printed board, not off the artwork file |
| Braille | Required in some markets on medical packaging | Confirm per market; it changes the die and the panel layout |
| Case pack | Units per master carton, master dimensions and gross weight | See our master carton guide for the pallet arithmetic |
| Minimum order | 100 boxes | Applies per size |
| Price basis | From about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes | Confirmed on your written quote |
| Included | Die and plates, design support, US shipping, digital proof before anything prints | A die cut to your array costs no more than a near-standard one |
Sizing from the array
Take real blisters, lay them in the arrangement the packing line produces, and measure the resulting block. Blister strips nest differently depending on orientation, and a quarter inch saved across an array of thirty multiplies into a noticeably smaller carton and a better case pack. Then add clearance so the line can load the block without jamming.
Variable data is a design constraint
Every carton carries data unique to that unit: lot, expiry, and usually the optical parameters. That data is applied at packing by inkjet, thermal transfer or laser, and each method needs a particular surface. A glossy laminate or a heavy coating can refuse ink or smear it. Reserve a defined area, keep it free of the finish, and confirm the area with whoever runs the coding equipment before the die is cut. This is the most common reason a lens carton has to be re-run.
Regulated labelling
Contact lenses are regulated as medical devices in the United States, and comparable regimes apply in other markets. That means specific information must appear on the carton, in a defined way, and the requirements change. Get the current requirements for every market you sell into from your regulatory advisor, lay that content out first, and treat the brand design as what fits around it. We print what you supply and approve, we do not review artwork for regulatory compliance, and we make no compliance claims about the packaging we produce.
Turnaround
Three lanes: Rush (expedited production plus air freight), Standard (air) and Cost saver (sea). The floor is from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. Rush adds about 7 to 25%, depending on the job. We produce at West Chicago in the US and at Guangzhou in China.
Fill in the table above and send it with a sample blister strip measurement, and we will size the carton and the case together at /quote/. For the case level decisions, see what a master carton is.
