Sandwich packaging has one overriding job: show the product honestly while keeping the bread in the condition the customer expects. Get the shape and the ventilation right and the rest is branding. To order the format, go to sandwiches boxes.
Measure a made sandwich
Have someone in the kitchen build the sandwich the way it is actually built on a busy service, then measure it.
- Height at the thickest point, which is usually the middle of the filling rather than the crust.
- Length along the cut edge if it is a diagonal cut, or along the long side if it is a straight cut.
- Depth, meaning the thickness of the bread plus filling at the back edge.
- Bulge. A generously filled sandwich spreads at the cut face. Measure the widest point of that spread, not the neat version.
Add a small clearance so staff can place the sandwich in one motion without compressing it. Then give us internal length x width x depth, marked internal.
The format choice
| Format | Shows | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wedge box with a film window | The cut face, which is where the filling is visible | Grab and go chilled cabinets, the standard for a diagonally cut sandwich |
| Clamshell or hinged box | Nothing until opened | Hot sandwiches, delivery, anything that needs a sturdy base |
| Sleeve around a wrapped sandwich | A band of branding with the product visible around it | Wrapped baguettes and rolls, cheapest per unit |
| Flat carton with a tuck close | Nothing until opened | Square cut sandwiches and multipacks |
Windows, venting and moisture
A window sells a sandwich, which is why the wedge format dominates chilled retail. It also adds a step in production and a material to separate at recycling, so some brands choose a die cut opening with no film instead, which vents at the same time. That is the trade off in a sentence: film shows the product and holds moisture in, an open cut shows less and breathes more.
For a warm sandwich, venting is not optional. Steam trapped against bread turns a toasted sandwich soft in the time it takes to walk to a table. Ask for vent holes or a vented closure, and tell us the serving temperature so the board and any coating are matched to it.
Board, grease and food contact
Sandwich fillings carry oil, sauce and moisture in combination, which is harder on board than any one of them alone. Kraft board is the common choice for its look and its tolerance of light marking. Bleached board gives a cleaner print surface. Either can take a grease resistant treatment. Confirm food contact suitability of any coating or liner with us on the quote for your specific filling and serving temperature, since we do not certify compliance on your behalf.
Ordering, minimum and turnaround
Minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, with window film, coating and print coverage reflected there. The die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included, which is why a box cut to your exact sandwich costs no more to tool than a standard wedge.
Turnaround is quoted per product in three lanes: rush (expedited production plus air freight, at a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job), standard by air, and cost saver by sea. The floor is from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 days for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. We produce in West Chicago, US, and Guangzhou, China.
Send a photograph and the measurements of your made sandwich, along with the serving temperature, and we will spec the box at /quote/. Order at sandwiches boxes, and for hot plated items see the food tray packaging guide.
