This is the buyer's guide to specifying a window box. If your spec is settled and you want to order, the window boxes product page is the place to do it.
Window or no window
A window earns its cost when seeing the product is what closes the sale: baked goods, confectionery, candles, toys, apparel with a visible texture, anything where a photograph on the panel is a poorer version of the real thing. It costs you print area and a little panel strength, and it exposes the product to light. For anything light sensitive, a smaller aperture or no window at all is the better call.
Aperture rules that prevent trouble
- Keep a frame. Leave a solid border on all sides of the aperture. A window that runs close to a score or an edge invites tearing.
- Round the corners. Sharp internal corners concentrate stress and start tears. A radius is stronger and looks more deliberate.
- Do not cross a score. A window that spans a fold needs a different construction, usually a wrap-around film or a second aperture.
- Size to the product, not the panel. Showing eighty percent of the product with a strong frame beats showing everything through a fragile shell.
- Check the sightline. Look at where the product actually sits inside once an insert is in place. Windows that reveal an empty void are worse than no window.
Film and patching
| Approach | What it gives you | Consider |
|---|---|---|
| Clear film patch | Product protection, dust exclusion, a finished look | Adds a patching step to production |
| Open cut-out, no film | Lowest cost, lets aroma through, useful for bakery | No barrier at all, so contents are exposed |
| Shaped or die cut window | Brand shapes, letterforms, seasonal silhouettes | Complex shapes reduce panel strength faster than a simple rectangle |
| Multiple small windows | Reveals several items while keeping the panel rigid | More die work, more patching area |
If the window sits against food, tell us the contents on the quote so the right film and any interior treatment can be confirmed. iBox Factory does not certify food-contact compliance, so verify the grade your product and jurisdiction require.
Sizing the box itself
Window boxes are sized the same way as any carton: interior length, width and depth around the product plus clearance for an insert. The extra consideration is standoff. If the product presses against the film, the film distorts and marks. Leave a couple of millimetres of air between the product face and the window. For dimension references across common formats, see window box dimensions.
What a window box run costs
The minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, because the aperture, the film and the board grade all move it. Included with every order: the die, the plates, dieline design support, free US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints.
Production starts from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery. Rush is expedited production plus air freight at a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job, standard is air, and cost saver is sea. Specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks.
Order window boxes
Send the product dimensions and a note on which face should be visible to /quote/, or order directly from the window boxes product page.
