Retail packaging — window cartons
Custom Window Boxes
A window box is a carton, or a rigid lid, with a die-cut aperture patched from the inside with clear film so the product shows on shelf without the pack being opened. Bakery, cosmetics, toys and anything bought on sight use it. The window is a structural decision as much as a graphic one: where it sits, what it shows and what holds the product to it.
- Family
- Retail packaging
- Best for
- Bakery, cosmetics, toys, anything sold on sight
- Minimum order
- 50 boxes
- Sizing
- Made to your dimensions
Construction
How it is built, and how it opens.
How it is built
The carton is any standard structure, most often a straight tuck end, an auto-lock bottom or a two-piece tray, with the aperture cut on the same die as the blank. A sheet of clear film, cut slightly larger than the aperture, is glued to the inside of the printed board on a window-patching pass before the carton is folded and glued. On a rigid box the aperture is cut in the greyboard lid and the film sits between board and inner liner.
Placing the window
A window is kept clear of scores and tuck edges so the film does not crease and the carton folds cleanly, and it is placed where the product actually sits, which is why the insert is designed with it. A round jar shows best through a round or arched window; a row of chocolates through a long one. Very large windows reduce the board's stiffness, so on bigger cartons a heavier gauge is specified.
Board, film and print
SBS paperboard from 16 pt to 24 pt is the usual stock, bright and coated so the print around the window reads sharply; kraft board from 18 pt to 24 pt where the pack should look natural. The film is clear PET. The board is printed directly, in CMYK or Pantone, and the inside can be printed so the color seen through the window is the brand's. Lamination is included; foil stamping, embossing and spot UV are applied before die-cutting and patching.
Packing, shipping and cost
Window cartons ship flat like any folding carton; the patched film folds with the board. Against the same carton without a window, the aperture adds a patching pass and the film itself, so the unit cost is somewhat higher, and a shaped window costs no more than a rectangle once the die is made. Windowed rigid lids are costed as rigid boxes with the patching added.
What it suits
Where a window box box earns its place.
Bakery and confectionery
Cupcakes, cookies and chocolates shown through a lid window, on board suited to food contact.
Cosmetics
A jar or bottle held to the window by a board insert, with the brand printed around it.
Toys and collectables
The product visible on the peg or shelf, with a hang tab above the window.
Candles and homewares
A glass jar shown through an arched window in an auto-lock carton.
Gift sets
Several items arranged in an insert and shown together through one long window.
Finished work
Retail packaging we have made.
Straight tuck end carton · Full-color print 
Hanging-tab carton · Full-color print 
Sleeve with thumb cut · Metallic print 
Counter display and tuck cartons · Full-color print
- Internal dimensions (L × W × D), the product's weight, and where the product sits inside. Every carton is cut to your dimensions.
- The carton structure the window goes into: tuck end, auto-lock, tray or rigid lid.
- Window shape and size, or a sketch of what should be visible.
- Board: SBS or kraft; print outside and inside; finishes: lamination, foil stamping, embossing, spot UV.
- Insert that holds the product to the window, if the product does not fill the carton.
Or consider
When another style does the job better.
Straight Tuck End
Choose it when the product does not need to be seen and the full front panel should carry the print.
Read the guideDisplay Box
Choose it when several units should be shown face-out from a counter tray rather than each in its own window.
Read the guideBakery Box
Choose it for cakes and pastries that need a lidded food box with a window and an insert.
See the style
Start a quote
Three answers is all it takes to open a job.
Structure, board and finishing come next — with our team, on the full quote form.
No account needed. Artwork and reference images can be attached on the next step.
Window Box questions
Before you ask.
Anything not covered here, put it in the notes on your quote and we will answer it directly.
Ask on your quoteWhat is a window box?
A carton or rigid lid with a die-cut aperture patched on the inside with clear film, so the product is visible without opening the pack.
Can the window be any shape?
Yes. The aperture is cut on the same die as the carton, so it can follow the product, the brand mark or any shape that stays clear of the scores.
Does a window weaken the carton?
A little, in proportion to its size. On larger windows we specify a heavier board and design the insert to carry the product's weight rather than the panel.
What is the minimum order for custom window boxes?
The minimum order for custom window boxes is 50 boxes, the same as every structure we make. Your quote shows the price at each quantity you ask for.
How long does production take?
Standard production is 10–12 working days from proof approval and payment. Ground shipping adds 3–5 working days, and delivery is free on every order.
Can I get a sample before the full run?
Standalone samples are chargeable, because making one box or a handful takes the same setup and production steps as a full run. On a qualifying bulk order, once the order is placed we produce a pre-production sample for your approval at no extra sample charge, and the remaining quantity runs after you approve it.
Same family
Other retail packaging styles.
Start here
Send us your dimensions. We’ll send back a box.
Or talk to a packaging specialist: (209) 444-0744