Face Mask Boxes.

A perforated panel on the top tears away cleanly on first use and leaves a die-cut opening that keeps its shape for the life of the box. The opening is sized so one mask comes out and the next one stays put. If it's cut too wide the stack spills out, and if it's too narrow the masks crumple as they're pulled.

We test the aperture on the last mask in the box as well as the first, because the late pulls are where weak designs give up.

Jams usually come from the wrong fill height, where the stack sits too far below the opening or is packed so tight that it binds. We tune the carton depth to the folded stack so the top mask sits close to the aperture when the box is full.

As the box empties, each mask is pulled from deeper inside, so the panel edges have to stay clear of the stack and the inner flaps must not catch. That's why we ask for your folded masks before the dieline is finalised.

Coated SBS or folding boxboard is the standard, since the box sits on a counter for weeks and gets handled every day. The coating stops the board soaking up moisture from damp hands and wiped surfaces. Recycled paperboard is available where it has been checked for this use.

Bulk packs often put the masks in a sealed inner bag inside the carton. The bag keeps the stack clean and dry until the perforation is opened.

Count and size should be the largest things on the front, since that's what people reorder by. The panel also needs room for the ASTM F2100 level or the NIOSH approval number, printed exactly as your certification states. We finish in gloss or matte lamination, aqueous coating, or spot UV on the logo.

Counterfeit masks were a real problem during the pandemic, so some brands add a verification feature such as a unique code. We keep a clear space on the dieline for it.

A 50-count box for flat disposable masks is commonly 7 × 4 × 4 in, and bulk packs step up to about 9 × 5 × 4 in. We measure inside dimensions, length by width by depth, and set them from your folded mask plus a little clearance.

Earloop masks, fold-flat respirators and children's sizes all stack differently. Send us a filled stack at the count you want and we'll size the carton around it.

Yes, we build the carton to wall-bracket dimensions for clinics that dispense from the wall. Give us the bracket model or its inside measurements and we'll match the footprint and the position of the opening.

Boxes that stand on a clinic shelf instead have to carry the weight of the cartons above them. We keep the side panels stiff enough that a stack of boxes doesn't bow and pinch the opening shut.

The minimum run is 500 boxes. A clinic brand or a distributor usually orders well past that, but 500 lets a new line try the dispensing opening in real use before committing to volume.

Size variants on the same dieline, such as adult and child, can go on one quote with the print changed for each version.

Plan on 7 to 10 business days from signed proof to finished cartons, or 5 to 7 if you need the rush slot. Samples come back in 5 to 7 business days, which gives you time to pull fifty masks through the opening before the bulk run is booked.

What you pay for the sample is credited against the production order.