When it comes to durable and sturdy packaging solutions, rigid boxes stand out as a top choice. These boxes cater to a range of products, including luxury watches, tech products, and more. Its robustness contributes to the aesthetics of the boxes, and if they’re poorly made, this can leave a bad impression.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how rigid boxes are manufactured, from material selection to printing and formation. Read on!
Complete Process of Rigid Box Manufacturing

Let’s explore how a normal-looking material turns into a specialized box that anyone would love to have. Here’s the stepwise process of custom rigid box manufacturing:
Step # 1: Material Selection
First of all, finalize the material of the rigid box, which can be chipboard or a thick solid layer of cardboard. Each ingredient quality determines the strength of the final product and ensures that the boxes stay in the best shape for a long time.
Step # 2: Printing
Once the material is selected, the printing phase starts, where graphics are imprinted with precision on the long panels of the board. Since every printing demands unique output, the methods are utilized accordingly for flawless results. Some of the top techniques are:
- Screen printing, which utilizes mesh screens on the cardboard material, stamps the color when wiped with the help of a flat tool for smooth application.
- Offset printing, where the rollers roll out and let the material pass through it, transferring the color without any inch of error.
- Digital printing that benefits from the CMYK color mode and ensures the print is attractive and appealing after drying.
Step # 3: Cutting of Chipboard
At the third phase, after the material is printed, the next step involves the fine cutting of the chipboard. Since the whole structure of the box is dependent on this stage, attention to detail is required a lot. The method of cutting can vary as per the board thickness or cutting requirements.
For instance, the most reliable cutting technique for hard paper-based material is the pressure application of the blade frames. Or via roller blades that cut the board as it passes through it.
Step # 4: Folding & Gluing
Now, the formation of the rigid box. Here, the box is bent and folded to make a standable structure and ensure that each of the layers aligns perfectly. The ends and all sides are then tapped or glued to become solid and not fall from their position.
Meanwhile, if a special closing system is demanded, such as the magnetic closure. The magnets are placed inside the flip tops for easy accessibility. T
Final Step: Inserts and Add-ons
hough this requirement changes for every box style, it may not be required for shoulder-neck rigid boxes.
Step # 5: Printing on Dedicated Sides
Printing once again? Yes, but only if it was intentionally skipped earlier. Some boxes may require printing on either the front or back of the boxes.
For this reason, the printing is delayed before coating, as it saves time and ensures the graphics are perfectly aligned once the physical structure of the box is ready.
Step # 6: Coating/Wrapping
The finish on the top layer improves the aesthetics of the box, as well as contributing to its shelf life. Multiple coatings can be applied as per the rigid boxes type, to protect the graphics layer from liquid splashes or keep the prints intact.If the product demands added protection, custom inserts are placed, made of cardboard or EVA foam, minimizing the impact of shocks inside the box. These inserts are not only for practical purposes but also contribute to the aesthetics of the box uniquely.
The Role of Shapes in the Manufacturing of Rigid Boxes

Rigid boxes aren’t only about sturdiness and strength. Although these factors contribute to its physical properties. But the shape of the box has a huge impact on how it’s produced, as a minor dimensional change leads to re-implementing the process from cutting to printing and beyond. Some of the top shapes of the rigid boxes are:
- Square Boxes: They have the same width, length, and height, forming a square. You can accommodate square boxes for simple dimension products that don't demand any custom-shaped boxes.
- Rectangular Boxes: A bit similar to a square, but can have an extended or shorter length or width. These boxes are a perfect choice for vertical-dimensional products such as tech products, cosmetics, or expensive items.
- Circular: Ideal for rounded products or items that appeal more inside the non-edge boxes, such as luxury watches, jewelry, or perfumes.
- Telescope Boxes: Sounds different, but these are very sophisticated boxes containing multiple sections inside for more storage purposes. A smartphone box is the ideal example of a telescope box with many compartments stacked over each other to accommodate mobile, accessories, and a guidebook, etc.
Last Words
We hope you now understand the whole process of rigid box manufacturing. Although it’s not a complex procedure, precision is required in all stages to create a high-end box. A mistake of a single millimeter can result in a bad shape of the packaging. Whereas, if all phases are executed successfully, you get a flawless box that showcases its features once you hold it.
To get high-end rigid boxes of any style, shape, and characteristics, The Customize Boxes is your reliable partner for all of your packaging needs. Whatever product you’re selling, we have the in-house machinery to manufacture the rigid boxes that align with your product packaging needs. Get in touch with us at sales@thecustomizeboxes.com and request a free 3D mockup of a rigid box to visualize the output quality you’ll get.
Rigid boxes can be made with multiple materials. But the whole box is formed with the help of more than one material. So, there’s not only a single material that contributes, but more than one.
The thickness of rigid boxes can vary from one another because of the requirements. For instance, the common thickness of a rigid box chipboard is around 2-3 mm.
There are multiple closure mechanisms a rigid box can have, such as clamshell, flip top, cigar box, or even foldable rigid box styles. You can select the one that suits the product and contributes to the unboxing experience of users.