Custom Book-Style Rigid Boxes That Open Like a Hardback

What are book-style boxes used for?

Anything that tells a story suits this box. PR agencies use it for launch kits, with a letter inside the cover and products in the tray. Photographers use it for prints. Wedding planners use it for invitations and favours.

It also stands upright on a shelf like a book, spine out. That is why brands use it for editions and collectables, where the box itself is part of what people keep.

For send-outs planned around a launch date, our PR box send-out planning guide works back from the day the boxes must land.

How does a book-style box open?

The cover is joined to the case along one long edge by a wrapped spine. You lift the front edge and the cover swings over to the left, just like opening a hardback.

When it closes, the cover sits flat over the tray. A ribbon tie or a cover catch keeps it shut, as you choose. The purple box in our photos uses a yellow ribbon pull at the top so the cover is easy to lift.

The spine width matches the case depth, so the cover lies flat when closed and does not spring up at the front edge.

Which layout suits my product?

Book boxes come in more layouts than people expect. Our photos show five of them, and the table explains what each one is good at.

How do I size a book-style box?

Size the tray first. Measure the product, or the product in its insert, and add a few millimetres all round. The case is then built around the tray, and the cover is cut slightly larger so it overhangs cleanly.

Depth is the number to watch. A slim book box of 25 to 40 mm feels elegant. Go much deeper and it starts to look like a case rather than a book, which may or may not be what you want.

Think about how the box will be shown. A box handed over on a table can be deeper. A box posted to a desk looks smarter slim.

Inserts inside a book box

Foam is the common choice for flat, hard items such as cards, drives, pens or small instruments. It holds each piece in a cut cavity and stops it sliding when the box stands on its spine.

Card inserts suit printed matter and lighter products. A satin-lined bed suits jewellery or a watch. Where the box will stand upright, tell us, because every insert then needs to grip harder.

What can I print inside the cover?

The inside cover is the first thing anyone reads. Brands put a welcome note, a launch message, care instructions or simply a large logo there. The purple box in our photos carries a printed greeting on a card panel set into the tray.

On the outside, the cover and spine can take foil, a raised or pressed logo, or spot UV, all as options. Soft touch lamination suits a dark cover that will be handled at a reveal.

Some clients want a different message for each recipient. Tell us at the brief stage and we explain the options for printing names inside.

See how foil and embossing look on rigid boxes before you settle on a cover finish.

Why do people keep book boxes?

They store like books. A box that fits on a shelf next to real books does not get thrown out. People use them for letters, photos and small treasures.

That shelf life is worth designing for. A clear spine title means the box can be found again. Your name is seen each time someone runs a finger along the shelf.

How should I post a book-style box?

Close the cover with its tie or catch, then add a paper band if the box will travel far. Lay it flat in a corrugated shipper with a thin layer of fill above and below.

Avoid packing it on its spine in transit. The cover is the largest flat panel, and a drop on the spine edge can push it out of line.