Book style box
1200 gsm board, soft touch wrap200 minimum · 12 to 14 business daysA book style box is a rigid box with a hinged front cover that opens like a hardcover, usually with a magnet in the fore edge. We produce them on 1200 gsm board with a soft-touch or linen wrap from 200 units, in 12 to 14 business days after proof. Common sizes are 8 by 6 by 2 and 10 by 7 by 3 inches.
When to choose it, and when not to
Choose a book style box when the product has a story to tell and the cover is where you tell it. The spine sits on a shelf like a real book, so it works for anything a customer keeps: a skincare ritual set, a set of coasters, a tech accessory, a limited edition of almost anything. The inside cover is a full printed panel facing the product, which is where a welcome note or a diagram of what is inside earns its place.
Choose a magnetic closure box instead when the box needs to hold more than about 3 inches of depth, because a deep book hinge sags under its own cover. Choose a two-piece lid and base box for heavy products, since the hinge is a fold in the wrap, not a structural joint.
Specifications
| Board | 1200 gsm grayboard, 1500 gsm for boxes over 12 inches |
|---|---|
| Offset CMYK on the wrap, foil on the spine and cover | |
| Finish | Soft-touch lamination, linen, matte art paper |
| Closure | Concealed magnet in the fore edge, or a ribbon tie |
| Inserts | Die-cut paperboard, foam, velvet-flocked |
| Spine | Square spine with a printed or foiled title, hinge scored to open flat |
| Minimum | 200 units |
| Lead time | 12 to 14 business days after proof |
| Ships | Assembled, in cartons of 20 to 40 depending on size |
| Sizes we run | 6 x 4 x 1.5 in 8 x 6 x 2 in 10 x 7 x 3 in 12 x 9 x 3 in any size from 4 x 4 x 1 to 16 x 12 x 5 in |
Materials that suit it
Questions people ask
Does the cover stay shut without a magnet?
Not reliably. A wrapped board cover has a small spring in the hinge and wants to sit slightly open, so we sink a neodymium magnet into the fore edge of the cover and a steel plate into the tray wall. If you would rather avoid the magnet, a ribbon tie or a printed belly band works, and both are fully recyclable as mixed paper.
How thick can the spine be?
About 3 inches is the practical limit on 1200 gsm board. Beyond that the cover gets heavy, the hinge takes the strain and the box starts to look like a slab rather than a book. For deeper products we steer you toward a magnetic closure box, which hinges on the lid rather than the side.
Can I print a title on the spine like a real book?
Yes, and it is the main reason to pick this box. The spine is part of the same wrap, so a printed or foiled title adds no extra process. We set type reading top to bottom, the way US publishers do, unless you tell us otherwise. Keep the spine type at least 8 pt on a 1 inch spine.
Will it open flat?
Yes. The hinge is a double score in the wrap with a gap of about 1/8 in between the cover board and the spine board, so the cover lays flat at 180 degrees without cracking the lamination. Soft-touch lamination is the most forgiving at the hinge; linen paper is a close second.
Do you make a prototype?
Yes, on request: a white unprinted prototype, so you can check the hinge, the fit of the insert and the feel of the cover with your real product before print. Timing is confirmed in your quote. The dieline usually arrives within one business day of a complete brief, and the digital proof within one business day of your artwork.
How is the book style box different from the magnetic closure box?
The book style box opens like a hardcover: a hinged front cover with a magnet in the fore edge, a square spine you can foil a title on, on 1200 gsm board, 1500 over 12 inches. The magnetic closure box has the lid flap folding over the top, with a magnet hidden under it, on 1000 to 1500 gsm board. Both start at 200 units in 12 to 14 business days after proof. If the box stands on a shelf spine-out or the story reads like a book, choose book style. For heavier products, the magnetic box.
Similar styles
Read next
Ready to price your book style box?
Send the size and quantity for a quote and a dieline, usually within one business day. Your digital proof follows, usually within one business day of your artwork. Design help and the Swatch Book of materials are free.