Rigid Peptide Boxes with Magnetic Closure

How a rigid box is actually made

The core is greyboard, typically between 1.5 mm and 3 mm thick. It is cut flat, the corners are taped or stayed, and the assembled shell is wrapped in a printed and laminated paper. The wrap is what you see and touch; the greyboard is what gives the box its rigidity.

The magnet sits between the greyboard and the wrap, so it is invisible from the outside. Its strength is chosen against the lid size and weight — too weak and the lid drifts open, too strong and the box is unpleasant to open.

• Greyboard thickness — Heavier board for larger lids and heavier contents; thinner board where the box is small.
• Wrap material — Printed art paper, uncoated fine paper, textured stock or specialty paper.
• Magnet placement — Concealed in the lid lip and the front wall, positioned so the lid closes flush.
• Corner treatment — Stayed corners give a clean external line and stop the shell racking.

When a rigid box is the right choice

Rigid construction costs several times what a folding carton costs, so it needs a reason. There are three good ones.

• The box is reopened repeatedly — A course of vials used over weeks needs a closure that survives repeated cycles.
• The box is kept — Customers store vials in the box they arrived in; a rigid box makes that a positive.
• The product justifies it — Where the packaging cost is small relative to the value inside.

Where none of those apply, a printed tuck end carton delivers the same protection for a fraction of the cost — and the difference is worth spending on print quality instead.

Insert options inside a rigid box

The rigid shell is only half the build. The insert determines how the box reads when it opens.

• EVA foam — The most common pairing. Milled cavities in a colour chosen against the wrap.
• Wrapped board tray — A paperboard tray wrapped in the same paper as the box, for a fully coordinated interior.
• Moulded tray — Formed pockets, used when vials must sit at a precise height or behind a window.
• Fabric-covered platform — A premium interior finish for presentation sets.

Sizes and vial counts

• Single vial — Commonly around 60 × 60 × 70 mm external — rigid boxes are always larger than their contents suggest.
• Two to four vials — Commonly around 120 × 90 × 45 mm external for a flat presentation layout.
• Five vials in a row — Commonly around 165 × 60 × 45 mm external.
• Ten vials, two rows — Commonly around 175 × 110 × 50 mm external.

Rigid walls plus a foam insert add real bulk. If the finished pack has to fit an existing shipper or shelf, tell us the outer constraint first and we will work inward from it.

Materials

• Rigid chipboard (greyboard) — The structural core. Recycled content is standard.
• Printed art paper wrap — The usual surface; takes CMYK, spot colour and lamination.
• Uncoated and textured wraps — Linen, felt-marked and laid papers for a more tactile finish.
• Kraft wrap — An unbleached surface for a plainer, more natural look.
• Recyclable paper-based construction — Achievable when the wrap is uncoated and the insert is paperboard rather than foam.

Printing on a wrap

Printing happens on the flat wrap before it is applied, which means the graphics have to be laid out with the wrap allowance in mind — including the turn-in that folds around each edge.

• CMYK process — Full-colour artwork across the wrap, including the turn-in.
• PMS spot colour — Strongly recommended for solid colour backgrounds, which are common on rigid boxes and show any variation.
• Inside wrap printing — A separate printed sheet for the interior surfaces of the lid and base.
• One-colour on kraft — A clean, restrained option that suits laboratory-facing brands.

Finishing on rigid board

Rigid board is the best substrate we work with for finishing, because the thickness holds an impression that folding board cannot.

• Soft-touch coating — The single most effective finish on a rigid box; the thickness makes the tactile difference obvious.
• Matte lamination — A calm surface that suits clinical and scientific brands.
• Foil stamping — Hot foil on the lid — the classic rigid box treatment.
• Embossing and debossing — The greyboard core takes a deep, crisp impression.
• Spot UV — Gloss detail over a matte wrap.

Combinations matter as much as individual effects — a debossed and foiled logo on a soft-touch wrap reads very differently from the same logo in spot UV. The printing and finishes page sets out which pairings work.

Closure variants

• Concealed magnet, hinged lid — The standard. The lid stays attached and opens like a book.
• Double-magnet flap — A longer front flap with two magnets, for wider lids that need even closure.
• Ribbon pull — A fabric tab that lifts a tray out of a rigid shell.
• Magnet-free lift-off lid — A two-piece lid and base build, cheaper and just as square.

Ordering a rigid box

• 1. Contents and constraint — Send the vials, and tell us any external size limit the finished box must respect.
• 2. Wrap and finish selection — We will send material swatches so the wrap is chosen physically rather than on screen.
• 3. Quote — Priced against quantity, wrap, insert and finishing.
• 4. Die line, proof and sample — A physical sample is essential on rigid work — wrap colour and soft-touch feel do not proof on screen.
• 5. Production — Boards cut, shells assembled, wraps applied, inserts fitted, boxes packed assembled.

Rigid work adds a swatch stage at the front but otherwise follows the standard five-stage sequence.

Artwork guidance for wrapped boxes

• Work on the wrap die line, which includes the turn-in — artwork must extend into it.
• Avoid placing critical detail exactly on a corner; the wrap curves slightly as it turns.
• Solid backgrounds should be specified as spot colours wherever possible.
• Foil and emboss artwork is supplied as separate vector layers, not as effects.
• Supply print-ready PDF with 3 mm bleed on the outer edge and all type outlined.

Quality control

• Wrap alignment is checked on every corner — misalignment is the most visible rigid box defect.
• Magnet strength is tested by opening and closing sample boxes repeatedly.
• Lid-to-base fit is checked so the lid closes flush without pinching.
• Foil and deboss registration is verified against the approved sample.
• Insert fit is confirmed with a real vial before release.

Packing and delivery

• Rigid boxes ship assembled, which means they take considerably more volume than flat cartons.
• Boxes are nested with protective layers to prevent wrap scuffing in transit.
• Inserts are fitted before dispatch unless you ask for them loose.
• Nationwide delivery to business and residential addresses.