50+ units · Sample 5–7 business days · Production 10–15 business days after sample approval
Custom Rigid Boxes
Heaviest board. Magnetic closures. The benchmark for premium.
Quick answer
Custom rigid boxes (also called set-up boxes) are the most premium paper packaging format — built from 1.5–3mm recycled greyboard wrapped in printed or specialty paper. They hold their shape, accept magnetic, ribbon, or hinged closures, and arrive pre-assembled. Best for: luxury retail, jewelry, watches, fragrance, premium electronics, and corporate gifting. MOQ starts at 50 units. Lead time is 10–15 business days after sample approval. Sample fees are credited against your first production order. DDP shipping to 50+ countries including USA, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia — no surprise customs fees.
MOQ
50 units
Sample
5–7 business days
Lead time
10–15 business days
Category
Boxes
Format
Rigid Boxes
Why order direct from XC Paperbox
Foshan factory
18,000 m² since 2018
FSC A000511
Certified paper sourcing
ISO 9001:2015
Quality management
1M+ boxes / year
Volume capacity
DDP to 50+ countries
No surprise customs
24-hour quote
Reply within 1 business day
Overview
What it is, and when to use it.
Custom rigid boxes (also called set-up boxes or gift boxes) are the most premium paper packaging format we make. Each box is built from 1.5–3mm greyboard — 80% recycled by default — and wrapped in art paper, specialty stock, or textured paper. The wrap is printed offset CMYK, Pantone, or metallic inks, then finished with soft-touch lamination, foil stamping, embossing, spot UV, or fabric inlay. The result is a box that holds its shape, accepts magnetic, ribbon, or hinged closures, and arrives pre-assembled or flat-packed depending on your fulfillment model. We manufacture rigid boxes in low MOQ runs starting at 50 units per SKU, with white samples in 5–7 business days and printed samples in 7–10 days. Every project is run on a dedicated production line in our 18,000 m² FSC-certified facility in Foshan, China, with hand QC at the packing stage.
Best for
- Luxury retail
- Jewelry & watches
- Fragrance & cosmetics
- Premium electronics
- Corporate gifting
- Premium spirits
Buyer's decision framework
When to choose custom rigid boxes — and when not to.
Rigid boxes are the right call when the unboxing is part of the product. They are the wrong call when you need retail-shelf-ready cartons, a low unit cost, or a flat-shipped ecommerce box. Walk through these four questions before you commit.
- 1
Is the box the product — or just protection for the product?
If the box is the product (luxury retail, gift, jewelry, watch, fragrance, unboxing moment) — choose rigid. If the box is purely functional protection that gets recycled in 5 minutes — choose a corrugated mailer or folding carton.
- 2
What is your target unit cost?
Rigid boxes are the most expensive format in the box family — sitting above magnetic boxes and well above folding cartons and corrugated mailers. If your retail price is under $30 and the box is invisible in your cost stack, rigid will erode margin. If the box is part of the gift, it is part of the price.
- 3
Where does the box end up — shelf, doorstep, or counter?
Rigid boxes win on counter and unboxing. Folding cartons win on retail shelf (pre-glued, shelf-ready, FDA-grade). Corrugated mailers win on doorstep (engineered for shipping, FSC recyclable). Pick the channel first, then the box.
- 4
How many units do you need per SKU?
Rigid boxes are economical from 50 units — we run 50, 100, 500, 1,000, and 5,000-unit tiers. If you need 25,000+ units per SKU, ask us about a folding-carton equivalent; the unit cost difference becomes material at that scale.
This page
Rigid box
Luxury, gifting, fragrance, electronics
- Cost
- $$$$
- Lead
- 10–15 days
- MOQ
- 50 units
Alternative
Magnetic box
Flat-ship gifts, ecommerce, refills
- Cost
- $$$
- Lead
- 10–15 days
- MOQ
- 50 units
Alternative
Folding carton
Retail shelves, food, supplements
- Cost
- $
- Lead
- 10–15 days
- MOQ
- 50 units
Materials
Board & paper options
- ●1200–1800 gsm greyboardThe structural core. 1.5mm works for lightweight items like jewelry; 2mm is the most popular choice; 2.5–3mm is reserved for heavy items or a "weighty in the hand" feel. 80% recycled by default; FSC-certified available.
- ●Art paper wrap (128–300 gsm)The baseline wrap for printed rigid boxes. Takes CMYK, Pantone, foil, and lamination cleanly. 157 gsm is the sweet spot for most projects.
- ●Specialty paper (Curious, Fedrigoni, Gmund)For brands where the paper itself is the statement — tactile, colored, or metallic stocks that need no printing. Best for luxury and gifting.
- ●Textured stocks (linen, leather, kraft)Adds a tactile surface that photographs well. Leather-look stocks are popular for watch and fragrance; linen for cosmetics; kraft for eco positioning.
- ●FSC-certified wrap papersRequired if your brand makes a sustainability claim on-pack. We hold FSC license A000511 and supply chain-of-custody documentation.
- ●Velvet flocking & fabric inlayInterior lining that signals luxury the moment the lid comes off. Used for jewelry, watch, and fragrance boxes where the inside is photographed.
Printing & finishes
How it gets dressed
Printing
- Offset CMYKRecommended for 500+ units and full-color photographic artwork. Lowest per-unit cost at volume.
- Pantone spot colorsRecommended for brand-critical color matches (logo reds, brand blues). Essential when CMYK cannot reproduce a corporate color.
- Digital printRecommended for 50–200 unit runs. No plate setup, fast turnaround, ideal for market tests and small launches.
- Metallic inksRecommended for shimmer effects without foil-stamp cost. Subtler than foil, good for backgrounds and patterns.
- White ink on dark wrapsRecommended for matte black, navy, or deep-colored wraps where CMYK alone cannot print light text or logos.
- Litho laminationRecommended for full-wrap coverage — the printed sheet wraps the entire box exterior including edges. Standard for rigid boxes.
Finishes
- Soft-touch lamination (velvet feel)
- Matte or gloss lamination
- Foil stamping (gold, silver, rose gold, holographic)
- Embossing & debossing
- Spot UV on matte grounds
- Velvet flocking & fabric inlay
- Magnetic, ribbon & hinged closures
- Custom EVA foam inserts
Sizes
Standard sizes — and fully custom
| Label | W | D | H | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small (jewelry) | 120 | 90 | 50 | mm |
| Medium (cosmetics) | 200 | 150 | 70 | mm |
| Large (electronics) | 300 | 220 | 100 | mm |
| XL (hampers) | 380 | 280 | 120 | mm |
| Custom | — | — | — | mm |
Ordering & pricing
MOQ, lead time, and what drives the unit cost.
Every box is custom — there is no flat price list. Here is what you need to plan around, and what we will confirm in your tailored quote within 24 hours.
MOQ & sampling
Our standard MOQ for custom rigid boxes is 50 units per SKU — one of the lowest in the industry for a rigid-format box. At 50 units we run digital printing, which avoids plate costs and lets you test a market without committing to volume. From 500 units upward, offset printing becomes more economical. From 5,000 units, dedicated tooling and bulk material pulls bring the unit cost down further. Sample fees are credited against your first production order.
Lead time
Sampling: white sample in 5–7 business days, printed and finished sample in 7–10 days. Production: 10–15 business days after sample approval, depending on quantity and finish complexity. Shipping: 10–25 days DDP to 50+ countries, depending on destination and whether air or sea freight is chosen. Total door-to-door timeline: 3–5 weeks for most orders. Rush production is available on request — we can compress to 8 business days for an expedite fee.
How to read pricing
Final pricing is confirmed in your tailored quote within 24 hours. We do not publish a flat price list because every rigid box is custom — but we will always show the unit cost at 50, 100, 500, 1,000, and 5,000 units so you can see the volume curve before committing.
What affects the unit cost
Seven factors that move the quote.
Order quantity
Unit cost drops sharply from 50 to 1,000 units as setup and tooling costs amortize. Beyond 1,000, savings continue but flatten.
Box size
Larger boxes use more greyboard and wrap paper, and lower the number of units per press sheet. A 380×280×120mm hamper costs roughly 2.5× a 120×90×50mm jewelry box.
Materials
Standard 1200 gsm greyboard with 157 gsm art paper is the baseline. Specialty wraps (Fedrigoni, Curious, Gmund) and textured stocks add 20–60% to material cost.
Printing method
Digital print is economical at 50–200 units. Offset CMYK and Pantone spot become cheaper per unit from 500 units. Foil and metallic inks add a fixed setup cost per color.
Finishes
Soft-touch lamination, foil stamping, embossing, and spot UV each add a pass. A box with all four can cost measurably more than a plain laminated equivalent.
Closures & hardware
Standard lift-off lids are included. Flush-mount magnets, ribbon pulls, hinged lids, and magnetic clasps add per-unit hardware cost.
Inserts & assembly
Custom EVA foam inserts, card dividers, and fabric inlays are per-unit costs. Pre-assembled delivery saves 3PL handling but adds factory assembly cost; flat-pack saves freight volume.
Related case studies
See how brands have used custom rigid boxes.
Real project
How a clean-beauty brand launched a 6-SKU line at department-store quality.
- Client
- Direct-to-consumer clean-beauty skincare brand (US, 6-SKU launch)
- Challenge
- A direct-to-consumer serum brand needed launch packaging that felt like a department-store counter — without the 5,000-unit MOQ their agency quoted. Capital was tight before product-market fit was proven.
- Format chosen
- 1.8mm greyboard lift-off lid, 157 gsm matte black art paper, soft-touch lamination, gold foil wordmark, and a custom EVA foam insert. White sample in 6 days, printed sample in 9 days. 50-unit MOQ per SKU.
- Result
- The launch set sold through its first run faster than projected. The brand reordered within weeks and moved to a permanent quarterly production cadence, adding two new SKUs on the same rigid template.
50 units.
Our standard MOQ for fully custom rigid boxes is 50 units per SKU. We can match Pantones, foil colors and finishes from as few as 50 pieces. At 50 units we use digital printing, which avoids plate setup costs. From 500 units, offset printing becomes more economical per unit.
1.5–3mm greyboard.
1.5mm works for lightweight items like jewelry and small electronics. 2mm is our most popular choice. 2.5–3mm is reserved for heavy items or a "weighty in the hand" feel. We will recommend a thickness based on product weight and target cost.
White sample 5–7 days, production 10–15 days.
After design sign-off, a 3D dieline and white sample is produced in 5–7 business days. A printed, finished sample follows in 7–10 days. Production runs 10–15 business days after sample approval, depending on quantity and finish complexity. Total door-to-door: 3–5 weeks for most orders.
Yes — all three.
Flush-mount magnets (hidden under the wrap), visible magnetic clasps, satin or grosgrain ribbon pulls, and hinged lids are all available. For boxes above 1.5kg, we recommend ribbon or hinged closures for longevity. For flat-ship ecommerce, choose a collapsible magnetic box.
Yes — dieline template provided.
We share a production-ready dieline within 24 hours of order confirmation. You can supply print-ready PDF/X-4 files, or work with our studio for an additional fee. Interior printing and lid-insert printing are both supported.
Yes — with the right wrap and inks.
The greyboard core is typically 80% recycled. By choosing FSC-certified wrap papers and water-based inks, rigid boxes are fully recyclable in standard paper streams. We hold FSC license A000511 and supply chain-of-custody documentation for sustainability claims.
Both — choose based on fulfillment.
For most ecommerce clients we flat-pack and ship stacked, saving about 40% in freight volume versus pre-assembled. Retail and counter clients receive boxes pre-assembled in protective sleeves. For flat-pack, choose a collapsible rigid (magnetic) format; for pre-assembled, a set-up rigid format.
Rigid = premium, low MOQ, hand-built. Folding = retail, lower cost, machine-folded.
Rigid boxes use 1.5–3mm greyboard wrapped by hand and ship pre-assembled; folding cartons are flat-printed sheets that are die-cut and machine-glued. Rigid boxes win on unboxing feel, weight, and luxury positioning. Folding cartons win on unit cost (typically 60–70% lower) and shelf-ready format. Choose rigid for luxury retail, gifting, fragrance, and electronics. Choose folding cartons for retail shelves, supplements, food, and high-volume SKUs.
Request a quote
Tell us about your project.
Send a few details and we'll come back within 24 hours with a tailored quote, lead time estimate, and material recommendations.
- · Free dieline and 3D mockup
- · Sample fees credited against first order
- · DDP shipping to 50+ countries
Compare formats
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Read before you order
Guides that pair with custom rigid boxes.
Packaging Guide · 12 min read
Rigid Boxes vs Folding Cartons: Which Packaging Solution Is Right for Your Brand?
Compare rigid boxes and folding cartons in terms of structure, cost, appearance, durability, MOQ, production time, and ideal applications to choose the right packaging solution for your brand.
Read guidePackaging Guide · 15 min read
The Complete Guide to Luxury Packaging
Everything you need to know about creating premium packaging that communicates luxury and justifies higher price points.
Read guidePackaging Guide · 12 min read
Premium Packaging Design Principles
How to create packaging that feels expensive without overspending on materials.
Read guide
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From 50 units · FSC-certified · DDP worldwide · Response in 24 hours
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