Luxury rigid packaging
Rigid boxes are synonymous with luxury packaging and precision manufacturing. Whether you’re a brand owner, designer, or buyer sourcing rigid box manufacturing for premium retail or promotional packaging, this guide explains how to plan and specify your rigid box for production.
At Progress, we’ve been manufacturing custom rigid packaging for more than 25 years – supporting brands in beauty, fragrance, fashion, drinks, tech, and homeware with expert advice on materials, construction, and finishing. From paper-over-board boxes to our exclusive eco-friendly V-FORM production process, our experience in luxury rigid box manufacture ensures every project is produced to the highest standard.
Step 1:
Choose a Format & Size
Getting started
At the early stages of specifying your rigid box for production, it’s important to establish the right format and size for your custom rigid box. Think about what’s being packed, how it will be presented, which box structure will best suit your product and manufacturing requirements, and also assess the importance of its eco‑friendly credentials. Getting these fundamentals right ensures efficiency in rigid box production across industries such as beauty, fashion, drinks, and technology.
Start by measuring your product and considering how it should sit inside (upright, flat, or held in a fitment). Once you’ve planned the layout, our production team can advise on internal sizing and the most efficient way to manufacture your box. Correct measurements ensure precision, reduce waste, and maintain consistency across every production run.
Sustainability of your box
It’s possible for rigid boxes to use the most sustainable packaging materials available in their manufacture. This affords you full confidence regarding the eco-friendly credentials of your box. It’s best to avoid any post-printing film lamination processes to ensure your box is both made using materials from sustainable sources, and is fully recyclable after use. For more information about FSC certifying your rigid packaging, refer to our Packaging Standards insight, or alternatively, contact our team to discuss your requirements.
Box Formats
Rigid boxes can be produced in various structural styles, each offering distinct manufacturing and presentation benefits:
The box and lid / 2 piece box is a timeless format with a separate lid and base, ideal for luxury product packaging. Examples include Verso Skincare beauty boxes and Bath House recyclable fragrance packaging.
The shoulder box is premium format featuring an inset shoulder that adds dimensional depth to the form of the box. This elegant format gives a more luxury aesthetic – as shown in our Wolfburn Whisky packaging project.
The 3 board case and tray is a book-style format that wraps around an internal tray, combining durability with elegance. As used for our Espelma candle collection packaging project, it is ideal for luxury box production of fragrance, homeware, or gift packaging.
The 4 board case and tray format delivers a full wrap around the box that creates a sleek, protective design that often includes a magnetic or tab closure. The format delivers a durable and a premium boxing experience – as seen in our presentation packaging for Markus Lupfer.
A clamshell box is a book-style, fully enclosed structure ideal for presentation and retail packaging. This format offers a luxurious product reveal, demonstrated in our perfume packaging production for Side Story.
Drawer / Tray & Sleeve box
Drawer boxes, or tray and sleeve boxes, are slide-open formats combining functionality and reductive visual elegance. The tray glides smoothly into a sleeve, creating a premium unboxing experience as demonstrated in our fragrance discovery set packaging for Abel.
The collapsible box is a flat-pack, space-efficient format that saves on storage and shipping, while maintaining luxurious elegance. This rigid box manufacturing format is demonstrated in our retail packaging collection for Rapha x Apple.
Luxury cardboard tube packaging is a stylish cylindrical format suited for bottles, apparel, or rolled items. Our Eau De Parfum packaging for Sunspel showcases how custom tube packaging production can enhance appearance for products suited to this luxury format.
Fully custom construction rigid boxes are built entirely to your specifications for a unique result. Fully custom rigid box manufacturing gives you complete creative freedom to detail bespoke packaging with personalised features – as demonstrated in our packaging for Gordon & MacPhail.
Step 2:
Add a Fitment or Closure
Fitments and closures are integral to the production process, helping protect your products while enhancing the final presentation for sectors such as beauty, drinks, fashion, and technology.
Box Fitments
Fitments are key to internal packaging design, ensuring each product is displayed securely during shipping and retail handling. Our team can advise on which manufacturing method and material will best suit your needs.
Greyboard fitments povide structure, protection and precision alignment to securely house products within the outer rigid box. Ideal for premium packaging manufacture for securing delicate products while maintaining visual harmony alongside the rest of the box – as seen in our packaging production for the Abel layering set.
Corrugate inserts are lightweight, cost-effective, and fully recyclable – making them a smart choice for rigid e-commerce and retail packaging boxes. They protect products during transit without adding unnecessary weight or waste to the overall packaging.
Carton inserts are folded or die-cut from paperboard to separate and organise multiple products within a rigid box. They are featured in our Experimental Perfume Club project as an alternative to plastic vac formed trays.
Foam inserts are custom-cut for precision and give a protective, cushioning finish to keeps fragile items secure within the outer rigid box. Our packaging for the AZNU mobile phone box demonstrates how this material balances protection and presentation.
Vacuum trays are precision-moulded to hold products securely while highlighting their form and contours. These trays can also be ‘flocked’ to add a soft-touch, premium finish, as seen in our packaging production for the Haberdashery sculpture box – a project which demonstrates a polished and refined product presentation inside the box.
Paper pulp inserts are a sustainable alternative to plastic and are made from moulded fibre. They are ideally suited for eco-friendly rigid packaging manufacture. Our packaging production for the Visionect Joan Pro 6 highlights how pulp fitments combine sustainability with sleek visual appeal.
Wool and felt protection is a natural, biodegradable padding used in premium bespoke packaging production – as shown in our Spitfire Audio project.
Post-Consumer Waste Fitments
Post-consumer waste fitments are produced from reprocessed materials, including reclaimed recyclable foam, to create sustainable, cushioned inserts. This sustainable manufacturing choice reduces landfill waste while offering protective support for premium products – as seen in our Surman Weston packaging.
Mushroom grown inserts are created using mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. These inserts are grown to perfectly fit the shape and form of your product. They are fully compostable and are a sustainable innovation within luxury packaging manufacturing – offering strong, natural protection for environmentally conscious brands.
Void fill is loose, biodegradable paper or fibre used to cushion and stabilise items inside a rigid box while in transit. Our Peet Rivko packaging production demonstrates how void fill can enhance safety while maintaining environmental responsibility.
Box Closures
Closures add functionality and finesse to rigid box manufacturing, completing the final stage of production.
Tabs provide a simple, clean method of closure that keeps your rigid box secure – while remaining easy to open and close, they also deliver full recyclability of the packaging after use. Victoria Beckham utilised this method on their packaging to ensure it was 100% recyclable. This type of rigid box closure is a common feature in minimal and high-volume packaging production.
Ribbon or paper tie closures add a premium touch to rigid packaging while also securing the box. Popular for bespoke gift box manufacturing in fragrance and fashion – as seen on our Vicki Sarge rigid box packaging.
Magnetic closures deliver a discreet, seamless finish ideal for high-end retail box opening / closing details – as seen on our Salcombe Gin packaging.
Step 3:
Specify a Production Process & Material
All rigid box manufacturing begins with high-quality greyboard – a recycled, durable material that forms the box’s solid structure. The chosen manufacturing process and materials define the strength, sustainability, and overall finish.
Paper over board rigid Boxes
The production process involves wrapping die-cut greyboard with a selected paper or covering material. It’s the most popular technique in luxury rigid box manufacturing, offering limitless options for brands to achieve the perfect production finish.
Natural papers such as Colorplan or Wibalin provide texture and colour variety – making them perfect for high-quality box printing and a refined finish.
Gloss, silk, or matt finishes that offer clarity and protection. Ideal for retail box manufacturing where durability and detail matter.
Eco-conscious materials such as Notpla or Cairn are good choices for packaging projects where sustainability is required without compromising appearance – as seen on our Fiona Krüger packaging production.
Specialist Papers & Creative Coverings
These specialist papers and coverings include materials such as metallics, fluorescents and textured coatings that deliver a standout finish – often with with a tactile surface and luxury feel. These materials, often sourced from suppliers like Winter & Company, are ideal options for premium rigid packaging production for heritage brands, limited editions, or eye-catching promotional packs seeking a timeless, elevated aesthetic.
Bespoke papers can be custom-dyed or colour-matched to meet precise brand requirements. These luxury packaging manufacturing options can be used to create consistency across product ranges and help achieve brand standout above more widely available colours.
V-form rigid boxes
Our innovative and exclusive V-FORM process streamlines manufacturing by scoring directly into the board to form perfect 90° folds. It reduces materials, improves recyclability, and maintains a luxury aesthetic – ideal for brands seeking sustainable box production.
Premium greyboard (Recycled / FSC Certified)
High-density, recycled boards with smooth surfaces for precision wrapping. Suitable for luxury presentation and detailed print applications, examples suited specifically to the V-FORM process of this material include ESKA Board and Paperback.
Duplexed or Laminated Boards
Duplexed or laminated boards are layers of heavy-weight paper, bonded together for added strength and rigidity. This process is commonly used for rigid box production requiring enhanced durability. These boards can be used more creatively with the V-FORM box making process.
Recycled & Alternative Fibres
Recycled and alternative fibres can be made from grass, pulp, or other natural sources. They can provide surface texture and additional environmental appeal for eco-focused brands. Examples suited to the V-FORM process include Eska® jeans which is made from recycled denim fibres.
Step 4:
Select Printing, Finishing & Embellishments
Our specialist printing and finishing services for rigid boxes set us apart as experts in the production of branded luxury packaging. Progress combine technical capability and craftsmanship to deliver high-quality results for brands across beauty, fashion, drinks, tech, and homeware.
Printing Processes
Your print choices define how a brand comes to life across your packaging. The right process can elevate simple designs, highlight texture, and ensure colour consistency across every box and sleeve.
Offset litho printing process delivers high-quality, full-colour print and is ideal for detailed artwork. Preferred for premium rigid box printing and production.
Screen printing is ideal for minimal or textured surfaces. It can be best suited for shorter print runs or applying special added-value surface effects to your packaging.
Water based inks are an eco-friendly option offering vibrant, durable colour. Suitable for sustainable packaging printing, they reduce environmental impact without compromising finish quality.
Pantone, or special-colour matching as it is also referred to, ensures brand colour consistency across bespoke packaging manufacture. This is ideal for projects needing precise brand colour alignment.
Finishing Processes
Finishes add tactile quality and visual depth, transforming packaging from functional to memorable. They help communicate quality and enhance the perceived value of your brand.
Metallic or pigment foil blocking, for high-impact branding, adds premium surface interplay and detail to luxury box production. Options include flat, embossed, or fluted foiling for texture and shine.
Embossing and debossing creates tactile detail by raising or recessing designs on the surface of a rigid box. This finishing process is often paired with foiling for premium definition and appearance.
Lamination adds a gloss, matt, or soft-touch layer for durability and texture on rigid boxes. It enhances longevity and can also help to protect against surface marks.
Spot UV is a clear varnish coating applied to specific areas of a rigid box to highlight details of artwork that require visually enhancing. The process can add contrast, depth and surface interplay – making it perfect for brand logos or key branding details.
Packaging Embellishments
Embellishments provide the final touches that personalise and refine your packaging. These elements add distinction, elevate unboxing experiences, and reinforce the craft behind your product presentation.
Ribbons and pull tabs offer a touch of luxury while improving functionality of packaging. Ideal for retail or gift boxes that require a more tactile opening experience.
Sleeves and belly bands are ideal for adding seasonal or promotional messaging to rigid box packaging. They can also add colour or branding contrast to the box itself.
Tags, badges and plaques provide extra dimension and brand distinction to rigid box packaging. They’re ideal for adding collector editions or high-value product packaging.
Windows on rigid boxes can help to showcase the product or design details inside. They increase visibility and enhance the unboxing experience.
