Table of Contents
Still struggling to find the right packaging box style? Still unsure about the best box style for your products? If so, you've come to the right place today! Packaging design is inseparable from these 12 common box styles (with illustrations). Designers in need, make sure to take notes!
1.Double-insert box
The double-insert box is the most common type of paper box packaging on the market. It has the same insertion points at the top and bottom, and goes through die-cutting, printing, box gluing, folding, and finally forming. The design structure is relatively simple. The double-insert box can be considered the ancestor of paper packaging boxes, being the most primitive box type. It is suitable for small, lightweight products (such as toothpaste boxes, cosmetics, drugs, floral teas, and other product outer packaging boxes).
Advantages: Simple production process, inexpensive printing cost.
Disadvantages: Relatively conventional, low differentiation; bottom is not suitable for carrying heavy items.
2.Bottom box
The bottom box is named for its bottom buckle structure, which has better load-bearing capacity than the double-insert box. At first glance, there is no difference from the double-insert box, but when the unfolded diagram is opened, the difference in the bottom can be seen. The top of the bottom box has an insertion slot, and the bottom has a bottom buckle, which provides better load-bearing effect. Some packaging boxes for appliances, agricultural products, food, etc., often choose the bottom buckle structure, which has a wide range of applications and is durable.
3.Airplane box
Airplane box, as the name suggests, is named for its unfolded shape resembling an airplane, achieving integration through structural design without the need for box pasting, which can save processing costs. It is mainly used for packaging moderately sized and easy-to-transport products such as clothing, accessories, jewelry, small appliances, etc.
Advantages: Good compression resistance, convenient folding. This box type is widely used in the market, from ordinary express packaging to high-end luxury packaging.
Disadvantages: Airplane box is a non-precision printing product. It cannot use too complicated patterns or too many colors for printing. It is relatively heavy and not very small in size, with higher printing and shipping costs.
4.The heaven and earth cover box
The heaven and earth cover box is composed of the top cover and the bottom box, which are separated. Generally, the upper part is larger and the lower part is smaller and can be used together by snapping. Suitable for exquisite gift box use, products such as mobile phone boxes, headphone boxes, beauty devices, jewelry, tea, etc., which require high-grade packaging, usually choose this box type to enhance packaging quality and product image.
Advantages: The heaven and earth cover box type can improve the quality of product packaging, and the action of opening from top and bottom can enhance the ceremonial feeling of unboxing the product.
Disadvantages: It uses a lot of paper, which results in higher costs, so products in heaven and earth cover gift boxes generally have a higher selling price.
5.Book-shaped box
Named for its packaging style resembling a book, the book-style box opens from the side and consists of panels and a base box. Some book-style boxes require materials such as magnets and stickers.
Compared to regular packaging boxes, book-style boxes are more exquisite and are often suitable for high-end and luxury products, making them one of the options for premium gift boxes on the market. (Brands like Lancôme often use book-style boxes for cosmetic packaging.)
Printing on book-style boxes focuses more on craftsmanship, with hot stamping and embossing being most common. Adding special techniques can further enhance the product's texture, but the printing cost is relatively high.
6.Drawer box
The drawer box is divided into an outer box and an inner box, and it is opened by sliding, which is very convenient. The box body itself is also called the outer box, available in single side opening and double side opening forms. This double-layer structured box combines the sliding feature, making it strong and sturdy. Drawer-style boxes are often better at accommodating contents, preventing products from falling out when opened, which is why mooncake gift boxes are mainly in drawer box style.
7.The bottom of the handle box
The bottom of the handle box is mostly a lock bottom structure, which can increase its load-bearing capacity, with a top handle design for easy assembly and disassembly. Handle boxes often choose corrugated paper laminated white card or gray bottom white, which is the most commonly used box type in the gift box category. The handle box type often appears in souvenir and other products, and the scene and its handle function are closely related. The biggest feature is convenient to carry.
Advantages: The most significant feature is convenience for carrying. Disadvantages: Handle boxes need to pay extra attention to the volume, weight, material, and whether the handle construction is proportional to the product to avoid damage during use.
8.Eyelet box
Eyelet box packaging is suitable for packaging batteries, stationery, toothbrushes, headphones and other small commodities, which are commonly found in fast-moving consumer goods. The production cost ranges from upscale to ordinary, and suitable materials and processes can be chosen based on product requirements. For ordinary small commodity packaging boxes, white cardboard with four-color printing is sufficient.
Advantages: Often suitable for offline physical stores, conducive to product shelf display
Disadvantages: Limited applicability to small commodity packaging
9.Sash box
Die-cutting windows on the packaging box or attaching transparent PVC makes it easier for the products to be visually displayed in front of consumers, increasing the authenticity of the products. Commonly used for alcoholic beverages, food, toys, etc.
Advantages: The internal products are visible and interesting; there are many ways to create windows, which can enhance the fun of the packaging box.
Disadvantages: Often, businesses may place the best products near the window, making the rest less visible, posing a certain risk of consumer inducement.
10.Display box
Display boxes are often used to showcase products, with a background that provides a premium brand image. They can create interesting visuals when combined with products, commonly used for showcasing beauty products and blind boxes. In the domestic market, display box printing is prevalent for blind boxes, while overseas they are mostly used for beauty products like eyeliners, eyebrow pencils, and mascara.
The packaging of display boxes plays a crucial role in the sales of products, as it is a key factor in attracting consumers' attention in physical stores. It can enhance the product's added value to a certain extent.
11.Alien Box
In recent years, more and more brands are willing to put effort into packaging, and shaped boxes have become the most convenient way for brand innovation in packaging. The focus of shaped boxes lies in the uniqueness of the structure, which is more visually appealing. Therefore, shaped boxes require greater creativity in design and higher difficulty in production compared to other box types.
12.Polygon box
Heart-shaped box, pentagon box, and hexagon box are the most chosen exquisite gift boxes by major brands this year for the Qixi Festival. This type of polygonal box, through special cutting, has a unique shape, and the novel box shape can leave a deep impression on consumers.
Advantages: Innovative multi-faceted design, large spatial potential, strong sense of ceremony
Disadvantages: The die-cut design of polygonal boxes is relatively complex, and printing costs are high.
