Custom Round Boxes

How a round box is rolled and lidded

A strip of rigid board is rolled into a tube, closed with a glued seam, then fitted with a base disc and a lid.

The tube is the structure. A flat disc of board sits inside one end as the base, and the whole body is covered in printed or textured paper, so the print has no corners to interrupt it.

Unlike most boxes, a round box does not ship flat. The tube is already formed, so it takes up its full volume in storage and in freight, and that is worth knowing before ordering a large quantity.

• Rolled rigid tube with a glued seam
• Base disc set inside, wrap paper over the outside
• Ships already formed, not flat

Lift-off lid or push-fit lid?

A lift-off lid sits over the rim of the tube. A push-fit lid plugs into it and grips by friction.

A lift-off lid is wrapped like the body, so the join reads as a thin line and the lid slides off easily. It suits gift sets, because the opening is part of the experience, but it can be knocked off if the box is handled roughly.

A push-fit lid is held by a collar that presses against the inner wall. It stays on more firmly, which suits tins, candles and anything carried around, but it is harder to open one-handed and the collar needs more careful tolerance. Tell us how the box will be carried and opened, and we suggest the lid.

• Lift-off: easy to open, can slip off in handling
• Push-fit: holds firmly, takes more force, tighter tolerance

Diameter first, then height

A round box has no corners to hold a product, so the diameter has to be right or the contents rattle.

Measure the product across its widest point, which is often the lid or a shoulder and not the body, and measure it in two directions in case it is not a true circle. Add a small clearance and then check that the lid can still close over any raised label or rim.

Height is the second figure. A padded base lifts the product, so include its thickness in the internal height, or the lid will press on the top of the product when it is closed. Send us both diameters and the height, and we size the tube and lid around them.

Round or square for a round product?

A round box fits a round product closely, but cylinders waste space when they are packed together.

Round products rattle in the corners of a square box and need more filler to stay still. A tube holds them snugly all the way round, so less padding is needed and the pack looks intended.

The cost shows up in freight and storage. Cylinders cannot tessellate, so a case of round boxes takes more volume than the same number of square ones, and carton and pallet space is billed accordingly.

Full-wrap print and the seam

The wrap goes all the way round, so the print has no front or back and the seam is the one place it must meet.

Wrap paper is printed flat and rolled onto the tube, so the two ends overlap or butt together at the seam. Keep logos and key text away from that point and let a pattern run on without relying on an exact match.

The curve changes how a design reads. Large type on a small diameter wraps out of view, foil on a tight curve can show hairline cracks, and artwork should be previewed as a cylinder rather than judged only on the flat sheet.

Round box or two-piece rigid box?

A round box is the pick for a round product. A square two-piece rigid box is the pick for flat, rectangular or irregular items, with the same lift-off opening.

Round adds cost and bulk for anything that is not round. Flat, rectangular or irregular products waste the interior of a tube and need a lot of insert to hold them, while a two-piece rigid box gives them the same lift-off reveal in a shape that fits. A tube is also strong along its length and weaker when squeezed on its side, so heavy contents posted without an outer carton may dent it.

If the box will be shipped in volume and the product is not round, a square structure carries more per carton and costs less to move. Choose the round form because the product is round.