Shoulder Rigid Boxes.

That's the neck, an inner collar fixed to the base that rises above it, with the lid sliding down over it. The lid stops short of the base, so a strip of the neck stays visible when the box is shut. We usually wrap it in a contrasting metallic paper or foil it, since that strip is where the design lands.

Three parts mean three separate wraps, which puts the shoulder box at the top of the rigid range on cost.

Air trapped between the lid and a well-fitted neck cushions the descent. The lid rides on the neck walls rather than the base, so it glides down evenly and settles without a clap. That smooth close is a big part of why fragrance and spirits houses favour the format.

It only works if the fit is close, so we set the neck and lid dimensions together and check the drop on the sample.

An uneven reveal band is the one flaw this format can't hide. If the neck height and lid depth aren't matched exactly, the strip shows wider on one side and the eye goes straight to it. We control both dimensions on the same job so they stay in step across the run.

The neck also carries the lid's weight every time it closes, so we build it from reinforced board to stop it crushing or leaning inward over time.

A foiled neck band under a soft-touch lid is the classic pairing. Hot foil or a deboss carries the mark on top, and edge painting can colour the lid rim. Some houses keep the lid almost bare and put all the colour in the band, and the lid wrap can be a textured or dyed-through specialty stock.

Any of the three wraps can carry CMYK or PMS print, plus spot UV for a gloss detail against a matte ground.

Tall, narrow proportions such as 3 × 3 × 5 in and 4 × 4 × 6 in are the most common, because the format grew up around bottles. We size from the inside of the base and neck, then set the lid depth for the band width you want. The finished height follows from how much neck you choose to show.

For bottles, give us the height to the top of the cap and we'll build a fitted platform to seat it.

Yes, the minimum run is 30 shoulder boxes. That helps with a limited fragrance release or a numbered spirits edition where the count is small by design. Each box is three wrapped components, and all three are made to the same quantity.

If the edition grows, we can take the same spec all the way to 100,000 units.

Bulk production takes 7 to 10 business days from approved artwork, with rush at 5 to 7. We'd strongly suggest a sample on a first order, because the band alignment and the cushioned close both need checking by hand. You'd have one in hand within 5 to 7 business days.

The sample charge is credited once you confirm production, so seeing one first isn't money lost.

A fitted platform with a cut-out seat holds the bottle upright and centred. The seat keeps the bottle clear of the lid on the way down and stops it sliding when the box is carried or shipped. Cap height matters most here, since a tall cap sets how deep the lid has to be.

For shipping, the finished box should go inside a corrugated outer. Its wraps are made for display and will mark if they travel unprotected.