On a cosmetic or perfume box the first impression on the shelf comes from sharp edges, a lid that closes cleanly and corners that have not cracked. All of these depend on creasing — how the board is prepared to fold. For the right channel and allowance on thin board, a cosmetic and perfume box die needs separate care. This guide covers the creasing channel, allowance and corner form.
Shelf appeal hides in the crease
On thick corrugated a small crease error can pass unnoticed; on thin coated or solid-bleached board every crush, crack and ripple shows immediately under shelf light. A cosmetic box is small, glossy and often laminated or foiled, so the board surface is unforgiving: a wrong creasing channel leaves a white crack line along the folded edge.
So it is not possible to call the crease allowance unimportant on a cosmetic box — on the contrary, the cleanness of the crease is the first thing that makes a box look “premium” or “cheap”. On the die drawing, crease lines are planned before the cut lines.
- On thin board, crushing and cracks show immediately under shelf light.
- A laminated/foiled surface does not forgive a wrong crease.
- Crease cleanness directly sets the box’s perceived quality.
Creasing channel and board GSM
Creasing does not cut the board with a rule; it forms a fold groove by pressing the creasing line against a matching channel (matrix) on the other side. The channel width and depth are chosen by board thickness: as a general rule the channel width is roughly the creasing rule thickness plus twice the board thickness. Thin board needs a narrow channel, thick board a wide one.
As GSM rises the channel deepens; but on thin cosmetic board, if the channel is set too deep the board fibres break and the edge cracks. On some rigid lids or very thick board a single crease is replaced by a double crease (two lines side by side), which gives a softer bend without loading the fold onto a single sharp line.
- Channel width ≈ creasing rule + 2 × board thickness.
- As GSM rises the channel deepens; on thin board keep it narrow.
- On thick/rigid lids a double crease softens the bend.
Window cutout and sleeve allowance
Many cosmetic boxes have a window that shows the product, or a separate sleeve that wraps the box. If window corners are cut sharp they tear there in use, so the window corners are given a small radius and the window edge is often planned with an inward-folding allowance.
A sleeve (slide-on outer cover) must seat neither too tight nor too loose: too tight and it jams and scuffs the surface, too loose and it slides. The sleeve inner size is calculated from the box outer size plus board thickness and a bend allowance. This allowance is usually a few tenths of a millimetre and is verified with a sample.
- Window corners get a radius; a sharp corner tears.
- Sleeve inner size = box outer size + board thickness + allowance.
- The fit allowance is small and verified on a sample.
Sharp corners and closing
The box’s sharp, square corners come from the creases meeting at the right point; if the creases do not meet at the corner, the edge looks rounded or wrinkled. The locking tab and glue flap are sized so the lid closes easily by hand and stays closed; too tight a lock strains the board, too loose a lock leaves the lid open.
On rigid (cased) boxes the grey board is wrapped with a coated paper, so a wrap allowance is calculated separately: the wrapping paper adds thickness as it turns the corner, and if that allowance is not left up front the corner swells or the paper wrinkles. On a cosmetic box these details are marked clearly on the dieline.
- Creases meeting at the corner give the sharp edge.
- The locking tab and flap are sized for a clean close.
- On cased boxes the wrap allowance is left up front.
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