Slipcases are an unusual type of custom cardboard box which leaves one side open, allowing products to be easily slipped in and out. Whilst designed for books, they can be combined with other types of boxes for a highly luxurious and robust finish.

In product development, the two best ways to avoid packaging waste are to either produce easy-to-recycle packaging or packaging solutions designed to be used with the product for as long as possible. Slipcases manage to be both at once.

Whilst simple in their design and intended for use to store relatively standardised products with at least one solid side, slipcases are a very versatile option either to add a luxurious finish or economically add strength to other kinds of luxury boxes.

To explain why, it is worth exploring where they came from, why they are used and comparing them to other similar types of box designs.

What Are Slipcases?

Equal parts decorative box and protective shell, a slipcase is an open five-sided box that is perfectly sized to slide a component or multiple components within it.

They were originally designed for books, as they allow for the robust but decorative spine of the book to be on display without exposing the pages or other vulnerable edges to degradation.

As the spine of a book is often essential for marketing purposes, often being the first part a potential customer will see, a slipcase ensures it remains visible and easy to access on a shelf whilst also providing structural rigidity and a degree of environmental protection.

Slipcases can and often are used to store multiple books at once, resembling a miniature cardboard bookcase for which books are slipped in and out.

Beyond books, slipcases are often used to store video cassettes or are used in combination with other types of boxes in order to store various kinds of media.

Many box sets are stored in slipcases, particularly DVDs and Blu-Rays, as they provide an aesthetically pleasing but economical way to group multiple pieces of connected media together. 

Less commonly, slipcases are used as an outer shell for another box, which means that they can be used to store almost anything that could easily be slipped in and out of them.

Slipcases Vs Clamshell Packaging

The most immediate point of comparison for slipcases is between them and clamshell boxes, which are boxes joined by a hinge that are explicitly designed to come together.

Whilst many clamshell containers are made of plastic or another non-recyclable material, clamshells are increasingly being made in whole or in part out of cardboard, creating interesting-looking yet robust storage solutions.

Slipcases are often used in combination with clamshell boxes to fulfil the same purpose that slipcases do for books; they keep the spine exposed for marketing and aesthetic purposes whilst providing additional protection and structural rigidity.

Slipcases Vs Solander Boxes

A variation on clamshell packaging is the Solander box, a specific type of cardboard or wooden box designed for archival purposes, typically to ensure that rare books are kept in pristine condition.

Some of these are made in standard sizes that can be stored flat, but others are custom cut to exact measurements in order to store particularly rare books.

Whilst commonly used in archives along with much simpler phase boxes, Solander boxes are relatively uncommon as a form of product packaging; albeit due to their connection to rare, confidential or archival materials, it is not completely unheard of.

Solander boxes tend to be used when the entire book needs to be kept in pristine order to avoid long-term irreparable damage, whilst slipcases are far more common for everyday use.

When Should You Use Slipcases For Product Packaging?

Slipcases are an ironically fairly inexpensive way to add value to a product, and they have been a key part of so-called “collector’s editions” of books and media for several decades.

Slipcases are typically best used to store products which already have a strong, robust side that there is no harm in leaving exposed. This makes them perfect for use with books, but they can also be used to store vinyl LPs, jewel cases, clamshell DVD boxes and other media where the hinge provides strength.

They are also useful for keeping collections together, although packaging designers need to ensure that the slipcase is not only useful on the shelf but can be reused by consumers afterwards, as a slipcase that houses a collection is seen as a particular benefit.