Silver Mirror Magnetic Gift Box Foldable Surface

The surface is a mirror film on card, so the box takes the colour of whatever stands next to it and gives it back. In a shop it reads cool silver under white light and picks up a warm tone near wood, a hand or a candle. A mark is easier to see on a mirror than on a matte box, so the film is kept under a protective wrap until the gift goes in. The same surface takes a printed logo or a block of type, so a brand can use the mirror plain or break it with print.

- A magnet sits inside the board behind the front panel, so the lid is pulled shut without a clasp or a ribbon.

- The lid closes on its own once it passes the last centimetre, so one hand can hold the box and the other can hold the gift.

- The magnet is hidden between the lining and the mirror film, so nothing breaks the surface.

- The lid lifts with a light pull, so a gift is opened without tearing paper or cutting a seal.

- The magnet holds the lid while the box is packed and checked, so nothing has to be taped down first.

- Because the closure is a magnet and not a ribbon, a customer can open and shut the box at the counter while choosing what goes inside.

The inside is lined with white paper, so the mirror outside is answered by a matte surface where the gift sits. A product in a pale colour reads true against white instead of picking up grey from the card, and a dark product shows its shape rather than disappearing. The lining also covers the folded corners, so the inside looks finished once the lid is open. Photographs of the box come out well, because the white inside bounces light back onto the product.

The lid and the base are both built on thick board, so the box keeps its shape when cartons are stacked in a container. The lid sits over the front panel instead of inside it, so a knock on the top is taken by the board rather than by the gift. Because the magnet keeps the lid shut, the box does not need a sleeve or a band to stay closed on the way. The box travels folded, so a large order takes less shelf space and less freight than assembled boxes would.

- The lid lifts and the mirror on the inside of the flap catches the room, so the gift is seen in a bright frame.

- The white base leaves the gift as the only thing in colour, which is what a limited-edition set needs.

- Nothing has to be cut, torn or untied to open the box, so the gift can be looked at and packed away again.

- After the gift is out, the box stays in use for jewellery, photographs or a set of small bottles.

The mirror box runs through our factory in five steps: the board is wrapped on both sides, the panels are die-cut and creased, the magnet is set into the board, the box is folded, and the white lining is glued in place. Because the magnet and the lining are fitted before the box is folded, a closed box is checked before the order is packed. The boxes go out folded, and an order that takes all three sizes is packed so each size can be pulled out and used without sorting.