Making my own jigsaw puzzle box

February 16, 2024 8:00 AM

I’m making some one-off jigsaw puzzles and I’m trying to box them nicely. In my head I see thin cardboard sheets — one for the top and one for the bottom — I can print on in a standard printer that already have perforated lines for where I would fold/cut them after printing. I can’t seem to find anything out there so I’m checking with the hive mind. Alternative ideas are also welcome.
posted by Tell Me No Lies to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

Best answer: You're not going to be able to run cardboard through a printer (and if you could, it's unlikely that it would be a surface that would accept ink or toner well). You could see what the thickest cardstock is that you can run through the printer, but even that's going to make for a flimsy box, unless your puzzle is very lightweight. You're probably not going to find anything very heavy at an office supply store.

I think you'd be best off buying pre-made boxes and then printing stickers on full page sheets and then trimming them to size.
posted by jonathanhughes at 8:30 AM on February 16 [2 favorites]

Re: pre-made boxes (cardboard or metal) and tubes, customizable, at createjigsawpuzzles.com & options at makeyourpuzzles.com
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:08 AM on February 16

Instead of stickers, I'd print on a nice glossy photo paper and spray mount it on there with 3M Super 77 or the like. I think Elmer's makes a spray on rubber cement as well.
posted by advicepig at 10:48 AM on February 16 [2 favorites]