a graphic comparing a male mold vs a female mold. the male mold has a 3D mold tool that plastic is lowered onto and vacuum formed against. in the female mold, the plastic is stretched over the mold and vacuum formed against the mold itself.

Mastering Thermoforming: Key Differences Between Male and Female Molds

April 30, 2025

Whether you’re new to thermoforming or just learning about the process, it’s important to know your options when it comes to the different types of thermoforming molds available. In this blog, we’ll give you a refresher on what thermoforming is and how it works, share the benefits of the process, explain the mold types available, and help you decide which one is right for your project. Learn what types of thermoforming molds are available for future projects and more.

What Is Thermoforming and How Does it Work?

Thermoforming is a manufacturing process that involves heating a plastic sheet to a pliable temperature and forcing it into a vacuum-sealed mold where it then cools and remains the desired shape. After cooling, the part is then trimmed to the desired specifications.

Related Content: Thermoforming Design Basics

Advantages of Thermoforming

There are quite a few advantages of thermoforming in a variety of applications and industries. With its low cost and faster lead times, it’s one of the most efficient tooling options available. Thermoforming boasts numerous advantages, including:

Wide design flexibility and customization
Faster lead times
Cost-efficient and sustainable
Highly versatile between industries
Lightweight
Works with a variety of thermoplastics

What Types of Thermoforming Molds Are Available?

For thermoforming, there are two key types of molds: male and female. To help you understand what you need in your project, we’ll explain the difference below.

Related Content: What to Know About Thermoforming Molds

Male Thermoforming Mold

A male thermoforming mold sucks a heated plastic sheet down to form into a part around a mold. This method is great for large part production and is one of the most common thermoforming mold types used.

a diagram of a male thermoforming mold. plastic is applied above a mold, which is then vacuum-formed to the mold.

Female Thermoforming Mold

A female thermoforming mold uses a similar process with a heated plastic sheet, but it’s stretched over a mold and sucked onto the mold rather than the part. This method is widely used for high-detail parts and specific designs.

a diagram of a female thermoforming mold. plastic is sucked into a large mold shape using vaccuum forming.

Related Content: A Guide to Thermoforming Tooling Types

Which Thermoforming Mold is Best for Your Part?

To determine which thermoforming mold is best for your part, use our chart below to compare male thermoforming molds and female thermoforming molds.

Male Thermoforming Molds	Female Thermoforming Molds
Texture applied to plastic	Texture applied to mold or plastic to match
No mold marks on the A surface	Vacuum holes visible on the A surface.
Sharp detail difficult to obtain	Sharp corners and edges available
Less surface detail	High amount of surface details possible
Lower cost	Higher cost

Still have questions after checking out our comparison chart? Speak to a professional at Industrial Custom Products to get answers about your part or what thermoforming mold would work best for your project.

Industrial Custom Products is a one-stop-shop for custom manufacturing and plastic fabrication, including: prototyping and product development, die cutting and dieless knife cutting, thermoforming and vacuum forming, large part thermoforming, CNC plastic routing, fabrication and assembly and drape forming.

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