Electromagnetic shielding is a critical issue in the design of electronic equipment. This is mostly due to the high receptivity of electronic components to unwanted electromagnetic emission and interference. To reduce this interference, a study is initiated to determine the effect of material and joint types on the shielding effectiveness of an electronic enclosure. Eight different but progressively more complex joints are designed and investigated in this study. Filled polymers and metallized filled polymers are selected and compared with the all metallic structures. An analytical approach utilizing conformal mapping to calculate the shielding effectiveness of joints is attempted. An experimental apparatus is designed and manufactured to aid in finding the best possible joint configurations. Economic factors in selecting optimum joint layout are also studied. A cost index relating the effective length, design factors, and the total length of the part is developed. Results are presented for the best joint configuration and material with the highest shielding effectiveness.