We can produce one-off samples, lower-volume launch orders, standard production runs, and high-volume repeat orders. The minimum and schedule depend on the package, material, print, finishing, tooling, quantity, freight, and required delivery date.
Planning ranges
These are planning ranges across our production network. The actual order may fall below or above them.
| Package or stage | Indicative quantity | Indicative time after usable files and approval | Main variables |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAD drawing or plain structural sample | One or a few samples | About 3-10 business days | Existing dieline, dimensions, material, insert work, shipping time, and sample complexity. |
| Printed comp or finish sample | One or a few samples | About 1-3 weeks | Print method, color standard, substrate, coatings, foil, embossing, assembly, and proof source. |
| Short-run corrugated boxes or mailers | About 100-499 units. Some digital or sample orders can be lower. | Several working days to about 3 weeks | Digital cutting versus tooling, print coverage, size, board availability, gluing, and delivery. |
| Production corrugated packaging | About 500 units through truckload quantities. Runs of 5,000+ are common for larger orders. | About 2-6 weeks | Board, corrugator schedule, die, flexographic or digital print, converting, assembly, freight, and releases. |
| Printed corrugated packaging | One printed comp, short digital runs in the hundreds or low thousands, and larger repeat runs | About 1-6 weeks | Digital, flexographic, or litho-laminated print, color and coverage, plates, coating, proof, board, converting, and delivery. |
| Short-run folding cartons | About 50-1,499 units. Many quoted orders begin around 100. | About 1-3 weeks | Digital print, paperboard, versions, die cutting, gluing, windows, coatings, proof, plant capacity, and freight. |
| Production folding cartons | About 1,500 units and above. Runs of 5,000+ are common for larger orders. | About 2-8 weeks | Digital versus offset print, paperboard, die, coatings, foil, windows, folder-gluer work, versions, and proofs. |
| Rigid boxes | About 50-100 units for some short-run methods. Conventional setup-box work commonly starts around 500. | About 4-12 weeks | Board, wrap, printing, forming, insert, closure, hand work, approved physical sample, formed freight, and storage. |
| Displays and complex assembled packaging | One mockup can precede production in the hundreds or a multi-store rollout. | About 3-10 weeks | Structure, print, tests, components, assembly, labels, pallet preparation, destination, and launch date. |
| Partitions, pads, inserts, and foam | One or a few fit samples, then quantities matched to the outer pack or product run | About 1-6 weeks | Material, cavity count, die or cutting method, tolerances, assembly, outer pack, and delivery. |
| Foil, embossing, windows, coatings, and other special finishes | Added to the underlying carton or box quantity | Allow additional approval and production time. The quote confirms the schedule. | Tooling, registration, substrate, coverage, number of passes, curing, proof, outside finishing, and reject allowance. |
| Box, carton, or display assembly | Matched to the packaging production quantity | Starts after components and assembly instructions are approved and available | Component count, labor, line setup, gluing or fastening, inserts, handles, labels, pallet preparation, and destination. |
| Made-and-held packaging with scheduled releases | One production order with smaller agreed release quantities | The initial production schedule and each release schedule are separate | Total run, release size, forecast, storage term, safety stock, artwork changes, pallet count, freight, and replenishment. |
| Repeat order against an approved specification | Quoted by item and release | Often faster than the first order | Material availability, current tooling, unchanged files, plant capacity, held inventory, and freight. |
Price and minimums
A die, printing plates, offset make-ready, foil or embossing tooling, window tooling, gluing setup, and assembly setup are spread across the quantity. Digital cutting or printing can remove some tooling at lower volumes but may cost more per unit.
Board grade, flute, wall count, paperboard, rigid board, wrap, foam, insert material, blank size, sheet yield, and material minimums affect the feasible production quantity and cost.
Color count, coverage, direct digital or offset printing, litho lamination, coating, foil, embossing, windows, variable versions, and proof requirements change setup and production time.
Flat versus formed delivery, assembly, pallet count, delivery distance, split destinations, inventory, and scheduled releases change the delivered cost and practical run size.
Delivery planning
A plain sample can confirm fit and assembly while artwork is completed, if the structure and copy schedule allow those reviews to proceed separately.
A digitally printed or digitally cut launch quantity can cover an early requirement while conventional tooling or longer production is prepared. The launch run and later production may differ in appearance and unit cost.
A larger production order can be stored and released on an agreed schedule where repeat demand, storage cost, material exposure, and artwork obsolescence make that practical.
See inventory and scheduled deliveryShare the date packaging must arrive, the delivery ZIP code, appointment rules, number of locations, and whether delivery can be split. Those details let us check production and freight together.
