Wholesale · MOQ
Every custom run starts somewhere. Here is what sets the 100 pcs floor, what pushes it higher, and how to plan a first order that fits your budget.
The minimum order
Four things decide where a custom run starts — and three of them are choices you control.
Below a hundred pieces the setup work — plates, dies, colour matching and machine time — is spread over too few units, so the price per box stops making sense for either side. One hundred pieces is the point where a custom run becomes a real order rather than an expensive sample batch.
Foiling, embossing and custom die-cut shapes each need their own tooling, and laminated rigid boxes are assembled by hand. Multi-piece sets, custom foam or flocked inserts and speciality board add setup too, so those runs usually start higher than a plain printed carton.
A stock board and a standard construction can lower the minimum, because the die and plates already exist. Speciality paper, a custom die and hand assembly raise it. Ask what the floor is for the construction you want.
Start with one size, one style and one print design. Approve a sample, then order the smallest run that covers your launch. Reorders repeat the same setup, so the second batch costs less per unit than the first.
Cost
Printing is priced by the sheet, not by the box. Understanding that explains most of a quote.
Plates, ink mixing, die mounting and make-ready happen once. Spread over 100 pieces the setup is a large share of the unit price; over 10,000 it nearly disappears.
Two items on the same board, in the same colours, can be grouped on one sheet. That is why a bag and a tag in the same print run can cost less than either one ordered alone.
A stock board weight, one or two inks and a standard box style all reduce make-ready. Speciality paper and extra finishes add a pass through another machine.
The die and plates from the first run are kept. A repeat order at the same size starts from an existing setup, which is why the second run prices lower.
Setup, in practice
A physical sample in about 5 days confirms board, colour and construction before you commit to a run.
Keeping the same size and style means the tooling is already paid for.
Each size carries its own setup, so combining sizes in one run raises the minimum.
Buyer questions
The five questions buyers ask before a first order.
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Next in this guide
The minimum explains the setup. The next guide shows where that setup sits in a quote.
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