Why MOQ exists
Minimum order quantity is not a policy so much as an arithmetic result. Tooling, printing plates, foil blocks and press make-ready are paid once per design. Below a certain quantity those fixed costs make the per-box price unreasonable for the buyer rather than impossible for the factory.
Structures with less tooling — simple lid and base boxes, digitally printed short runs — carry lower minimums than heavily die-cut specialty shapes.
How long rigid box production takes
Our published working rhythm is one hour to respond on design, two days for sampling and around two weeks for bulk production. In detail, a typical project runs like this:
- Requirement and structure discussion — same day
- Die-line and artwork template — 1–2 days
- Physical prototype in the specified materials — about 2 days
- Your review and artwork sign-off — depends on you; this is usually the longest step
- Tooling, printing, finishing, wrapping and assembly — around 2 weeks for a standard run
- Inspection, packing and dispatch — 1–2 days
Planning backwards from a deadline
Festive and launch programmes fail on artwork approval, not production. If you have a fixed in-hand date, work backwards and lock the structure early — the prototype can be produced while artwork is still being finalised, because the die-line does not depend on the print.
