How do I start ordering custom packaging and printing from a Chinese factory?
Confidence 4/5 Established practice
A workable first order follows the same sequence in every category: fix the specification in writing including tolerance and finish; decide the quantity against the minimum above; get a physical sample approved before any mass production; agree tooling ownership and payment terms in writing; arrange inspection before the balance is paid; and confirm the HS code and the destination labelling requirements before the goods ship rather than after. For custom packaging and printing the two details that most often delay a first order are paying for plates or cylinders without agreeing who owns them, then being unable to move the job and approving artwork on screen instead of a physical press proof, then finding the colour is wrong on kraft board.
Sources
- Packaging print set-up and MOQ practice — Industry practice; consistent with supplier-quoted minimums
- Cartons and boxes under HS 4819 — World Customs Organization HS nomenclature
What goes wrong with custom packaging and printing
- Paying for plates or cylinders without agreeing who owns them, then being unable to move the job.
- Approving artwork on screen instead of a physical press proof, then finding the colour is wrong on kraft board.
- Under-specifying the board grade and discovering the carton crushes in transit.
- Forgetting the barcode or the FNSKU requirement for a fulfilment centre.
- Designing a carton that fits the product but not the pallet or the parcel-rate tier.
Related questions people ask
Want this priced for your specification?
Send the requirement and any drawings. You get a supplier shortlist and one landed price, with the cost breakdown shown.