Wholesale Packaging from China
Packaging is the cheapest part of a product by value and the most expensive part to get wrong. A carton printed on the wrong dieline is not a carton with a fault, it is a scrap run, and it happens after the plates are made.
The second trap is that packaging is regulated twice over. The material has to be safe in contact with whatever it holds, and the print has to survive a supply chain that treats cartons as furniture. Neither shows on a screen proof.
We have bought printed packaging alongside the products it protects for five years, for European and North American buyers. The notes below are the cluster map, realistic factory prices, and the checks that keep a print run usable.
Where the packaging factories are
| Cluster | City | Strengths | Typical MOQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folding cartons | Dongguan and Foshan (Guangdong) | Retail cartons, board grades, foil and spot UV | 3,000 pieces |
| Rigid gift boxes | Dongguan and Shenzhen (Guangdong) | Hand assembled boxes, magnets, foam and paper liners | 1,000 pieces |
| Flexible pouches | Wenzhou (Zhejiang) | Stand up pouches, zipper and spout, laminated film | 5,000 pieces |
| Paper bags and labels | Wenzhou and Yiwu (Zhejiang) | Kraft bags, self adhesive labels, hang tags | 5,000 pieces |
| Glass and PET containers | Zibo (Shandong) and Taizhou (Zhejiang) | Jars, bottles, closures, sprayers | 5,000 pieces |
Cluster choice here is about the print method and the tooling a factory already runs every week. A factory that cuts your dieline shape daily will beat a cheaper quote from outside the cluster on registration, board waste and reprint risk.
Price ranges you should expect
| Product type | Factory price range | MOQ | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folding carton, single wall | $0.08 to $0.45 | 3,000 pieces | 15 to 25 days |
| Rigid gift box with liner | $0.60 to $2.80 | 1,000 pieces | 25 to 35 days |
| Kraft paper bag with handle | $0.06 to $0.30 | 5,000 pieces | 15 to 25 days |
| Stand up pouch with zipper | $0.04 to $0.18 | 5,000 pieces | 20 to 30 days |
| Glass jar with lid | $0.12 to $0.55 | 5,000 pieces | 25 to 40 days |
Approve the dieline before the artwork is laid out
The dieline is the drawing of the flattened box with the fold and cut lines. Artwork laid out on the wrong dieline prints perfectly and folds wrongly, and the error is only visible after the run. Ask for the dieline first, lay the artwork on it, then approve a printed dummy before plates are made.
Food contact is a material question before it is a print question
A box around a bottle is not food contact packaging. A pouch that holds tea is. The film or board grade, the ink system and the adhesive all sit in scope, and the supplier has to give you a declaration of compliance for the material you actually bought, not for a similar one.
Colour has to be judged on the press sheet
Brand colours shift on kraft, on uncoated board and through a laminate. A screen proof cannot show that. Approve a physical press sheet from the actual run, keep it as the reference, and pin the board grade in the specification so the next order starts from the same place.
Freight is a bigger line on packaging than on the product
Packaging ships air. A carton that nests, a box that flat packs and a lighter board all cut the cost per unit more than an argument about the print price. Ask for the packed carton dimensions and the units per carton before comparing two quotations.
Product lines in this category
One page per product we source here, with its own specifications, minimums and inspection points.
- Rigid gift boxes: with EVA or paper liner, custom wrap and fitment
- Stand up pouches: zipper closure, barrier laminates for food and powder
- Glass jars: flint and amber, food grade lids, candle and food use
- Kraft paper bags: twisted or ribbon handle, retail carry weight
- Folding cartons: single wall, custom die lines, food grade options
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for custom printed packaging?
The factory minimum is in the table above, because the plates and the die have to be paid for. Our own minimum is one piece, so if you want to test a stock box, a plain bag or a sample of the material before committing to a print run, we can buy that quantity for you.
Can you match packaging to a product I already buy?
Yes. Send a sample of the current packaging and we will copy the structure, the board grade and the print finish, then quote it against what you pay now.
Who owns the artwork and the dieline?
You do. We keep the source files against the product in our archive, and the dieline stays with the factory that cut it, so a reprint six months later is a repeat rather than a rebuild.
Can you print to my file and ship straight to a fulfilment centre?
Yes. We receive the printed packaging, check it against the approved sheet, and it goes out with the rest of your goods, so the boxes and the products arrive together.
Get a live quotation
Our minimum order is one piece, and mixed models are welcome. Send the product, the quantity and the look you want, and we come back with factory options, real prices and MOQs within two business days.
all twelve wholesale categories packaging design artwork and print ready files the contact page
Request a quotation
Tell us the product, the target quantity and the port you ship to. We come back with factory options, real prices and MOQs within two business days.
