A PR kit has an unusual brief. It goes to a small number of people, it is opened on camera, and it has to arrive intact after being handled by a courier who has no idea what is inside. That combination is why kits are the one place where spending on the insert beats spending on the outer box.
The seeding list sets the run size
Most seeding lists are dozens to a few hundred people. The minimum here is 100 boxes, so a kit can be made for one campaign without ordering years of stock, and the die and plates are included, so a second wave using the same structure is not a fresh tooling exercise. If the campaign is likely to repeat, keep the structure and change only the printed elements between waves.
Design around a fixed set
Unlike a retail box, a PR kit contains a specific arrangement: the hero product, one or two supporting products, a printed card, and often something small and tactile. Write the contents list with dimensions before anything else, because the insert is the design and the box is built around it.
- Fitted tray. Each item in its own recess, revealed all at once when the lid lifts. The most photogenic option.
- Layered kit. A top tray lifts out to reveal a second layer. Good for a reveal sequence, adds depth and cost.
- Partitioned box. Cells rather than shaped recesses. Cheaper, more forgiving if contents change late.
Insert construction options are covered on packaging inserts, and the premium outer builds on rigid boxes.
Work the calendar backward
| Step | What it needs from you |
|---|---|
| Contents locked | Final product dimensions, including any samples still in development |
| Artwork and dieline | Print ready files on the dieline we supply |
| Digital proof approved | A named person who can sign off the day it lands |
| Production and freight | The lane you chose: rush, standard or cost saver |
| Kitting and creator delivery | Whoever packs and mails the kits, plus their transit time |
The step teams forget is the last one. Boxes arriving on the campaign date is not the same as kits arriving with creators on the campaign date.
Surviving the courier
A kit that photographs beautifully and arrives with a cracked jar is worse than no kit. Two rules cover most of it. First, nothing loose: if an item can slide, it will, and it will mark the tray it sits in. Second, if the kit contains glass or liquid, ship the presentation box inside a plain outer carton rather than putting a label straight on it. The extra carton costs less than one broken kit and one disappointed creator.
Personalization, honestly
Named or numbered kits are a common request. What is feasible depends on the run size and the print process, so raise it at quote stage rather than assuming, and we will tell you what fits your quantity and what would be better handled as a printed card or a hand written note added during kitting.
Costs and ordering
Minimum order is 100 boxes, and unit pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes with the actual figure on your written quote, since kit inserts drive the price far more than the box does. Rush pairs expedited production with air freight at a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job. Free US shipping, design support, the die, the plates and a digital proof are included. If your kit is closer to a sample set than a gift, see packaging for sample kits.
Send your contents list with dimensions and the campaign date to our quote form and we will build the insert around the set.
