Anyone who gives you a per unit price for a custom box without asking questions is guessing. The honest answer is a range and a method: pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, and where your job lands inside the range depends on six things. This page explains all six so you can predict your own quote before you request it.
The six things that set the number
| Driver | Effect on unit price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Largest single effect | Setup and makeready are fixed and divide across the run |
| Box size | Direct | You are buying board area, and a bigger box uses more of it |
| Board grade | Direct | Double wall corrugated and rigid greyboard cost more than a thin carton board |
| Print coverage | Moderate | More colours and full bleed mean more ink and longer setup |
| Finishes | Step change | Foil, emboss and spot UV each add a process and often their own tooling |
| Inserts and assembly | Per unit | An insert is extra material plus a labour step on every single box |
Why the same box has two different prices
Because most of what you pay for on a short run is not the box. It is the work of getting the press ready to make it. That cost is identical at 100 units and at 5,000, so it lands heavily on a small run and lightly on a large one. This is also why the price does not keep halving forever: once setup is thinly spread, you are mostly paying for board and ink, and those scale linearly. Ask for two or three quantity breaks on one quote and you will see the exact point where your own curve flattens. That point, not a general rule, is your right order size.
What is not charged
Several costs that suppliers commonly bill separately are included in an iBox Factory order: the die, the printing plates, design support, US shipping within the US, and a digital proof before anything prints. On a 100 unit order this is the difference that matters most, because separate tooling charges are always worst at low volume.
Four ways to bring a quote down
- Reduce sizes, not quantity. Three products sharing one box is one die and one setup.
- Cut print coverage rather than print quality. Large unprinted areas on kraft or white board can look deliberate.
- Choose one finish and do it well instead of three that compete.
- Take a slower lane. Cost saver moves by sea and is the cheapest of the three lanes if your date allows it.
What we cannot tell you on a web page
An exact total. We do not publish price tables, tiers or project prices, because a real number depends on the six drivers above plus your quantity and your date. What we will do is put the per unit price, the lane and the lead time in writing on your quote, and hold to it.
Lead time and minimums
Minimum 100 boxes per design. Turnaround is stated per product across three lanes: rush is expedited production plus air freight, standard is air, cost saver is sea. The floor is from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. Rush adds a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job.
If your volume is at the low end, low minimum custom boxes explains how a 100 unit order is built. To get a real number, send your size, board, quantity and date through the quote form.
