A pre production sample is exactly what it sounds like: a box made before the production run so that everyone can hold the thing rather than describe it. It is the last checkpoint where a change is cheap.
The approval steps, in order
| Step | What it confirms | What it cannot tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Dieline drawing | Panel sizes, fold positions, glue tabs, the flat layout | How it feels folded, or whether the product fits |
| Digital proof | Artwork placement, text, barcodes, colour breakdown, bleed | True colour on the actual board, or finish texture |
| Blank or plain sample | Structure, fit around the product, insert function | Anything about print or finish |
| Pre production sample | Structure and print together, on the intended material | Nothing much, which is why it is the last gate |
The digital proof is included with every order and comes before anything prints. It is the step that catches the expensive errors: a transposed phone number, a barcode in the wrong place, an ingredient panel that reads in the wrong order.
When a physical sample earns its place
- The fit is tight, and a millimetre either way changes whether the product loads by hand or by machine.
- The product is fragile, and you want to pack one and drop it rather than trust a drawing.
- A finish is part of the buying decision: a soft touch laminate, a foil, an emboss. These have to be felt.
- A retailer or a distributor has to sign off the pack before they will take the line.
- The packing line needs to rehearse, so the team can time the fold, load and seal.
What to do with one when it arrives
Do not just look at it. Pack it with the real product, close it the way a packer will, and check that the flaps meet without forcing. Put the label or sticker where it will really go. Stack two of them and press. If it is a shipper, tape it and drop it from the height it will realistically fall from. Write down anything you would change, because the next version costs time and this is the moment to spend it once rather than twice.
Check the artwork under the light the product will sell in, not under an office fitting. Colour on a shelf under retail lighting can look different from colour on a desk.
How samples work here
There is no sample kit to buy at iBox Factory. Samples are arranged as part of the quote conversation, which means telling us what you need to verify so the right kind of sample is made. The minimum order stays 100 boxes, priced from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and confirmed on your written quote, and the die, the plates, design support, US shipping and the digital proof are included.
Build the sample step into your timeline rather than bolting it on. Production is quoted per product across three lanes, rush (expedited production plus air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery, and specialty imported work can run up to about 12 weeks. A sample round sits in front of that, so a launch date needs to count both.
Tell us what you need to verify and when you need to verify it by on your quote request, and we will tell you what kind of sample answers that question. If you are still working out run size, what a packaging MOQ is explains why the minimum sits where it does.
