The short answer: 100 boxes. That is the minimum order at iBox Factory, it applies across the catalog, and it includes the die and the printing plates rather than adding them as a separate tooling charge. The rest of this page explains why minimums exist at all, and how to decide whether 100 is the right number for you or simply the smallest one allowed.
Why a minimum exists
Custom packaging is made, not picked from a shelf. Before a single box is cut, someone builds a steel rule die for your dimensions, makes printing plates for your artwork, and sets a press up for your job. That work costs the same whether the run is 100 boxes or 100,000. Below a certain quantity, the setup is most of the price, which is why suppliers set a floor: not to be awkward, but because at 20 units the number per box gets absurd.
What changes between 100 and bulk
| At the 100 box minimum | At bulk volume |
|---|---|
| Setup spread over few units, so the highest per unit price | Setup spread thin, so the lowest per unit price |
| Good for testing size, artwork and shelf presence | Good once the spec is settled and demand is known |
| Little storage needed, easy to reorder | Needs real storage space and cash committed up front |
| Simple finishes are the sensible choice | Multi pass finishing becomes affordable per unit |
The about $0.48 per unit figure is a bulk volume starting point. It is not the price at 100 boxes, and any supplier quoting a bulk floor as though it applied at the minimum is not quoting honestly. Your written quote carries the number that applies to your quantity, your board and your finish.
When 100 is exactly right
- You have never sold this product in this packaging and the size is still a hypothesis.
- A retail buyer wants to see the real thing before granting a listing.
- Your product changes formulation, label text or shade often, so a large run risks becoming obsolete stock.
- You are seeding, sampling, or running a limited edition where a hundred is the whole audience.
When to order more than the minimum
Once the spec is settled and you know your sell through, larger runs are straightforwardly cheaper per unit, and the freight lane starts to matter as much as the print. If your date allows the cost saver lane by sea rather than the standard air lane, that difference is real money on a bulky order. The wholesale view of this is on wholesale custom boxes, and the small run view is on low minimum custom boxes.
What the 100 box order includes
The die, the plates, design support, free US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints. Turnaround is quoted per product across three lanes: rush (expedited production plus air freight, premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job), standard (air, from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 days for delivery), and cost saver (sea, longest and cheapest). Anything specialty and imported sits further out, up to about 12 weeks.
If you want to see how the number moves, send your dimensions to our quote form and ask for pricing at 100 and at the quantity you would order if the first run sells.
