Corrugated boxes are made in stages, and different companies own different stages. That is why two suppliers quoting the same box can give you completely different answers on minimum, lead time and tooling. Knowing which kind of company you are speaking to tells you what to expect before you place an order.
The four kinds of maker
- Paper mills. They make the linerboard and the fluting medium, and combine them into corrugated board. They sell board, not boxes, and their volumes are enormous.
- Sheet plants and converters. They buy board and convert it: scoring, slotting, die cutting and gluing into finished boxes. This is where most plain shipping boxes come from.
- Printers and finishers. They handle the print, lamination, foil and specialty finishing, sometimes on board converted elsewhere.
- Packaging manufacturers. They own or coordinate the whole path from dieline to delivered boxes, which is what a buyer ordering a branded custom box usually needs.
None of these is better than the others, they are different jobs. If you need 40,000 identical plain shipping cartons, a converter is the natural fit. If you need 500 printed retail boxes with a custom die, a maker who handles design, print and finishing together will cost you far less time.
Questions that reveal what you are dealing with
| Ask this | Why it matters | iBox answer |
|---|---|---|
| What is your minimum? | Tells you whether they are set up for custom work or volume runs | 100 boxes |
| Who pays for the die and plates? | Tooling charges can dominate a small first order | Included |
| Do I see a proof before print? | A proof is the only chance to catch a mistake cheaply | Digital proof before anything prints |
| Where is it made? | Affects lead time, freight and what constructions are possible | West Chicago in the US, or Guangzhou in China |
| Is shipping in the price? | Freight on corrugated is significant because boxes are bulky | US shipping included |
| What is the lead time for my job? | A catalog wide promise usually means nobody has checked | Quoted per product on a rush, standard or cost saver lane |
What happens once you place a custom order
The dieline is drawn to your inside dimensions and a cutting die is made from it. Artwork is laid onto that dieline and printed onto the liner, and the printed sheet is die cut, folded and glued. A digital proof is issued before print so you approve the actual layout. Then the boxes are packed flat and shipped. The reason a first order takes longer than a repeat order is that the first one includes the dieline and the die.
What it costs and how long it takes
Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, confirmed on your written quote, because size, flute, ink coverage and finishing all move the number. A standard job is from about 7 business days in production, with delivery adding 2 to 5 days. The rush lane combines expedited production with air freight, at a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job. Cost saver ships by sea.
Ask us directly
Send the dimensions and quantity to the quote form and you will get a price, a lane and a proof step in writing. For a supplier checklist see custom box manufacturer, and for board and flute selection see custom corrugated boxes.
