Custom packaging for small business
Custom packaging for a small business means printed boxes, pouches and labels made to your size in runs you can actually store and sell through. Most Tria styles start at 200 units, reorders included, with free design help, a free Swatch Book of materials and a free digital proof and dieline before anything is printed.
Good first orders
Which one do you need?
| Your situation | Start with | Minimum | Lead time after proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| You ship orders from a website | Kraft mailer box, or a white mailer if the artwork needs bright color | 200 units | 10 to 12 business days |
| A small product goes on a store shelf | Straight tuck end carton | 200 units | 10 to 14 business days |
| You sell coffee, snacks, tea or bath salts | Stand up pouch | 200 units | 10 to 12 business days |
| You already have jars or bottles | Product labels | 200 units | 5 to 7 business days |
| You are sending a launch to press or creators | PR box with a fitted insert | 200 units | 10 to 12 business days |
| You want a branded unboxing on a plain box | Printed tissue and a thank you card | 200 each | 10 to 12 business days |
How to keep a first order small and sensible
Pick one box size that fits the products you sell most and use an insert for the rest. Three sizes at 200 each is 600 boxes on a shelf; one size at 200 is a closet. The box size calculator and the measuring guide get the inside dimensions right the first time.
Spend on the thing customers touch. A one color logo on a kraft mailer with a printed thank you card inside does more than a full color box nobody keeps. If your product already lives in a jar or a stock tin, labels are the cheapest way to look finished, and they run in 5 to 7 business days.
Plan the reorder before you need it. Reorders carry the same 200 minimum, and the saving is time: the artwork and dieline are already approved, so you go straight to production. Count back from the day you run out, not the day you notice. The timeline guide lays it out.
How an order works
- Send a brief. Product size, quantity and where the packaging goes. The quote and a dieline drawn to your size usually come back within one business day of a complete brief.
- Feel the materials. The Swatch Book of boards, wraps and finishes is free, so you choose a stock with it in your hand.
- Artwork. Drop your art onto the dieline, or use our free design help if you do not have files yet.
- Approve the proof. The complimentary digital proof usually follows within one business day of the artwork. Printed proofs and physical prototypes are available on request. Nothing is produced until you approve.
- Production. Lead time is counted from proof approval: labels 5 to 7 business days, most boxes, bags and pouches 10 to 14, rigid boxes 10 to 18. Each product page states its own.
Questions small businesses ask us
Is this a separate range from your other packaging?
No. These are the same products, minimums and lead times as the rest of the catalog. This page picks the usual starting points for a small brand. For every style, see the custom boxes page, the pouches range and the labels range. For why the floor sits at 200, read the minimum order guide first.
What is the smallest order I can place?
Our standard minimum is 200 units and nothing starts lower. Most styles start at 200; some specialty items start higher, from 250 to 5,000 units, and each product page states its own.
Do I need a designer before I order?
No. Design help is free. Send your logo and any brand colors, and we place them on a dieline drawn to your size for you to approve.
Can I see the materials before I commit?
Yes. The Swatch Book of boards, wraps and finishes is free, and physical prototypes are available on request, with timing confirmed in the quote.
How long does a first order take?
The quote and dieline usually come back within one business day of a complete brief, and the digital proof within one business day of your artwork. Production then runs 5 to 7 business days for labels and 10 to 14 for most boxes and pouches after you approve the proof.
Do reorders have the same minimum?
Yes, reorders also start at 200 units. The saving is time, since the artwork and dieline are already approved.
Ready to price your first order?
Tell us what you sell, how you ship it and roughly how many you need. The quote and dieline usually come back within one business day, and design help is free.