From artwork to shipment
This is the sequence for a lid style gift box, with the time each step actually takes. The only step that depends on you is artwork approval, and it is the one that most often delays a launch.
| Step | Time | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brief and quotation | Same day to 1 day | You send dimensions, quantity and artwork; we quote |
| 2. Structural drawing and dieline | 1-3 days, free | Us |
| 3. 3D mockup | 1-3 days, free | Us |
| 4. Sample production | 5-10 days | Us, after you approve the dieline |
| 5. Sample approval | Your decision | You – please check colour, size and finish in hand |
| 6. Production start-up | 1-3 days after approval | Us |
| 7. Mass production | 18-25 days regular; 10-15 days small runs; 25-30 days soft-touch or special shapes | Us |
| 8. Final inspection and packing | Included in step 7 | Us |
| 9. Transit | Express 5-10 days; air 8-15; truck 30-35; rail 45-50; sea 40-60 | Us, DDP as standard |
Public holidays add 1-3 days, and we flag them before you order rather than after. If a date is genuinely impossible we will say so at quotation stage.
Sampling: what you get
Three things are free and take 1-3 days: the structural drawing, the dieline, and a 3D mockup of the assembled box. You can mark up the mockup and send it back, which is usually faster than describing a change in writing.
For the physical sample, two routes:
- Stock sample in the same material – we send a box already made for another client in a comparable paper, at freight cost only. Fastest way to judge the surface and the build.
- Custom sample – your size, your paper, your finishing. Takes 5-10 days and costs US$50 to US$210 depending on structure and finishing.
Once your order is placed, the pre-production sample is free and is confirmed by photo or video before mass production.
Production timeline
Regular orders run 18-25 days from start-up to shipment. Small runs can be completed in 10-15 days. Soft-touch paper, textured specialty papers and special shapes run 25-30 days, because the surface material slows the wrapping and finishing stages. Production begins 1-3 days after you approve the sample.
Because this box uses a textured specialty paper on the surface, allow the upper end of the range if the paper is heavily embossed: the texture limits how the wraps pull around the corners.
Specifications
| Item | Parameter |
|---|---|
| Structure | Lid and base (lid style gift box); also produced as drawer, flip-top, book shape, collapsible, double-side open and corrugated |
| Dimensions | Made to your dimensions |
| Surface paper | Textured specialty paper, coated, fancy, art or black paper, 110-157 gsm; optionally printed inner paper |
| Board | Grey board or white paperboard; weight advised against box size |
| Insert | EVA, blister, paperboard, PE foam or plastic holder; velvet, satin or other fabric lining, flocked |
| Printing | Four-color offset, silk screen, digital |
| Finishing | Glossy or matt lamination, UV spot coating, gold foil (hot stamping), embossing, sharp edge, press texture |
| Color | Pantone, CMYK |
| MOQ | 300 pcs standard; 500 pcs when the size or design is customized; 1,000 pcs with your logo, Pantone spot color or new moulding |
| Production time | 18-25 days for regular orders; 10-15 days for small runs; 25-30 days for soft-touch, textured or special shapes |
| Service | OEM / ODM |
Quality control
We inspect raw materials on arrival, run continuous patrol inspection and full inspection through production, and pack finished boxes in A-grade five-layer corrugated cartons. Carton quantities are normally 100-200 pcs for paper boxes, and we pallet at 120 x 100 cm where the route requires it. The specific checks for this box are the wrap tension at the four corners of a textured surface, and colour consistency between the lid and the base, which are produced from separate sheets.
See the lid and base box and cosmetic packaging box ranges for related formats.
FAQ
Can you make a deadline on short notice?
Sometimes. Rush orders can be placed into production with night shifts when capacity allows. Tell us the date you need the goods delivered, not just shipped, and we will tell you honestly whether it is achievable.
Why does a textured surface paper take longer?
The texture resists pulling tight around corners, so the wrapping stage needs more hand work and slower line speed. On soft-touch and heavily embossed papers we quote the 25-30 day band.
What is the minimum order quantity?
300 pcs for the standard version, 500 pcs when the size or design is customized, and 1,000 pcs when a logo, Pantone spot color or new moulding is required.
