Printing is the part that drives most minimums, more than the box itself. Older methods, like offset or flexo, need a physical plate for every colour in your design. So that setup step costs real money before a single box gets printed. Factories then spread that cost across a huge order. That is why so many demand 1,000 or 5,000 units before they will start.
Digital printing skips that step. There is no plate to make. So there is no big upfront cost to spread out. That is the real reason we can offer custom printed boxes no minimum in any honest sense, at just 100 units.
| Print method | Setup cost | Typical minimum |
| Offset or flexo | Plates made for each colour | 500–5,000+ units |
| Digital print | No plates needed | 100 units |
So the next time a supplier tells you their minimum is 1,000 units, ask what printing method they use. It usually explains the number.
This matters most if you run a small operation. So whether you sell on Etsy, run a home bakery, or manage a boutique with one till, a 1,000-unit box order does not fit your world. You do not have the storage. And you do not have cash sitting idle in a stockroom.
A 100-unit run changes that. You can order enough boxes for a season, or enough to test a new product. So there is no gambling on a number that some factory picked for its own convenience. Custom packaging for small business should mean packaging sized to your business, not the printer’s minimum run.
Mailer boxes are the best example of this in practice. If you ship online orders, a plain brown box does nothing for your brand. You already know that. But most mailer box suppliers still ask for a huge order before they will print one.
We build custom printed mailer boxes no minimum, at 100 units. So a small online shop can get proper branded mailers. They are sized to the product and printed in full colour, without buying a year’s supply upfront. That is the whole point. Order what you need now, then reorder as you grow.
A smaller order does not mean a smaller box, or a lower print quality. Here is what you still get.
| Feature | At 100 units? | Note |
| Full colour print | Yes | Same quality as a bigger run |
| Free Pantone® match | Yes | No extra fee for brand colour |
| Custom size and dieline | Yes | Built to your product |
| Printed sample | Yes | Worth ordering first |
The only real difference at a lower quantity is your total order size, and the price per box. Everything else, from the board to the print finish, stays exactly the same.
It is a short process. Send us your product size and your artwork. We send a proof, you approve it, and we print and ship. Here is the rest at a glance.
| Detail | What to expect |
| Minimum order | 100 units per design — our real number, no hidden MOQ |
| Normal turnaround | 10–14 working days after you approve the proof |
| Rush | Available on request |
| Colour matching | Free Pantone® match — just send the codes |
| Sample | Real printed sample before the full run |
| Artwork | AI or PDF, text outlined; images at 300 dpi |
| Shipping | Fast, from inside the US |
To get a price, email info@packprinters.com or Peter@packprinters.com with your product size, your quantity and your artwork. Pack Printers will come back with a dieline and a quote, usually within a day or two.
Even at 100 units, it pays to get the size right the first time. So measure your product at its widest and tallest points, not the box you have in mind. Also tell us if it needs an insert. That way, every box in the run holds the product properly. Because the order is already small, a sample is well worth the extra few days, so you can confirm the fit before the full batch goes to print.
It is worth being upfront here too. A 100-unit order will always cost more per box than a 5,000-unit order, because there are fewer boxes to spread the cost across. So do not expect small-batch pricing to match bulk pricing exactly. What you are buying is flexibility and lower risk, not the rock-bottom unit price. As your volume grows, we can move you onto better pricing at higher quantities.
We use food-grade board and inks wherever a box touches food, no matter the order size, and our stock meets standard packaging rules. Most boxes are paper and card, so they recycle easily when clean. A laminate or foil finish adds a nice touch but makes recycling a little harder. So we will always tell you that trade-off honestly, at any quantity.
Need custom printed boxes without a factory-size order? Send us your product size, your quantity and your artwork. We will come back with a dieline and a quote, honestly priced for a small business.
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