If you are looking for custom packaging near Chicago, Create It Packaging is at 520 Telser Rd in Lake Zurich, Illinois, about 40 miles northwest of the city. Structural design, digital printing and cutting all happen in the one shop, so a printed prototype, a short run or a display can be made from a single unit upward, and finished work ships nationwide.
The business has been designing packaging prototypes in Lake Zurich since 1996. It started as a one-man structural design firm and is now a team of more than 25 people. These are the questions Chicago-area brands, agencies and manufacturers ask before they get in touch.
What can I get made?
Everything a packaging project needs before, and often instead of, a large production order:
- Packaging prototypes: production-quality mockups and functional samples for sales meetings, investors, photography and trade shows.
- Folding cartons and corrugated boxes, printed on HP Indigo, digital offset and direct-to-board presses.
- Pouches, labels and wraps and shrink sleeves.
- POP displays and retail displays, including assembly and fulfillment.
- Influencer kits and PR mailers with custom inserts.
- Structural design: dielines engineered around your product.
Can I order a small quantity?
Yes. There is no minimum order. Digital printing needs no plates and digital cutting needs no die, so one prototype, a few dozen samples for a sales team or a few hundred boxes for a launch are all normal orders. The short run packaging guide explains what drives the price and when a production run makes more sense.
How does a project start?
Every project runs the same simple path, whether it is one comp for a photo shoot or a short run headed to a retailer.
- Consultation. Tell us the product, the quantity and the deadline, and we will tell you what is realistic.
- Structural design. We build or refine the dieline and confirm the structure works in the real world.
- Print and produce. Digital printing gives production-quality graphics without production tooling.
- Deliver. Prototypes, samples or short-run packaging, on the date we promised.
Quotes come back with clear pricing and a realistic timeline, usually within one business day. A structural designer looks at each request and flags anything worth rethinking.
Can I visit the shop?
Yes. The shop is at 520 Telser Rd, Lake Zurich, IL 60047, open Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm Central. Call 847.357.1700 before you come so the right person is free to walk through the project with you. Directions are on the contact page.
Do you only work with Chicago companies?
No. Being close to Chicago is useful when you want to talk a project through in person or pick a date around a meeting in the city, but prototypes and short runs ship nationwide. Clients range from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
Which industries do you make packaging for?
Food and beverage, nutraceuticals and supplements, health and beauty, pet products, coffee and tea, cannabis and CBD, household products, medical devices and consumer packaged goods. Chicago food startups have been part of the work for years, as this early article shows.
What should I send to get a quote?
The product dimensions and weight, the type of package, how many you need, where it will be sold and how it will ship, your artwork or logo, and the date you need it. Rough numbers are fine. Use the quote form, upload finished files on the artwork page, or read where to get custom packaging made for more answers.
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