Most people who need packaging made do not start with a specification. They start with a question: where can I get this made, can I order just a few, what will it cost and how soon can I have it. These are the questions buyers ask, with straight answers. Each one links to the page that covers it in depth.
Where to get it made
Where can I get a packaging prototype made?
From a shop that prints digitally and cuts without a die, because that is what makes a single piece practical. Create It Packaging builds printed prototypes in Lake Zurich, Illinois, from one unit up, and ships them nationwide. See the prototyping service or the full guide to packaging prototypes.
Where can I get custom boxes in small quantities?
Look for a short run producer rather than a conventional box plant, which usually quotes in the thousands. We produce corrugated boxes and folding cartons in whatever quantity the project needs, starting at one, because nothing has to be tooled first.
Where can I get folding carton prototypes made?
Here. Carton prototypes are printed on HP Indigo and digital offset presses and cut from your dieline, and they are accurate enough to be mistaken for the production carton. Brands use them for retail launches, sales presentations, photography and consumer testing. Details are on the folding cartons page.
Where can I get a POP display made for a handful of stores?
A counter or floor display does not need a large order. We design the structure, print direct to the board and cut each part digitally, so a single display or a few dozen for a regional test is a normal job. The POP display page explains the formats and what to decide before you order.
Where can I get packaging made near Chicago?
Create It Packaging is at 520 Telser Rd in Lake Zurich, about 40 miles northwest of Chicago, open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm Central. Design, printing and cutting are all done in the one shop, and finished work ships nationwide.Contact us to talk a project through.
Who makes packaging mockups for photo shoots and sales meetings?
A prototype shop does. A printed mockup is the same package a production run would produce, made one at a time. We make photography samples, sales samples, investor samples and trade show samples, often before the product itself exists in volume.
Where can I get pouches, labels or shrink sleeves in a short run?
The same digital presses that print cartons also print flexible formats. We produce stand-up and lay-flat pouches, labels and wraps and shrink sleeves as prototypes and short runs, so a new flavour or a test market does not need a full production order.
Where can I get an influencer kit or PR box made?
From a shop that can design the box, the inserts and the print together. We build influencer kits with rigid or corrugated mailers, custom inserts and full-colour digital printing at kit-sized quantities.
Quantities and cost
Can I order just one box?
Yes. One printed and cut piece is a normal order. There is no minimum quantity, because digital printing needs no plates and digital cutting needs no die.
What is short run packaging?
It is a production run small enough that plates, dies and minimum orders do not make sense: anything from a single prototype to a few hundred or a few thousand pieces, produced digitally. The short run packaging guide covers what it costs and when it is the right choice.
Is short run packaging the right choice for a launch of about 500 units?
Usually, yes. At 500 units the fixed cost of plates and a steel rule die would dominate the price, and a launch is exactly when the artwork and the volume are most likely to change. A short run gets the product to market, and a production run follows once demand is proven.
How much does a custom packaging prototype cost?
It depends on size, material, finish and whether a dieline already exists. As a guide, a single printed folding carton prototype is typically a two-figure item, and larger corrugated pieces, displays and multi-part kits sit higher. There is no tooling charge. Send your dimensions through the quote form for a real number.
Why does a short run cost more per box than a production run?
Because a production run spreads its set-up over thousands of pieces. A short run has almost no set-up, so the price per piece is higher and the total you spend is far lower. For a launch or a test, the total is the number that matters.
Timing and process
How fast can I get packaging made?
A prototype is usually cut within days of artwork approval. A short run of a few hundred pieces typically follows within a week or two, depending on finishing and assembly. If you are working to a buyer meeting or a trade show date, say so at the start and the job is planned around it.
How does short run packaging production work?
Your artwork is printed digitally, straight from the file, and the sheet is cut and scored on a computer-controlled cutting table from the same dieline. The pieces are then folded, glued and assembled. Our article on digital die cutting shows how the cutting step replaces the die.
How fast do digital cutting machines cut?
A single carton or box blank is cut and scored in minutes, with no die to make first. A steel rule die on a press is faster per sheet once it exists, which is why digital cutting suits prototypes and short runs and a die suits runs in the tens of thousands.
Do I need a dieline or finished artwork before I ask for a quote?
No. If you have a dieline we will work from it. If you do not, our structural design team builds one around your product. A logo and the product dimensions are enough to start.
What do I need to 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. Use the quote form, or upload finished files on the artwork page.
Will a short run match a later production run?
Yes. The short run is cut from the same dieline and colour is matched to the same targets. If the job later moves to a conventional line, the approved piece from the short run is the sample the production run is checked against.
Create It Packaging has designed and built packaging prototypes and short runs in Lake Zurich, Illinois since 1996. If your question is not here, call 847.357.1700 or send us a message, and if you already know what you need, request a quote.
