Packaging
Custom packaging that protects products and sells brands
500
Lowest MOQ for simple custom prints
7–15
Days typical print production
0
Screen renders approved as final proof
48h
QC photo report turnaround
Sourcing packaging in China
China's packaging industry is concentrated in printing powerhouses: Dongguan and Shenzhen for premium rigid boxes and paper bags, Wenzhou for mass-market printing and paper products, and Zhejiang for flexible packaging and labels. The capabilities are world-class — foil stamping, embossing, spot UV, magnetic closures, custom inserts — at prices that make premium unboxing affordable even for small brands. Most of our product clients end up sourcing their packaging through us alongside the product itself, because coordinating the two in the same region saves weeks.
Packaging failures are almost always specification failures. The dieline was wrong and the box doesn't close. The CMYK print drifted from the approved proof and the brand color is off. The paperboard caliper was substituted for a thinner stock that crushes in transit. The barcode doesn't scan. Each of these is preventable with proper prepress discipline — approved proofs, locked dielines, specified materials — but most buyers approve a digital mockup and hope. Hope is not a QC method.
CN Ally manages packaging as an engineering deliverable. We verify dielines with physical prototypes before print runs, approve printed proofs (not screen renders) for color-critical work, specify paperboard weights and coatings in the purchase terms, and inspect finished packaging for print registration, color consistency, and structural integrity. We also right-size packaging with you: oversized boxes waste freight volume and trigger dimensional-weight surcharges, while undersized boxes damage products. The cheapest packaging is the one that's exactly right.
Products we handle in this category
A sample of what we regularly source — if your product isn't listed, ask us anyway. Chances are we've sourced something close.
Minimum order quantities, realistically
Factory MOQs are starting positions, not laws of nature. Here's what to expect in this category — and how we work around it.
Custom printed boxes typically start at 1,000–3,000 units, since printing plates, die-cutting dies, and press setup carry fixed costs.
Stock-size mailer boxes with simple one-color prints can go as low as 500 units — the sweet spot for testing custom packaging.
Rigid gift boxes with premium finishes (foil, embossing) usually need 1,000–2,000 units to justify the hand-assembly labor.
Flexible pouches and labels have the lowest minimums (500–1,000), while custom-molded packaging follows tooling economics like any molded product.
What we inspect for this category
Generic inspections miss category-specific failures. Our QC protocol for this category targets the defects that actually occur.
Dieline & structural verification
Physical prototypes are assembled and tested before the print run — the box must close, hold, and protect. Dieline errors caught after printing are expensive.
Print proof approval
Printed proofs (not screen renders) are approved for color-critical work. Pantone references are specified in the purchase terms, not left to interpretation.
Material weight & caliper checks
Paperboard weight, flute type, and coating are verified against spec. Thinner substituted stock is the most common silent downgrade in packaging.
Print registration & finish quality
Multi-color registration, foil stamping alignment, embossing depth, and coating consistency checked across the production run.
Barcode & functional testing
Barcodes are scan-tested, magnetic closures tested for hold strength, and boxes drop-tested in their shipping configuration.
Common questions about sourcing packaging
Ready to source packaging from China?
Tell us what you want to make or sell. We'll reply with vetted factory options and pricing within 24 hours — free, no obligation.