Short answer
There is no single price for bespoke packaging because it is quoted per job. Six things move the number: board grade, the finished size, the style, print, whether a cutting forme is needed, and the run length. On many case maker styles there is no tooling cost at all, which is why a made to measure box is often no dearer than a stock size, and cheaper once you count the void fill and carriage you stop paying for.
Why nobody publishes a price list
A bespoke box has no catalogue number. Two boxes of identical outside dimensions can differ substantially in price because one is a single wall 125K/T grade for light retail goods and the other a double wall heavy duty spec carrying 20 kg down a courier network. Any site quoting a firm price per box for bespoke work is quoting one specific spec and hoping it matches yours. We would rather show you the levers so you can see where your own quote comes from.
The six cost drivers
| Driver | What it does to the price | Where the saving is |
|---|---|---|
| Board grade | The largest single factor. Single wall costs less than double wall; higher performance liners and flutes cost more. | Specify to the load, not to feel safe. Over specified board is the most common overspend we see. |
| Finished size | Price follows the area of board used, not the volume of the box. Every extra 10 mm of length is board you pay for on every unit. | Right sizing to the product removes board, void fill and often a courier size band at once. |
| Style | A standard slotted carton is the cheapest to make. Die cut, crash lock and multi piece packs cost more to produce. | Ask whether a simpler FEFCO style does the same job before paying for a die cut. |
| Plain kraft is cheapest. One or two colour flexo adds a little; full colour litho lamination adds a lot. | One colour print on plain board covers most B2B needs. Save litho for retail-facing packs. | |
| Tooling | Die cut shapes need a cutting forme, a one off charge that is spread across the run. | Many case maker styles need no tooling at all, so short runs stay viable. |
| Run length | Unit price falls as quantity rises, because setup is spread further. | Call off ordering: commit to a volume, take delivery in batches, we hold the stock. |
Is bespoke more expensive than stock?
Not usually, once you compare like for like. A stock box that is close but not right forces you to buy something else to fill the gap, and it ships air. The honest comparison is not box against box, it is total cost of the packed unit: board, void fill, tape, labour, storage and carriage. That is where a made to measure box tends to win, and it is why our free packaging review costs the pack, not just the box.
- Void fill you no longer buy, because the box fits
- Carriage, if right sizing drops you into a lower courier band
- Packing labour, because a fitting box needs less filling and taping
- Storage, because flat corrugated fitments nest far better than foam
- Damage and replacement costs, which rarely appear on a packaging budget but always land somewhere
The Aston Microphones redesign is the clearest example we can show: replacing a foam insert with a flat packed corrugated fitment cut the unit packaging cost by around 50% and the storage requirement by around 80%. The bespoke option was the cheaper one.
How to get a quote that is genuinely comparable
Most quotes come back slow or wrong because the brief is thin. To price a bespoke box properly we need very little, and if you send this we can usually come back quickly with options at more than one board grade so you can see the trade off yourself.
- Product dimensions in mm and the weight per unit
- Whether the box is posted, sent by courier, sent on a pallet, or used internally
- Annual volume and how often you would want to call it off
- Whether it needs print, and whether it is seen by an end customer
- A photo of what you use today, which tells us more than a spec sheet
Where we can be straight with you
Short runs and one offs cost more per unit than volume work. That is true everywhere and we will not pretend otherwise. What we can do is make short runs possible at all: because many of our case maker styles need no tooling, and because we manufacture in Letchworth rather than brokering the job out, a trial run to test a design does not need a five figure commitment first. Brief, sample, supply, in that order, and you only scale up what has already worked.
Frequently asked questions
- Is bespoke packaging expensive?
- It is usually cheaper than expected and often cheaper overall than a stock box plus void fill, because you stop paying for board, filler and courier volume you do not need. Cost per unit does rise on very short runs.
- Is there a minimum order for bespoke boxes?
- It depends on the style and board. Many case maker styles need no cutting forme, so short runs and samples are viable. Tell us the volume you have in mind and we will tell you honestly whether it works.
- Do I have to pay for tooling?
- Not on many case maker styles. Die cut shapes need a cutting forme, which is a one off charge spread across the run, and we always show it separately so you can see it.
- What is the cheapest way to reduce my packaging cost?
- Right sizing the box, then reviewing the board grade. Over specified board and boxes that ship air are the two most common overspends we find.
- Can I get a sample before committing?
- Yes. We make CAD samples so you can test the pack with your own product and packing line before ordering a run.
Get a costed bespoke quote
Send us your product dimensions, weight and how it ships, and we'll come back with options at more than one board grade so you can see the cost trade off for yourself.
Request a bespoke quote