Quick answer
Small-run custom packaging costs more per unit because set-up, tooling and checks are fixed per job, so they weigh heavily on a short run. Design is a one-off cost (ours is £99); printing is priced by quantity, method, board, colours and finishes. Digital printing, stock sizes, fewer colours and sleeves on plain boxes keep small runs affordable.
A small brand asks a printer for a quote on 200 custom boxes and another on 2,000, and is surprised to find the larger order costs only a little more in total. Per box, the small run can be several times more expensive. That is not the printer being difficult. It is how printing works: a large share of the cost is the same whether the press runs for ten minutes or ten hours. Once you understand what drives the price, you can make choices that bring it down without making the packaging look cheap.
Why small runs cost more per unit
Every packaging job has fixed costs: preparing and checking your files, setting up the press, making or sourcing a cutting die for the box shape, running test sheets to get colours right, and packing and dispatching the order. On a long run, those costs are spread over thousands of boxes. On a short run, each box carries a much larger share.
A simple illustration, with round numbers rather than market rates: if a job has £300 of fixed costs and each box costs £0.50 in materials and running time, 200 boxes cost £400, or £2 each. Two thousand boxes cost £1,300, or £0.65 each. The fixed £300 is the same; it is just divided differently.
The five things that set the price
| Factor | Pushes cost up | Keeps cost down |
|---|---|---|
| Set-up and tooling | Custom shapes needing a new cutting die | Stock box styles and sizes |
| Print method | Litho or flexo on short runs | Digital printing for short runs |
| Board and structure | Rigid boxes, heavy or speciality board | Folding cartons, standard board |
| Colours and finishes | Printed inside and out, foil, embossing, spot UV | One side, few colours, one finish |
| Quantity and freight | Very small runs, rush delivery | Sensible quantities, standard lead times |
How much should packaging cost?
There is no single right figure, but there is a sensible way to think about it. Work out the total packaging cost per unit sold, including the box, any insert, tissue, sticker and the share of design and set-up, and compare it with your selling price and margin. A premium gift product can carry a higher packaging cost because the box is part of what customers pay for. An everyday product sold on price needs a leaner pack. If packaging takes most of your margin on a short run, that is a sign to use a simpler route until volumes grow, not to give up on branded packaging.
Also count what packaging saves. A box that protects the product properly reduces breakages and refunds. A box that fits a cheaper postage band saves money on every order. A pack that photographs well can bring customers in. Those savings belong in the same calculation as the print price.
Digital versus litho, in plain terms
Digital printing works like a large, high-quality office printer: little set-up, so short runs and multiple designs are affordable, and turnaround is quick. Litho and flexo printing use plates and longer set-up, which is expensive for small runs but cheap per unit for large ones, with excellent colour control. Many small brands use digital for their first runs and for low-volume products, then move their best seller to litho once volumes justify it.
Ways to cut the cost by situation
- New brand testing products: plain stock boxes with a printed sleeve or sticker, so one box serves every product.
- Range of several products: one box size, a design system with one colour changing per product, printed digitally.
- One steady best seller: a larger litho run for that product only.
- Online-only shop: plain outside, printed inside, or printed tissue and an insert card instead of a printed box.
- Gift range: keep premium finishes for gift sets and use simpler packs for everyday products.
Our comparison of packaging options for small brands covers these routes in more detail.
Hidden costs to budget for
- Samples and proofs, which are worth paying for before a full run.
- Storage: boxes arrive flat but in bulk, and space has a cost.
- Freight, especially for heavy board or rush delivery.
- Reprints when a product, ingredient or regulation changes.
- VAT, if your supplier charges it and you cannot reclaim it.
- Packaging responsibilities as you grow; the government’s guide to extended producer responsibility for packaging explains who is affected.
Getting quotes you can compare
- Specify the box style, size, board, print sides, colours, finishes and quantity in writing.
- Ask for prices at three quantities, such as 250, 1,000 and 2,500, to see how the unit cost falls.
- Ask what the price includes: proofs, cutting dies, delivery.
- Ask for a sample of a previous job on the same board.
Our guide to packaging design costs covers the design side, and our guide to print finishes explains what each finish adds.
Sustainable choices and their cost
Sustainable materials do not always cost more. Plain kraft board is often cheaper than coated white board, and single-material packs are simpler to make. Certified board is widely available; the Forest Stewardship Council explains its scheme. Some choices do add cost, such as speciality recycled boards, plastic-free laminates or compostable inserts. If you add recycling information to the pack, the OPRL labelling scheme is widely recognised in the UK. Keep any environmental claims specific and true.
Design choices that save money
Good design can lower print costs. A design built around one or two strong colours prints more cheaply and consistently than one using many. A pattern that works on a sleeve lets one plain box serve several products. Keeping critical information on a sticker rather than printed on the box means changes do not force a reprint. And restraint, with fewer elements and more space, often looks more premium than a busy design anyway.
A worked example
A tea company launching six blends asked for quotes on six fully printed boxes, 250 of each. Each design was a separate job with its own set-up, so the unit price was high. The alternative it chose was one plain kraft box size bought in stock, with six sleeve designs printed digitally in a single job and two colours each. The total print bill fell substantially, the range looked consistent, and when one blend sold out quickly, the company reordered only that sleeve. A year later, its best seller moved to a fully printed litho box at a larger quantity.
Common mistakes that add cost
- Designing a custom box shape before checking whether a stock size would do.
- Ordering a year’s supply of every product’s box on day one.
- Adding several finishes to one small run.
- Skipping a physical sample, then reprinting the whole run.
- Printing details that change, such as prices or ingredients, on the box itself.
- Comparing quotes at different quantities or specifications as if they were the same job.
- Forgetting freight and storage when comparing a cheap overseas quote with a UK printer.
Bringing it together
Treat packaging cost as a system: design once, choose the print method by quantity, standardise sizes, limit colours and finishes, and order sensibly. The first runs will cost more per unit; that is normal. The aim is to keep those runs small and flexible until you know what sells.
Getting it designed
Our packaging design is £99 one-off for the artwork, built to your printer’s dieline, and can be planned as a sleeve or range system to keep print costs down. If you already have artwork that needs preparing for print, our print-ready artwork service starts from £49. All our prices are on the pricing page.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is custom packaging so expensive in small quantities? +
Because much of the cost is fixed per job: setting up the press, making cutting tools, preparing files and running checks. Spread across a hundred boxes, those costs are large per box; across ten thousand, they almost disappear. Digital printing reduces set-up costs for short runs, which is why it suits small brands.
What is the minimum order for custom boxes? +
It varies by supplier and method. Digital printers and online packaging suppliers often accept small runs, sometimes from a few dozen, while traditional litho or flexo printing usually needs hundreds or thousands to be economic. Ask each supplier for prices at several quantities so you can see how the unit cost falls.
Is digital or litho printing better for packaging? +
Digital suits short runs, many designs and fast turnaround, with lower set-up costs. Litho and flexo suit long runs, where the higher set-up cost is spread thinly and the unit price is lower, and they give precise colour control. Many brands start digital and move to litho for best sellers once volumes grow.
How can I make packaging cheaper without it looking cheap? +
Use stock box sizes, print fewer colours, print one side only, choose one finish rather than several, use a sleeve or sticker on plain boxes, and order a sensible quantity. Restraint in design often looks more premium anyway. Spend on the board quality customers can feel.
Does the packaging design cost much? +
The design is usually a small part of the total compared with printing over a year. Our Packaging Design service is £99 one-off for the artwork, built to your printer's dieline. Printing is quoted separately by your printer, based on quantity, materials and finishes.
