A packaging supplier was chosen on price and lost on the die. The structure needed a fold the printer could not hold consistently, and the first run was rejected at the buyer’s inspection. The unit price had been the least important number in the comparison.
This guide is part of our Charger Packaging & Sustainability. Read the full topic guide for the decisions that come before and after this step.
Choosing a packaging manufacturer: the five steps
The structure and the die, the print method, the material sourcing, the proof and the production checks.
The steps follow the sequence a packaging project actually takes, and each produces something the next one needs. Skipping the proof or the production check is what turns a saving on the unit price into a reprint.
Step 1: the structure and the die
The capability question comes before the price.
A structure with tight folds, a small window or a shaped insert needs a die and a machine that hold it consistently. Ask which structures the supplier runs routinely and which are outside its usual work, because that answer decides whether the production run repeats.
Step 2: the print method
Offset, flexo or digital, chosen for the quantity and the artwork.
Offset suits longer runs with process colour; flexo suits simpler artwork on corrugated or lightweight board; digital avoids a plate charge on short runs. The method decides both the setup charge and how faithfully the colour is reproduced.
Step 3: the material sourcing
Board, ink and adhesive, with the documentation.
The supplier’s sourcing decides whether the material documentation exists for a claim and whether the board can be replaced without reprinting. Ask for the specification rather than a description of a sample.
Step 4: the proof
An assembled proof, on the production material.
The proof verifies the folds, the insert fit, the legibility of the print and the colour on the actual board. A proof on a white sample says nothing about a recycled board.
Step 5: the production checks
What is inspected, and against what.
The check covers the die cut, the fold, the registration, the colour and the insert fit, with acceptance criteria agreed before the run. An inspection that looks at flat sheets misses the folds that decide whether the carton closes.
| Step | What it produces | What it prevents | Common gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure and die | A repeatable construction | A run that cannot be held | A structure outside the supplier’s experience |
| Print method | The setup and the colour | A plate charge on a short run | A method chosen on price alone |
| Material sourcing | The specification | A claim without documentation | A sample description |
| Proof | The verified pack | A reprint | A flat proof |
| Production checks | Agreed acceptance criteria | A rejected run | Inspecting sheets, not cartons |
What to brief the supplier with
Four items, and each shortens the project.
The structure or the shelf requirement; the artwork with its zones; the material preference and any claim it has to support; and the quantity with the run frequency. With those four, the supplier proposes a method and a die rather than quoting a carton size.
Where packaging projects go wrong
Three patterns, and all are sequencing errors.
A structure outside the supplier’s usual work; a print method chosen on price; and a run started without a proof on the production board. Each is settled in a conversation before the plates are made.
Keeping the supply repeatable
Three records, and the reorder depends on them.
The die and structure specification; the material and ink specification; and the approved proof with its revision. A reorder that names those three is a repeat, while one that names only a carton size is a new project.
How the supplier’s capacity affects the run
A packaging run has its own slot, and it sits ahead of the production completion rather than beside it. Where the run is late, the units are finished and waiting, which is why the print slot is booked when the artwork is approved rather than when the cartons are needed.
How the print slot is booked
A packaging run has its own production slot, and it sits ahead of the completion of the units rather than beside it. Where the print is late the finished chargers wait, which is why the slot is booked when the artwork is approved rather than when the cartons are needed.
The slot is also sized by the version count. Each language version and each market variant is a separate set-up, so a programme with six versions occupies more of the press than the quantity alone suggests.
The proof schedule follows the same logic. A proof on the production board takes longer than one on a white sheet, and the difference is a few days that have to sit inside the plan rather than outside it.
A brief that names the quantity, the version count and the market list lets the packager quote the slot accurately rather than estimate it.
FAQ
Should the packager also print the carton?
It can, and where the die and the print are handled by one supplier the handover risk is lower. Where they are separate, the die specification and the print proof both travel with the artwork. Where they are separate suppliers, define which of them owns the die dimension and the proof, because a carton that fits the die but not the print registration is a reprint rather than an adjustment.
How is the print method chosen?
From the quantity, the artwork and the board: offset for longer runs with process colour, flexo for simpler artwork, and digital where a plate charge would dominate a short run. Ask the packager which method they would choose for the quantity being quoted, because a method that suits a long run adds a plate charge to a short one. Ask for the set-up charge for each method quoted.
What does the proof have to be?
An assembled pack on the production material, because the folds, the insert fit and the colour on a recycled board cannot be judged from a white sample. Approve the proof on the material that will be used for the run, since a proof on a substitute board describes a carton that will not be produced. Keep the approved proof with the artwork revision.
What is inspected at production?
The die cut, the fold, the registration, the colour and the insert fit against agreed criteria, inspected on closed cartons rather than flat sheets. Inspect closed cartons as well as flat sheets, because the fold and the insert fit only appear once the pack is assembled the way it will ship. Record the result for each carton inspected, so the acceptance decision can be reviewed.
Next step
Send the shelf requirement, the artwork direction, the material preference and the quantity to Wecent Group through the contact page. The reply proposes the structure, the print method, the material specification and the proof and inspection arrangement. Related reading: OEM and ODM charger manufacturing, charger manufacturing services and charger quality control. External references: EU RoHS Directive, EU WEEE Directive, EU REACH Regulation, IEC standards, UL standards and certification and ICC Incoterms rules.