The world of boxes and boxmakers can be confusing: We have our own language, conventions, and idiosyncrasies. This page is meant to answer some of the questions we get most often. If the answer to your question can’t be found here, please and we’ll do our best to answer it.
What’s your minimum order quantity?
Custom Box Service has no minimum quantity on custom orders. However, please be aware that the price for a single box is often more than you might expect; we have to charge for set-up time whether we run one box or one hundred. For stock box orders, higher quantity minimums do apply, though.
Are you able to print on your boxes?
No, at this time we are not able to do any printing other than basic 3/8″ block type hand stamping for part numbers, etc. We can also hand stamp our boxes with a Box Manufacturer’s Certificate (BMC).
Can you do die-cutting?
We do not currently have die-cutting capabilities, so we are not able to produce tuck-front or tuck-top mailers. We are also not able to produce boxes with hand-holes, air-vents, or any kind of interlocking tabs.
Can I come down to your store to choose the boxes I want to buy?
Custom Box Service is a manufacturing facility, not a retail storefront. You’re welcome to visit us, but we don’t have a showroom, and we don’t have boxes here ready to sell.
Can I come to your plant to show you my product and/or discuss packaging design?
Absolutely! Prospective customers visit us all the time. While we’d be happy to come to your location in the Portland/Salem area, you’re always welcome to come to us. It’s best to contact us before driving out — we need to be sure that the right person to help you is here when you arrive.
What can I do to reduce the cost of my boxes?
Small quantity orders can seem expensive. If you’re looking to reduce the cost of your packaging, consider:
- increasing the order quantity
- altering the material from which the box is made
- reducing the size of the box
- choosing an end-loading box instead of a top-loading box (or vice-versa)
- allowing a longer lead time
We’ve been doing this for more than thirty-five years; in that time, we’ve learned some tricks to keep costs down. We can’t always find a way to get you a lower price, but we’re certainly willing to search for a creative solution.
Your prices for 100 boxes are great, but you’re less competitive on 1000 boxes. Why?
Most of our machines were custom-built by our founder. They’re designed to be set up quickly, but they run at a slow pace. This means that our setup times and fees are lower than most other companies, but it takes us longer to produce the boxes once the work has begun. As a result, our “sweet spot” for pricing tends to be in the hundreds, not the thousands.
We find that we’re an excellent source for small quantity orders (ten boxes, fifty boxes, etc.), a good source for medium quantity orders (up to 1000 boxes), and moderately competitive on large quantities. If you want or need more than 2000 boxes, there are other companies better able to serve you. If you contact us, we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction.
(Important note: Our prices are often great for 2,000 pads or scored sheets. It’s large box quantities where we’re weak.)