A factory quotes "$2 per box." You budget for $2. Then the invoice comes and it's closer to $5. Here's where the gap comes from — and how to see it coming.
The quote vs the landed cost
That "$2" is usually the unit ex-factory price for a large quantity, plain stock, no finish. It is not what you pay. Here's what gets added:
- Tooling / cutting die — a one-time cost (often $50–$200) that's either bundled or surprises you later.
- Setup / plate fee — per print run, especially for CMYK + spot colors.
- Finish upgrades — foil, emboss, soft-touch, spot UV each add per-unit cost.
- Color matching — custom Pantone matches cost more than standard CMYK.
- Sample & freight — the deductible sample, plus air or sea to your door.
- Duties & fees — import duty, brokerage, last-mile delivery.
Ask for the landed, all-in price — not the ex-factory unit. That's the only number that matters for budgeting.
A worked example
Say a folding carton is quoted at $0.40/pc for 5,000, plain. Add die ($120 ÷ 5,000 = $0.024), soft-touch (+$0.08), Pantone match (+$0.05), sample ($40), air freight to US (~$0.06/pc at this volume), and duty (~3–6%). Real landed cost: roughly $0.65–$0.72/pc. Not $0.40 — but still far below US local production.
How to avoid the surprise
- Request a line-item quote: unit, tooling, setup, finish, sample, freight terms (EXW / FOB / DDP).
- Confirm MOQ and whether the price holds at your real quantity.
- Get the pre-production sample before the full run.
- Work with one team that designs and prints — fewer hands, fewer "extras."
Our promise
We quote the all-in number up front, including tooling and finish, so the invoice matches the estimate. No surprise line items.