How we make it
Six stages between an approved artwork and a sealed carton. Each one is checked before the next begins, because a fault found at forming is far cheaper than the same fault found at packing.
The stages
Artwork and dieline
The print file is checked against the dieline: bleed, safe area, colour separation and the position of folds and seals. Where there is no dieline yet, it is drawn from the product dimensions and sent for approval before anything is cut.
Tooling
Forming moulds, cutting dies and print plates are made to the approved drawing. This is the stage that decides whether the finished box matches the sample, so the tooling is checked against the drawing before the first run.
Printing
Offset, screen or digital depending on the material and the run length, with Pantone matching where a brand colour has to be exact. Sheets are checked against the approved proof before they move on.
Forming and finishing
Cutting, creasing, forming, folding and gluing — plus lamination, foil, embossing or windowing where the specification calls for it. Dimensional checks happen here, not at the end.
Quality control
Finished units are inspected for print registration, colour against the approved standard, dimensions, lid fit and surface defects. Faults are sorted before packing rather than after shipping.
Packing
Units are counted into export cartons, with OPP bagging, dividers or palletising where specified. The packing list is issued with the shipment so the carton count can be checked at destination.
What is checked, and when
| Artwork | Bleed, safe area, folds, colour separation, barcode position |
|---|---|
| Tooling | Dimensions against the approved drawing before the first run |
| Colour against the approved proof, registration, coverage | |
| Forming | Dimensions, lid fit, seal strength, surface defects |
| Final | Count per carton, carton marking, packing list against the order |
The point of checking at each stage rather than only at the end is simple: once a box is formed and printed, a dimensional error cannot be corrected — it can only be scrapped. Finding it at tooling costs a day; finding it at packing costs the run.
Want to see the process on your own product?
Send a drawing or a sample photo and we will tell you which stages are involved and how long they take.