Guide
Minimum Order Quantities Explained
A minimum order quantity is the smallest number of pouches a printer will run for one design, and it exists because setting up a run costs the same whether you print 200 pouches or 20,000. On digital print, most pouch jobs start from a few hundred units per design; gravure and flexo, which need physical plates or cylinders, start in the thousands.
What actually sets the minimum
The floor is set by setup cost, not by materials. Before a single pouch prints, someone has to preflight artwork, produce a dieline, calibrate colour, load and register the web, and set the converting line for your specific size and options. That work is identical at 200 units and at 20,000, so at very low quantities the setup dominates the unit price to the point where the job stops making sense for either side.
Print method is the biggest single factor. Digital printing has no plates, so setup is short and the minimum is low. Gravure produces engraved cylinders per colour, which cost real money and take days, so minimums are far higher — but the unit price at volume is much lower.
What moves the number up or down
Four things change the minimum for a specific job:
- Print method — digital is low minimum, gravure is high
- Pouch size — larger pouches use more material per unit, raising the material floor
- Finishing — foiling, spot varnish and applied fitments each add their own setup
- Number of designs — the minimum applies per design, not per order
The per-design rule catches people out
If you want four flavours, you are placing four jobs that happen to share a delivery. Each design carries its own minimum. Ordering 1,000 pouches split evenly across four designs is not the same as ordering 1,000 of one design, and it will not price the same.
This is worth planning around. Launching with two SKUs at a workable quantity each usually beats launching with five at the minimum, both on unit price and on the amount of stock you end up sitting on.
How to find out your actual minimum
There is no single number, and any supplier quoting one without knowing your job is guessing. Put your pouch type, size, material and rough quantity into the spec builder and we will come back with the real minimum for that combination, along with pricing. It costs nothing and there is no minimum spend to get a quote.
Related questions
Quick answers
- What's the minimum order quantity for printed pouches?
- It depends on the pouch style and any finishing like foiling, but most digital-print runs start from a few hundred units per design. Tell us your rough quantity in the spec builder and we'll confirm the exact minimum for your job.
- Why can't I order 50 printed pouches?
- Because setup — preflighting artwork, producing a dieline, calibrating colour, registering the web and setting the converting line — costs the same at 50 units as at 5,000. At 50, the setup cost per pouch is higher than most brands are willing to pay.
- Does the minimum apply per design or per order?
- Per design. Four flavours means four separate jobs sharing one delivery, each with its own minimum. Plan your launch range around that.
- Do larger orders cost less per pouch?
- Yes, substantially. Setup is spread across more units and material is bought at better rates, so the unit price falls as quantity rises. We show the price at your quantity and at the next break up, so you can see whether stepping up is worth it.
Still have questions? Email hello@thepouchworks.com and we'll get back to you within one business day.