Construction
The single largest factor. A slip-lid box and a drawer box in the same material and size are not close in cost, because one is two parts and the other is three plus a runner tolerance.
If a number needs to come down, this is the first place to look — not the material.
Hand work
Anything skived, turned, hand-wrapped at an angle or aligned by eye costs time, and time is the cost. Six corners cost more than four. A pattern aligned across a join costs more than one that is not.
This is why two boxes that look similar can differ substantially: one has hand operations the other does not.
Tooling
A cutting die, a deboss die and especially a mould are one-off costs that sit on the first order. Where a design needs a mould, the question is whether the quantity carries it — and we will say plainly when it does not.
Material
It matters, but less than people expect, because the material is a smaller share of a made box than the work is. Moving from hide to leatherette saves less than removing a hand-turned detail.
Quantity
It moves the per-unit number the way it does in any manufacturing, because setup is spread further. It is not the only lever and it should not be the first one — ordering more of the wrong specification is not a saving.
What barely moves it
Colour, within reason. A different Pantone is not a different price. Nor is a different logo, once the die exists.
At a glance
| Lever | How much it moves the number |
|---|---|
| Construction | Most — a drawer is not a slip lid |
| Hand operations | A lot — skiving, angled corners, pattern alignment |
| Tooling | A one-off on the first order; a mould is the big one |
| Material | Less than expected — the work costs more than the substrate |
| Colour | Barely — a different Pantone is not a different price |
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to reduce a quote?
Simplify the construction. It moves the number more than changing the material does.
Does a different colour cost more?
No, within reason. A different Pantone is not a different price.
Do I pay for tooling on every order?
No — tooling is a one-off on the first order, and a reorder of the same box uses the same tools.
Is a bigger quantity always cheaper per box?
Per unit, generally yes. But ordering more of the wrong specification is not a saving, so the specification comes first.
Tell us what you need
Tell us the piece, your brand and the quantity you have in mind. We’ll send photos of our work and one clear, all-in quote.