How is the price of customized tin box generally calculated
Why Choose Customized Tin Boxes?
Tin box is made from steel plate coated with tin, which is food grade, eco-friendly and durable packaging material. Tinplate packaging can be fully customized, including shapes, size, printing, functional features, embossing and debossing.
Based on the above customization service, customized tin box packaging will elevate your brand recognition and differentiation, expand your brand marketing and gift appeal, and ensure product protection and freshness. It will also help build your brand with sustainability and reusability.
Key Factors that Influence Tin Box Pricing
Raw tinplate material, printing, sizes and structure of box are the key factors affecting pricing. Among them, raw tinplate material pricing is mainly depended on the markets.
Size & Shape
The size of the tin box would affect the tinplate material cost and printing cost; larger tins require more material and printing inks. The structure and types of tin box would influence labor cost; regular shapes like round tin can, rectangular tin can, square tin can, irregular shapes such as heart-shaped tin box, hexagonal tin box, house-shaped tin container, egg or ball shaped tin box, car-shaped tin box, bear shaped tins etc. Irregular shapes require special molds which adds to tooling and production cost.
Those irregular-shaped tins are mainly used for candy mints and the gift market. Regular round or square tins are purpose for tea, coffee, cannabis, balm, cosmetics, matcha, biscuits & cookies, chocolates, etc.
Printing, Coating, and Surface Finishing
Different clients have different printing requirements. The most regular printing shall be CMYK offset printing and PANTONE color printing.
Further Reading:
Except for CMYK and Pantone color printing, you can also choose various printing effects based on them:
A full glossy finish (shiny finish) refers to a smooth, shiny coating, usually a varnish or lamination applied over the printed surface of the tinplate. It reflects light, giving the tin a bright and polished appearance.
A full matte finish offers a non-glossy, smooth surface with a muted and elegant appearance. It’s a popular choice for brands that want to convey a premium, minimalistic or natural look.
Mixed coating combines matte and glossy finishes on the same tin surface, creating a visually striking and tactile contrast. It’s a premium effect used to highlight specific design elements like logos, images or patterns.
Tinplate Material Thickness & Grade
Our metal packagings are primarily made from tinplate, which is a thin sheet of low-carbon steel electroplated with a thin layer of tin. This combination leverages the strength and rigidity of steel with the corrosion resistance of tin, making it ideal for packaging, especially for food products.
The tinplate thickness(0.19-0.35mm) we usually use for our production line is 0.23mm, 0.25mm,0.28mm and tin coating weight range is equal 2.8/m² on both sides. Hardness is T1/T2/T3. The thicker the tinplate you choose, the higher the price of tin box will be.
Food-grade tinplate is a type of steel sheet coated with a thin layer of tin, specially processed to be safe for direct contact with food. It’s commonly used in packaging for items like biscuits, tea, coffee, candy and snacks. Below is common food-grade coatings(internal)
| Coating Type | Application Purpose |
|---|---|
| Clear Varnish | General dry foods like biscuits, tea |
| Epoxy Phenolic | For oliy or acidic foods（e.g. sardines, tomato paste) |
| White Coating | Aesthetic finish+food safety |
| Gold Coating | Premium food packaging(chocolates, sweets) |
Further Reading: Is It Safe To Store Food In Tin Containers?
Tooling (Mold) Costs
You can use standard molds to customize your tin box without any tooling charge. In addition, you can use a standard mold and modify some specifications, such as the height of the box, adding a window, or making different lid type. The modification cost is comparatively less than making a completely new tooling.
The cost of customized new tooling exactly as per your specification mainly depends on the size of tin box and the structure of tin box. A rectangular tin box with slip lid tooling cost is cheaper than a rectangular tin box with hinged lid. A round tin box with slip lid costs less than a round tin box with double lids or screw top. A tin box is constructed with 2-pc, 3-pc, 4-pc, or more tooling costs all different. Before tooling quotation, a clear design and what you your tins need to look like is vital. It would not only affect tooling cost but also unit price of tins.
Order Quantity (MOQ & Volume Discounts)
The unit price of each tin box is related to the quantity ordered, as when we proceed with tinplate sheet printing, the printing industry shall require MOQ 1500 pieces of large tinplate sheet(large tinplate sheet size approx 1080x960mm). If your order quantity is unable to cover the printing minimum quantity standard, that means cost goes high. For quantities over 30,000 pieces, you can always get a good and wholesale price. Quantities less than 5,000 pieces would cost regular without a discount.
Packaging & Shipping
Most of the tin boxes are packed with poly bag ( with egg divider or with inner box to protect), then into a cardboard carton. Cargo weight is generally controlled below than 12KG. If you prefer cartons on pallet shipping, there will be cost for the pallet.
Pricing Example
4 oz screw top Round tin box
MOQ 5000 pcs
CMYK offset printing
Standard mold
Cost USD: 0.32-0.5 per piece
4 oz screw top Round tin box
MOQ 5000 pcs
CMYK offset printing
Standard mold
Cost USD: 0.32-0.5 per piece
Why Work With Us for Custom Tin Box Projects?
How to Get Started – Quick Steps to Your Custom Quote
The production of customized tins includes tinplate material preparation, printing, cutting tinplate sheets, installing the mold, stamping, cleaning, and assembly.
When printed tinplate sheets are ready, workers prepare to cut them into pieces for the punching process.
Engineers would install and adjust the mold. Tin boxes would take about 10 molds or more to complete, depending on the structure of the tin box. Engineers need to make sure each mold punching process goes smoothly and no scratches or other quality issues are caused by the mold.
The punching process requires lots of labor and machines to finish. For large orders, it can be done by automatic machines. For small orders, production by staff would be more efficient.
Once the tin box punching process is finished, it will be cleaned and assembled. This process would be done by workers. Each tin box has to be cleaned, checked and packaged to ensure quality and safe delivery.
Accessory cost- if there are accessories on your customized tin box like handle, inserts, window, locks that would add extra cost not only for the accessory itself cost but also add extra labor cost to install them.
In general, tin box customization MOQ requests are above 3000pcs or 5000pcs. Here recommend using the supplier’s existing mold to save cost and time. Furthermore, before quotation, please advise the size of the tin box, shape and lid type to better evaluate.
Learn More: How to Customize Tin Boxes
