Usually the same working day, and always within one. A person reads it, not an autoresponder, which is also why a request sent at 11pm on a Saturday gets answered on Monday.
What if I do not know my sizes yet?
Say that. Tell us what goes in the box and roughly how big it is, and we will work the size out. Guessing at dimensions is the single most common way a first packaging order goes wrong, so we would much rather do that part with you.
Am I committing to anything by asking?
No. A quote is a number and a mockup, and plenty of people take both and decide the timing is wrong. You will not be added to a mailing list for asking, and nobody will phone you unless you leave a number and ask us to.
Do you need my artwork before you can quote?
No. Size, quantity and roughly what it is for is enough for a price. Artwork comes after you like the number, and building it is free.
Can I get a quote for more than one box at once?
Yes, and it usually works out better. Add each format to your cart first and we will price them together, which often saves on artwork setup and sometimes on freight.
How do I accept a quote, and what happens then?
Your quote is a web page, not an attachment. We email you a link, and everything is on it: the lines, the total, the deposit, how long the price holds and the terms you are agreeing to. There is a button to accept and a button to say no, and no account to create either way. Once you accept, we build your artwork and send a digital proof. Nothing goes on press until you approve it. Then a deposit starts production, the balance is due before shipping, and the split is written on the quote so there are no surprises in it.
Can you quote against a spec sheet I already have?
Yes, and it is the easiest kind of quote to give. Send it exactly as written, board grade and finish included, and you get a like for like number instead of two quotes that only look comparable. If something in that spec is costing you money for no reason, we will point at it rather than quietly match it.
How close is the estimator to a real quote?
Treat the estimator as the right order of magnitude and the quote as the number. It runs on the same price model our quotes start from, so the shape is right, but it does not know your ink coverage, your finish or where the pallet is going. Heavy full bleed artwork is the usual reason a real quote lands above it.
Can I get two quantities priced at once?
Ask for both, always. Quantity is the biggest single lever on unit price, and seeing 250 next to 1,000 changes the decision more often than not. Put both numbers in the same message and both come back in the same reply.
My launch date is tight. Should I still ask?
Yes, and put the date in the first message rather than at proof stage. Press time is 3 to 5 days and production is 5 working days from proof approval, transit sits on top of that, and artwork usually adds two or three days before the clock starts. If your date does not fit, you will be told so rather than sold an order and a hope.
