Can I split my first order across several sizes and pack formats?

Short answer: Yes, a first order can be split across sizes, shapes and pack formats — but the 1,000-unit minimum applies to each combination, not to the order as a whole. Three sizes in three pack formats is not a 1,000-unit order. It is up to nine separate minimums, because each one carries its own die, its own print setup and its own packing run.

Why the minimum is per combination

Every distinct combination of diameter, shape and pack format is a separate production item. It needs its own die or tooling, its own print setup if the artwork differs, and its own packing line configuration. Those are the costs the minimum exists to cover — not the material.

This is why a supplier quoting "1,000 units" without specifying the unit of measure is telling you very little. The number that matters is what counts as one item:

The count per pack is the one that surprises people. Moving from 24 to 36 patches in the same pouch does not create a new item — the pouch, the die and the print are unchanged. Moving from a pouch to a blister card does, even at the same count.

What splitting actually costs

Splitting is not penalised as such. What happens is that each item pays its own setup, and setup is a fixed cost that has to be spread over the units in that item. Two items of 1,000 pay two setups; one item of 2,000 pays one. The per-unit difference is entirely the setup divided by 1,000 instead of 2,000.

• Die cutting: 7–10 days per die, and each diameter or shape needs its own.
• Custom carton tooling: 10–14 days where a bespoke structure is involved, measured separately from the patch die.
• Print setup: one plate or screen per colour, per artwork. Same artwork across two sizes still needs the die twice, but not the plates twice.

So the cheapest way to test several sizes is to keep one pack format and one artwork, and let only the diameter change. That still triggers a die per size, but it keeps everything else shared.

A first order that works

Most brands that launch successfully start narrower than they intended. The pattern that holds up:

Two items is usually the practical maximum for a first run. Beyond that, the setup cost per item stays the same while the volume behind each item gets thinner, and a launch rarely needs four variables resolved at once. Once one SKU proves it moves, adding a second is a repeat order, not a new project.

What to send with the enquiry

To get a real answer on splitting, send the grid rather than a single number: the diameters you want, the shapes, the pack formats, the count per pack, and which market each item is for. With that, the reply can state the minimum per item, the tooling per item, and which items share a setup — which is where the savings usually are.