Minimums and lead times
What a first order takes depends on which of the three routes you take and, for a formula of your own, on the size of the patch itself. Here is what each one requires to start.
| Route | Minimum order | In patches | Split across SKUs | Your branding on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ready Made CollectionExisting formula, existing print, non-exclusive | 500 sheets (US)15,000 patches (ROW) | By sheet format — see below | Yes — mix SKUs | Outer packaging |
| Your Brand, Our FormulaExisting formula, your print, exclusive | 3,000 sheets (US)40,000 patches (ROW) | By sheet format — see below | Yes — mix SKUs | Patch, sheet and packaging |
| Full BespokeDeveloped for you, exclusive | From 100,000 patches per SKU | Set by your patch size | No — per formulation | Patch, sheet and packaging |
Why we quote sheets, not patches
Patches leave the line on perforated sheets, and the sheet is what the minimum counts. Most of the range carries fifteen patches to a sheet; the larger the patch, the fewer fit. The same 500-sheet order is a very different patch count depending on what you choose:
| Sheet format | A 500-sheet order |
|---|---|
| 15 patches per sheetmost of the range | 7,500 patches |
| 6 patches per sheetlarger formats | 3,000 patches |
| 2 patches per sheetlargest formats | 1,000 patches |
500 sheets does not have to be one product
This is the part most buyers assume is impossible, and it is the reason the ready-made collection exists. Your minimum can be split across different SKUs from the collection — so a first order can be a range rather than a bet on a single product.
| A range of | Sheets each |
|---|---|
| 3 SKUs | ~167 |
| 5 SKUs | 100 |
| 6 SKUs | ~83 |
A range of five products is a very different first conversation with a retail buyer than one product five hundred sheets deep. It also answers the question a first range actually faces, which is not "will this sell?" but "which of these sells?"
Bespoke works the other way. Because the formulation is developed for you, the minimum is per SKU — a second bespoke product is a second minimum, not a share of the first — and its size is set by your patch, from 100,000 for the largest formats to 750,000 for the smallest.
Sampling comes first, on a formula of your own
This step belongs to Full Bespoke. Coated film for ingredient and adhesive testing takes 4–5 weeks and happens before you commit to a production run, with formulation development before that clock starts.
On the two ready-made routes the formulation already exists, so there is no coating trial to wait on.
Why we publish this
Nearly every manufacturer in this category hides minimums behind "request a quote". Publishing ours costs us enquiries from buyers we could not have served anyway, and saves everyone else a conversation that was never going to end in an order. If these numbers work for you, the rest of the conversation is worth having.