At Earthycores, our standard minimum order quantity for custom printed paper tubes is 1,000 units, whether the project uses digital printing or offset printing. Special oval paper tubes with matching oval lids and custom boxes are different: both require 10,000 units. The printing method does not change our MOQ. The shape and construction of the packaging do.
This article was written by Manan Asad based on manufacturing information provided by Peter Zhu, who has worked in the paper tube industry since 2012. Earthycores is part of the XWPAK packaging group, and the figures below are the standard MOQs we currently apply.
| Product or printing method | Standard MOQ |
|---|---|
| Digital printing on standard paper tubes | 1,000 units |
| Offset printing on standard paper tubes | 1,000 units |
| Special oval paper tubes with oval lids | 10,000 units |
| Custom boxes | 10,000 units |
We use two printing methods for our paper tubes: digital printing and offset printing, and no other methods enter into how we calculate our minimums. These are standard MOQs, and the final requirement for a specific project depends on its structure and specifications.
For paper tubes, printing is only part of the production process. The tube body, lid, base, and assembly requirements also matter, and a buyer who focuses only on the printing method misses where most of the production preparation actually sits.
A standard round tube follows a production route we run regularly. A special shape changes several things at once: how the body is formed, what the structural dimensions need to be, how the lid and base have to match the body, and how consistently the finished components can be assembled and inspected. Each of those adds preparation before the first usable tube comes off the line, and that preparation has to be spread across enough units to make the order practical. That is why shape, not printing, is what moves our MOQ from 1,000 to 10,000.
Our MOQ for digital printing on standard paper tubes is 1,000 units. Digital printing can offer flexibility for suitable artwork and smaller runs, which makes it a natural fit for brands testing a design or launching a new product line.
Even so, 1,000 is not set by the printer. The tube still has to be specified, the paperboard and components prepared, the body cut and formed, the lid and base made, and everything assembled and inspected. Printing happens inside that sequence, not instead of it.
Our MOQ for offset printing on standard paper tubes is also 1,000 units. Offset printing can be practical for repeatable, consistent printed designs at appropriate production quantities, and brands that already know their artwork will not change often tend to prefer it for that reason.
For a closer look at how the two methods compare in practice, see our article on paper tube printing methods.
Many buyers expect offset printing to carry a higher minimum than digital, because that is common at some other manufacturers. At Earthycores it is not the case. Both methods start at 1,000 units.
That is a result of how our production is arranged, not a universal printing-industry rule. A minimum quantity reflects the whole production route for a given product at a given manufacturer, so one supplier's offset minimum says very little about another's. If a quote from another source suggests offset needs far more units, it does not automatically apply to ours.
The table below compares the three structures we get asked about most. The MOQs are confirmed. The production considerations describe what changes from one structure to the next.
| Structure | Standard MOQ | Main production considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Standard round custom paper tubes | 1,000 units (digital or offset) | Established forming route, circular lid and base, printing, assembly, inspection |
| Special oval paper tubes with matching oval lids | 10,000 units | Non-round body, two diameter measurements, matching oval lid, component alignment, assembly consistency |
| Custom boxes | 10,000 units | A separate packaging structure from round tubes, with its own production requirements |
A customer who wants a smaller quantity will often find a standard round paper tube more practical than a complex special shape. We do not claim a special shape can always be converted into a standard tube without design changes, because the shape is usually chosen for a reason. But if the shape is not essential to the product, a round tube is the route that fits a lower quantity.
Our MOQ for the special oval paper tube construction is 10,000 units. This construction has an oval tube body and a matching oval lid, rather than the usual circular construction, and the oval profile involves two different diameter measurements instead of one.
When customers ask us about a special oval tube, the first thing we explain is that the body and lid both need to match the non-round shape. With a round tube, the lid fits at any rotation. With an oval, the body and lid have to line up on the same profile, so component matching and alignment carry more weight, and assembly consistency becomes harder to hold across a run.
Producing matching non-round components can require more specialized production preparation than a standard round tube, and the higher setup requirements and the need for consistent production influence the MOQ. We do not publish tooling costs, equipment details, or tolerances for this construction, and we are not suggesting every oval design from every manufacturer carries a 10,000-unit minimum. This is our MOQ for this specific construction.
Our standard MOQ for custom boxes is 10,000 units. Boxes are a separate packaging structure from standard round paper tubes, with different production requirements and a different minimum order quantity.
The 1,000-unit minimum we quote for standard paper tubes does not apply to custom boxes, and it is worth being clear about that at the start of a project so nobody budgets on the wrong number. If you are not sure whether your packaging idea is better suited to a tube or a box, tell us what the product is, how it will be filled, and how it will be used, and we can point you toward the structure that fits and confirm the quantity that goes with it.
Yes, depending on inventory. Earthycores can offer standard-size plain kraft paper tubes or other stock tubes, and available stock tubes without custom printing may have no custom-production MOQ. Customers should confirm current sizes, quantities, and availability, because not every standard size is permanently stocked.
It helps to keep four categories separate, since each follows different rules:
Stock paper tubes: available sizes, no custom-production MOQ, subject to inventory
Custom printed standard paper tubes: 1,000 units, digital or offset
Special-shape paper tubes: 10,000 units for our special oval construction
Custom boxes: 10,000 units
Customers who want to move away from plastic components can also look at our full-paper tubes, which are designed around a more paper-focused construction.
Yes. A sample lets a buyer check dimensions, structure, printing, and finish before committing to a full run. A sample is not the same as commercial production, and what a sample shows is limited to the sample itself.
If you want a custom sample below the commercial MOQ, whether that is possible and what it costs has to be confirmed for the specific project. We do not promise free custom samples, and a sample for a special shape may be handled differently from a sample of a standard round tube.
Start with the quantity you actually plan to order, then work backward to the structure. If you are planning about 1,000 to a few thousand units, a standard round custom paper tube is the straightforward route, and the printing method can be chosen on artwork and repeatability rather than on minimums. If your product genuinely needs an oval body and lid, or a box, plan for 10,000 units.
It also helps to understand what a quantity is paying for, because the same preparation work sits behind a 1,000-unit order and a 10,000-unit one. At any MOQ, the tubes still have to be specified, formed, cut, assembled, and inspected, and you can see how that sequence works in our factory and quality-control article. Our answers to other ordering questions are collected on our FAQ page, and you can browse the full range of Earthycores paper tube packaging from the homepage.
If your project is a flexible pouch rather than a rigid tube, that is handled by our group's specialized flexible packaging brand, BioPouches.
Earthycores' standard MOQ for custom printed paper tubes is 1,000 units. Special oval paper tubes with oval lids and custom boxes require 10,000 units.
The digital printing MOQ at Earthycores is 1,000 units for standard paper tubes.
The offset printing MOQ at Earthycores is also 1,000 units for standard paper tubes, the same as digital.
Yes. At Earthycores, shape and construction affect MOQ more than the printing method does. Standard round tubes start at 1,000 units, while our special oval construction requires 10,000.
Earthycores' MOQ for special oval paper tubes with matching oval lids is 10,000 units. This is our MOQ for this specific construction, not a rule for every oval design.
Because the body and lid both have to match a non-round shape, which involves more production preparation, component matching, and consistency control than a standard round tube.
Earthycores' standard MOQ for custom boxes is 10,000 units. The 1,000-unit tube MOQ does not apply to boxes.
Yes, depending on inventory. Stock tubes without custom printing may have no custom-production MOQ, but current sizes and availability should be confirmed.
Yes. Earthycores can provide samples for evaluating dimensions, structure, printing, and finish. Feasibility and charges for custom samples below the commercial MOQ should be confirmed for the project.
Yes. Earthycores accepts custom printed standard round paper tube orders starting at 1,000 units, using either digital or offset printing.
