One Sample Before 200,000 Coffee Pouches

ETHIOPIA · DIGITAL PRINT SAMPLE · JULY 2024

More than 20 artwork layouts. Multiple departments to align. One physical proof before a planned 200,000-pouch production run.

In July 2024, an Ethiopian coffee brand was preparing custom coffee pouch artwork. The design covered more than 20 panels and layout versions, with colour choices and small details requiring coordination across several departments.

Because the planned mass-production quantity was 200,000 pouches, the team chose to review a digital-print proof first. Digital proofing can start from 1 piece; for this project, the sample charge was RMB 500. This was a proofing order only, separate from the later bulk-production requirement.

The physical sample brought the artwork off screen for review.

One sample, reviewed by the whole team

After the digital proof was prepared, it was shipped separately by air so the customer's departments could examine the real print and pouch. Seeing the sample in person made it easier to review the colours, layout and finished packaging together, instead of relying on artwork files alone.

This hands-on check helped reduce front-end packaging uncertainty before the larger production stage. The sample was not the 200,000-piece order; it was the approval step that helped the team assess the packaging before moving toward that scale.

The approval journey

1 · Artwork planning
More than 20 design panels and versions were prepared, with details and colours reviewed across departments.

2 · Digital-print proof
One sample was produced for RMB 500, giving the team a tangible version to evaluate.

3 · Air shipment and review
The proof was sent separately by air for multi-department confirmation.

4 · Production planning
The planned bulk run was 200,000 pouches, subject to the customer's final approval and production arrangements.

The reverse-side proof, with customer-identifying details obscured.

Why a physical proof matters

A printed sample gives a brand and its internal teams something concrete to assess before production: how the colours read on the pouch, how the artwork sits on the format, and whether the overall presentation matches the brief. For this Ethiopian project, one proof created a practical checkpoint between complex artwork coordination and a large planned order.

The artwork layout used to coordinate the pouch design and production details.

Customer identity withheld · Ethiopia · July 2024

Need to check a custom coffee pouch before a larger run? Ask us about a one-piece digital-print proof and sample arrangements.

Current sample pricing and arrangements are confirmed for each project.