Most questions before a first glass packaging order fall into five areas: how to get a quotation, what can be customized, how quality is checked, how the goods travel, and how payment works. A first price needs only six details from you, custom work is always approved on a physical sample, and every batch is inspected against a written specification before it is loaded.
Quotations, quantities and samples
What do you need from me to quote?
Six details cover a first price: product family, target capacity, glass color, closure, estimated quantity and destination port. A drawing or reference photo shortens the back-and-forth. Our overview of what drives a glass bottle price walks through weight, color, decoration, volume and packing.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
Minimums are set per project. They follow the product type and the decoration you choose, so tell us the volume you have in mind for each item and we will confirm what applies to it.
Can several bottle types go in one order?
Yes, and combining references is a normal way to fill a shipment sensibly. The minimum still applies to each reference separately, so mixing does not reduce it. Cartons and pallets can be consolidated wherever packing strength allows, and on LCL shipments we plan the pallet build with you so each one is stable and labeled by SKU.
Will I see a sample before bulk production?
Yes. A custom project always has a sampling stage ahead of the production run. You approve shape, color and decoration on a real piece.
Custom shapes, color, decoration and closures
Can a bottle be made to my own design?
Yes. A new shape means a new mold, and the sequence is fixed: we review your drawing or reference for feasibility, a pilot mold is cut, samples are made, dimensions are adjusted, and only then does series production begin. The custom glass bottles page describes the route as a whole, and the mold development page covers the tooling steps.
Which decoration processes can I choose from?
The options are screen printing in up to three colors, frosting, hot stamping, color coating, embossing formed in the glass itself, and labels. Most can be combined on one bottle. Which one suits you depends on the artwork, the run length, and whether the bottle will go through a dishwasher or a pasteurizer. Each finish is shown with examples on the decoration services page.
Can the glass match the color of a bottle I already use?
Usually. Send the bottle itself, or a reference together with the color standard you work to, and a color draw is produced for your approval before any batch is run. Flint, amber and the classic greens are routine furnace colors. A special tint needs a minimum volume, because a furnace has to be given over to it. Approval is made on a physical sample under standardized light, never on a screen image.
Can closures and dispensers come from the same source?
Yes. Screw caps, corks, synthetic stoppers, droppers, pumps, sprayers and roll-ons can be sourced alongside the glass. Neck finish and closure are then checked against each other before anything ships. For food products we check the liner material against your filling process, and you can have samples of the complete bottle-and-closure set before ordering.
Quality checks, compliance and claims
What is inspected before a batch ships?
The batch is measured against a written specification that fixes capacity, weight, dimensions and their tolerances, the color standard and the packing method. Before loading, an AQL sampling inspection grades it by defect class.
| Defect class | Examples | Acceptance level |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Leaks, cracks | Effectively zero tolerance |
| Major | Dimensional defects | Around AQL 1.0–1.5 |
| Minor | Surface issues | AQL 2.5–4.0 |
A batch that fails is held back rather than argued over. You are free to send your own third-party inspector at any point.
Is the glass suitable for food contact?
Glass is inert by nature, and food and beverage containers are made to the food-contact rules of the market they are going to: the framework regulation on food-contact materials in the EU, and FDA-related requirements in the US. A declaration of compliance is issued per production plant and batch scope, and accredited-lab migration reports exist for the relevant product families. Give us the destination market and your filling process and we will confirm the document set before you order.
Can I visit or audit the plant?
Yes. We arrange visits with notice, so that the lines you care about and the quality lab are in operation on the day. When travel is not practical, we set up a video walkthrough with the plant engineers and share the audit file used for onboarding: equipment lists, certificates and process descriptions. An inspection you commission from a third party can take place at any stage, and its report goes straight to you.
What if bottles arrive broken or defective?
Report it promptly after unloading, with photos, the batch code printed on the carton and the quantity affected. The report is compared with the batch record and the written specification; how a confirmed case is settled is agreed per project before the order is placed. With proper export packing, transit damage normally stays under 0.5 percent, and a figure above that leads to a review of the packing method.
Packing, routes and shipping documents
How are the bottles packed for export?
Bottles are packed in five-ply export cartons with dividers or layer pads. The cartons sit on shrink-wrapped pallets fitted with edge protectors, and the container is loaded to a documented stowage plan, with desiccant added on long sea routes. As a planning figure, one 40-ft HC container takes roughly 18,000 to 24,000 standard 750-ml bottles, depending on weight class. Pallet dimensions are agreed against your warehouse before the order, and loading photos can be supplied if you ask.
Which destinations and transport modes are possible?
Shipments go worldwide. Sea freight, as FCL or LCL, is the default; rail serves parts of Europe and Asia; air is used for samples and urgent small lots. Once we know the destination port and the volume, we confirm the routing and the incoterm that suits how you buy, whether FOB, CIF or DAP. Every consignment leaves with a full document pack, listed on the export documentation page.
How long do production and delivery take?
Timing is quoted for each project. It can only be fixed once the mold, the decoration and the line schedule are confirmed.
Payment terms, currency and extra charges
How is an order paid for?
New customers normally pay a deposit when the order is placed and the balance against the shipping documents. Accounts with an order history can be reviewed for other schedules. Bank transfer is the usual method, and a letter of credit is workable on larger contracts. The terms are written into the proforma invoice before any payment is made.
In which currency?
Export contracts are normally in US dollars, and European buyers can ask to settle in euros. If you manage currency exposure, the exchange rate can be fixed at order confirmation for the deposit and fixed again for the balance, and the rate applied is printed on the invoice. Courier fees for samples can be paid by card through a payment link when a bank transfer is impractical.
Does anything get added to the quoted figure later?
Not without notice. A quotation shows the product, decoration charges, mold amortization where it applies, and packing as separate lines, plus freight and insurance when the incoterm includes them. Two things can alter it afterwards: a specification change on your side, or a confirmed raw-material surcharge. Both are communicated before they take effect. If your question is not answered here, send it to our team with your project details.