A first sample round should be small, cheap and decisive. Three to five models, two wall weights each, mixed models and sizes in one shipment. The goal is not to find the perfect bottle — it is to eliminate the wrong ones and leave you with a golden sample you can sign.
Quick answer
- Ship 3–5 models with 2–3 pieces each, plus two wall weights of the same model.
- Stock-mould samples are free; the buyer pays freight or opens a DHL account.
- Sign a golden sample with weight, colour and cap spec written on it, not just a photo.
How many samples should a first round actually contain?
Most first rounds fail for a reason unrelated to the bottle: they arrive without a decision framework, so the buyer ends up choosing on shape alone. The number matters less than what each piece is meant to prove.
| What to send | Quantity | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Shortlist of stock models | 3–5 models, 2–3 pieces each | Whether the shape, neck and closure family works at all |
| Same model, two wall weights | 1–2 pieces per weight | How the pack feels in the hand and on shelf |
| Different capacities together | Mixed in one carton | How a range looks side by side, and how it packs |
| Closures and liners | 2–3 per closure | Thread fit, cap feel, dosing behaviour |
| Decorated piece | 1 per version | How print or a label sits on the actual surface |
We hold more than 2,000 existing moulds, so a first round is usually assembled from stock rather than from a new tool. A new mould takes roughly 30 working days, which is exactly why the sample round exists before the tooling decision.
Why is one model in two wall weights more useful than two different models?
Because wall weight is a decision you cannot make from a photograph. It is the difference between a bottle that feels substantial in the hand and one that feels like a giveaway, and it is invisible in a spec sheet.
Our reference point: on a 500 ml PE bottle, an empty weight of about 47 g corresponds to roughly 1.5 mm of wall. The sidewall can go to about 2.0 mm, but the bottle then lands at 60–80 g and above, with longer cooling and cycle time and a slightly higher price. Both versions can come out of the same tool, which is what makes this comparison possible at sample stage.
| What you compare | Light version | Heavy version | What to decide from it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty bottle weight | Around 47 g | 60–80 g and above | Whether the retail price point carries that weight |
| Nominal wall | About 1.5 mm | Up to about 2.0 mm on the sidewall | Whether your formula and filling line tolerate the build |
| Hand feel | Lighter, more flexible | Rigid, noticeably more solid | Whether the brand positioning needs the heavier version |
| Cost and cycle time | Lower unit cost, faster cycle | Higher unit cost, longer cooling | Whether the volume justifies the difference |
Two models tell you which shapes exist. One model in two wall weights tells you which shape you want. Only one of them can be copied into your specification — our wider note on finding an existing bottle without tooling covers the stock-mould side.
When are samples free and when do you pay for them?
The boundary is simple: free samples come out of existing stock or existing moulds. Paid samples come out of a tool, a new colour or a new decoration.
| Sample type | Who pays for the piece | Who pays for the freight | Typical handling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock model, standard colour | Free | Buyer | Sent with the quotation, often with other models mixed in |
| Same model in a second wall weight | Free where the tool exists | Buyer | Produced for the sample run only |
| Custom Pantone colour | Usually charged | Buyer | Masterbatch minimum applies; see colour minimums |
| Custom-mould prototype | Charged | Buyer | Often credited against a production order |
| Decorated sample | Setup charged per version | Buyer | Silk screen or hot stamping setup applies |
Two conditions are worth putting in writing before anything ships: whether a sample fee is credited against a later production order, and how many physical pieces that fee buys. Both are easy to leave ambiguous. How many sample rounds to expect, and who pays goes deeper.
How should the freight account and the courier be handled?
Samples are almost always shipped on the buyer’s account, and three arrangements work. The fourth one causes arguments.
| Method | How it works | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buyer’s DHL or courier account | Courier collects from us and charges your account | Buyers who ship regularly and want one invoice | Account number must be confirmed in writing before dispatch |
| Buyer pays the freight on arrival | We ship collect; your broker or agent pays the courier | Buyers with a forwarder already in place | Duties and handling on arrival can surprise you |
| Prepaid freight quoted in advance | We quote the courier cost before shipping | First-time buyers with no courier account | Rough estimate unless the carton is measured first |
| Consolidated with a later shipment | Samples wait for a booked consolidated shipment | Large programmes with a fixed factory schedule | Slowest option; delays approval and holds your slot |
Send a courier account number as a separate written message, never as a note inside a quotation. Two practical rules: state the delivery address in full including the recipient’s name, and ask for the tracking number on the day of dispatch rather than after you start asking.
What are the nine checks to run on a physical sample?
Run them in this order, in your own hand, before anyone in your team sees the box. A sample evaluated in a group meeting gets judged on shape; the same sample judged alone gets judged on whether it works.
| # | Check | What you are looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capacity | Nominal fill against brimful; headspace for your filling line |
| 2 | Empty weight | Actual grams on a scale, compared against the quoted figure |
| 3 | Neck finish and thread | Closure screws on without force and seats square |
| 4 | Closure fit | No wobble, no thread strip, cap does not sit proud |
| 5 | Leak | Inverted, filled with water, and left — plus a squeeze test on flexible bodies |
| 6 | Decoration | Print adhesion, position relative to the front panel, coverage on curves |
| 7 | Finish and colour | Matte versus gloss under your own light, and against your Pantone reference |
| 8 | Dispensing | Pump output per stroke, dip-tube reach, glugging on a thick formula |
| 9 | Hand feel and stacking | Does it feel right, and does it stack or nest as you assumed |
Check 2 catches the most expensive problem: a quoted 30 g bottle that arrives at 26 g. Record the number on the sample request itself, not afterwards.
How do you sign a golden sample and stop later batches drifting?
A golden sample that is just an approved photo is worth nothing, because the photo carries no numbers. A usable golden sample is a physical unit, signed on both sides, with the numbers written on it.
- Write the empty bottle weight in grams, with the tolerance you will accept
- Write the Pantone reference and the finish — matte, gloss or soft-touch
- Write the neck finish and the exact closure model number
- Write the nominal capacity and the brimful capacity
- Write the decoration method and the number of print versions
- Sign and date it, then send two copies: one stays with you, one stays at the factory
Attach the golden sample to three things in writing: the purchase order, the pre-production first-article check, and the instruction that no production run ships without a first article measured against it. Batches drift when nobody measured, not when somebody measured carelessly.
What buyers actually asked us
Real questions from inquiries we handled. Company names, countries and order quantities are removed — those are our customers’ business, not ours to publish.
“For the evaluation, we would like to benchmark a compact standard range before discussing any commercial order. Please recommend your strongest existing-mould, price-efficient bottle and closure combinations, and prepare a representative set of those combinations as samples.” — distribution group, Middle East
“Please quote the sample cost and lead time for a set of samples shipped to our regional office, plus the bulk production lead time after sample approval. We would need the samples by a fixed date, and would move straight into evaluation once they arrive.” — hair care brand, Oceania
The first buyer also asked for mixed models and sizes in one shipment and for free samples to be confirmed in writing before dispatch. That request is the cheapest quality control in the whole process: it forces the supplier to state, in advance, exactly what is in the box.
Three mistakes we see every year
1. Requesting too many models and evaluating none of them. Ten models in one carton gets you a preference, not a decision. Five models with a written note on each gets you a specification. The limit is not what we can send; it is how many comparisons your team can make in one sitting.
2. Approving in writing instead of on a physical unit. “Looks good, proceed” without a signed golden sample means the production run is judged against an impression. When the first pallet arrives in a slightly different weight or shade, there is nothing to point at.
3. Treating a free sample as a commitment. Free applies to stock and existing moulds, and it carries no obligation. A paid prototype, a custom colour or a decorated version is a different kind of sample, and should carry a written credit position against your production order.
What to put in your first sample request
- How many models, and how many wall weights per model
- Which capacities you want represented in the same carton
- Whether stock models are acceptable for round one, or you need custom tooling evaluated in parallel
- Which closure and liner combinations to include
- Whether you want a decorated piece per version, or plain bodies only
- Your courier account details, or a request for a prepaid freight quote
- Confirmation in writing of which samples are free and which are charged
- Whether any sample fee is credited against a production order
- The deadline by which you need the samples, and what happens to the schedule if they arrive late
Frequently asked questions
How many samples should I ask for in round one?
Three to five models with two or three pieces each, plus two wall weights of the one you already like. That is enough to eliminate the wrong shapes without turning the evaluation into a project.
Are samples free?
Stock models in standard colours are free; the buyer pays freight. Custom colours, decorated pieces and mould prototypes are usually charged. Ask for the free-versus-paid split in writing before dispatch.
Who should pay for sample freight?
Usually you do — through your own DHL account, on arrival through your forwarder, or by accepting a prepaid quote from us. Samples are almost never shipped on our freight account.
Can I get mixed models and sizes in one shipment?
Yes, and it is usually better. One carton of mixed models and sizes costs less than several separate shipments and lets you compare the range side by side.
What is a golden sample?
A specific physical unit, signed by both sides, with weight, colour reference, finish, neck finish, closure model and capacities written on it. Production is measured against that unit, not against a photo.
Can I change the sample after approving it?
You can, but expect it to restart the round. Changing wall weight, colour, closure or decoration after sign-off means a new sample, a new lead time and a new approval. Signing off the golden sample covers what can still move.
About Shijin Packaging
Shijin Packaging Products Co., Ltd. has been manufacturing plastic packaging in Shenzhen, Huizhou and Guangzhou since 2003. We hold more than 2,000 existing moulds, run ISO 9001, GRS and SGS audited production, and ship roughly 500,000 bottles a day. Bottle MOQ is 5,000 pieces per model and per colour, closures 5,000 to 10,000, and a new mould takes roughly 30 working days — which is why a first sample round is the cheapest hour you will spend on a project.
Tell us your shortlist: send the capacities and closures you are considering, and we will come back with the closest existing moulds, a wall-weight comparison for each, and a sample list you can approve in one reply.