Custom Packaging Printing in Lagos: A Buyer's Guide
7 October 2026 · The Showcase Hub
What Lagos brands actually order, what decides the price, how long production takes, and what to have ready before you ask anyone for a quote.
Custom packaging printing in Lagos usually means one of five things: paper bags, custom boxes, printed nylon bags, business or invitation cards, and banners. At The Showcase Hub most jobs are produced in 5 to 10 working days once the artwork is approved and the deposit is paid. Price is quoted per job, because size, material, finish and quantity each move it.
This is the guide we wish every brand had read before sending us a message that says "how much for boxes". Not because the question is wrong, but because the answer depends on five or six things nobody has told us yet. Read this and your first message will get you a real number instead of three more questions.
What counts as custom packaging in Lagos
Five product lines cover nearly everything small and growing brands order here.
| What you order | What it suits | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Paper bags | Retail, boutiques, gifting, food takeaway | Size and handle matter more than the print |
| Custom boxes | Skincare, hair, gifts, anything posted | The construction decides the cost, not the artwork |
| Printed nylon bags | Markets, shops, courier mailers | Thickness is the thing people get wrong |
| Business and invitation cards | Everyone, plus weddings and events | The only line that prints well in small runs |
| Roll-up and flex banners | Shops, stands, events, church programmes | Read it from five steps away or it has failed |
If you sell something people carry home, you need a bag. If you post it, you need a box or a mailer. If you hand it over, you need a card. Most brands start with the one item they give out most often, then add the rest.
How much does custom packaging cost in Lagos?
There is no single price, and any printer who gives you one before asking questions is quoting a different job from the one you want. Six things move the figure.
- Size. A bag or box is priced from the sheet it is cut from. A slightly smaller box can mean more pieces per sheet and a lower cost each.
- Material. Kraft, art paper, grey board, corrugated board or polythene, and the weight of each.
- Colours. One or two colours cost less to run than full colour photographs.
- Finish. Matte or gloss lamination, spot UV, foil, embossing. Each one is an extra pass.
- Construction. A folded mailer, a rigid box with a lid, a window, a magnet or a ribbon all add work after printing.
- Quantity. Setup is paid once, whatever you order. That cost spreads over the run, which is why 100 pieces never costs ten times what 1,000 costs per piece.
The honest answer is that packaging is quoted, not listed. Send us the item, the quantity and a rough size and you get a figure the same day in most cases.
How long does printing take?
Most jobs leave the studio within 5 to 10 working days of two things happening: you approve the proof, and the deposit lands. Nothing is produced before both.
Add your own time to that. If your artwork needs designing, allow a few days of back and forth. If you are ordering for a launch or a festive period, start earlier than feels necessary. November and December are the two months when every brand in Lagos remembers its packaging at once.
What do you need before asking for a quote?
Have these six answers ready and the quote comes back in one message instead of five.
- The item. Paper bag, mailer box, rigid box, nylon bag, card, banner.
- The quantity. A real number, even a rough one. 200 and 2,000 are different conversations.
- The size. Either the finished size you want, or the measurements of the product going inside it.
- The artwork. A PDF, AI file or high resolution logo. If you have nothing, say so, because we design too.
- The deadline. The date you need it in your hands, not the date you want it to leave the press.
- Delivery. Lagos collection or courier to another state.
Not sure of the size? Photograph the product next to a tape measure and send that. It works better than guessing.
How do you choose a printer?
Ask four questions, and the answers tell you most of what you need to know.
- Will I see a proof before you print? The answer should be yes, every time, with no argument. A proof is your last chance to catch a wrong phone number.
- Can I see something you produced? Photographs of real jobs, not a catalogue of stock images. Ours are on the work page.
- What is the timeline in writing? A date, before money changes hands.
- What happens if it comes out wrong? Know the answer before you need it, not after.
What goes wrong, and how to avoid it
- The bag that is slightly too small. Measure the product. Then measure it again with the tissue paper and the box it sits in.
- Nylon that tears on the way home. Thin gauge with your name printed on it is worse advertising than no bag at all.
- Artwork pulled off WhatsApp. It is already compressed. Printing makes that obvious. Send the original file.
- Approving the proof at speed. Read the phone number out loud. Check the Instagram handle. Check the date on the invitation.
- Starting in December. Every studio in Lagos is full. Order in October for December.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for custom packaging?
It depends on the item. Business and invitation cards print well in small runs, so a few hundred is normal. Paper bags, boxes and nylon need a higher quantity before the unit cost makes sense, because the setup cost is the same whether you print 50 or 5,000. Tell us the quantity you have in mind and we will tell you honestly whether it works.
Can you design the artwork for me?
Yes. Plenty of brands come to us with a logo and an idea and nothing else. Send what you have, including your colours and anything you like the look of, and you will get a proof to approve before anything is printed.
Do you deliver outside Lagos?
Yes, nationwide by courier. Customers in Lagos can also collect from the studio in Isolo.
How do I pay?
A deposit starts production and the balance is due before delivery or collection. The timeline is confirmed in writing before you pay anything.
How long does it really take?
Most jobs are produced in 5 to 10 working days after proof approval and deposit, depending on the item, the finish and the quantity. Rush jobs are sometimes possible, so ask before you assume.
Where to start
If you are ordering packaging for the first time, start with the item you hand over most often, order enough to last three to six months, and keep the artwork simple enough to survive being printed small.
The three guides that follow this one go deeper: choosing paper bag sizes and handles, picking the right kind of box, and sending artwork that prints exactly as you imagined.
When you are ready, tell us what you need and we will come back with a quote and a date.
