Key Takeaways
- 90% of 'custom' airless bottles are stock molds with custom color, plating and printing — no tooling cost, 20–25 day lead time, 5,000 pcs MOQ.
- A genuinely new shape needs a mold set of US$3,000–8,000 per component, 25–30 days to T1 sample and 20,000–50,000 pcs per year to make sense.
- Silk screen (1 color) adds about US$0.03–0.05 per bottle, hot stamping US$0.04–0.08, electroplating US$0.08–0.25, spray-paint custom color US$0.04–0.10 — all at 10,000 pcs.
Quick answer
A custom airless bottle from a Chinese factory can mean two very different projects. Private label on a stock mold — your color, your plating, your logo — costs nothing in tooling, ships in 20–25 days and starts at 5,000 pcs. A new mold — your own shape — costs US$8,000–20,000 in tooling, takes 45–60 days to first production and only pays back above 20,000–50,000 pcs per year. Most brands, including those that believe they need a unique bottle, are best served by the first route with a distinctive cap or finish.
This guide walks through both routes the way we run them at Hongye Packaging in Yuyao: what we ask for, what it costs, how long each step takes and where projects go wrong.
Route 1: Private label on a stock mold
We keep 38 airless series in stock molds — from 5 ml eye-cream minis to 120 ml lotion bottles, in AS and PP, with lotion pump, fine-mist sprayer, roller-ball and massage-head options. Your brand chooses a series, then customizes the parts that customers actually see:
| Customization | Method | Added cost per bottle (10k pcs) | Tooling / setup | Extra lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom body color | Masterbatch (PP) or spray paint (AS/PP) | US$0.04–0.10 | Color matching US$0–100 | +5–7 days |
| Frosted / matte finish | Spray frosting or textured mold insert | US$0.03–0.08 | None (stock texture) | +3–5 days |
| Logo, 1 color | Silk screen | US$0.03–0.05 | Screen US$50–80 | +3–5 days |
| Logo, metallic | Hot stamping (gold/silver foil) | US$0.04–0.08 | Die US$80–120 | +3–5 days |
| Gold / silver / rose-gold collar and cap | Electroplating (ABS) | US$0.08–0.25 | None | +7–10 days |
| Full-wrap graphic | Heat transfer or label | US$0.06–0.15 | Plate US$150–300 | +7–10 days |
| Glossy protective coat | UV coating | US$0.03–0.06 | None | +3 days |
| Bamboo or aluminum shell | Stock shell on PP/AS inner | US$0.60–2.00 | None | +7–10 days |
Combine two or three of these and the bottle is visually yours for under US$0.20 extra. Our gold-plated and bamboo-shell series are examples of stock bottles that read as premium custom packaging on shelf.
What we need from you for Route 1
- Series and capacities (e.g. 30 ml and 50 ml of the AS lock-switch series).
- Color reference: Pantone code or a physical chip. We match to ΔE ≤ 1.5 and send a color sample for signature.
- Vector artwork (AI / PDF / EPS) with print position and size marked on our 2D drawing.
- Quantity per capacity and color, target delivery date, destination port.
- Your formula type (water-based, oil, alcohol content) so we confirm AS vs PP compatibility.
Route 2: A new mold — your own shape
Choose this when the bottle shape itself is the brand asset, when you need a capacity or proportion not in any stock series, or when a retailer requires exclusivity.
What a mold really costs
| Component | Cavities | Mold cost (indicative) | T1 sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer bottle (AS or PP) | 4–8 | US$4,000–8,000 | 25–30 days |
| Outer cap / overcap | 4–8 | US$2,500–5,000 | 20–25 days |
| Collar / shoulder ring | 8–16 | US$2,000–3,500 | 20 days |
| Inner bottle + piston | usually stock | US$0 (stock) | — |
| Pump | stock | US$0 (stock) | — |
The pump and piston are almost always stock components; a new airless project usually means a new outer shell and cap over our proven piston system. Total tooling for a complete look is therefore US$8,000–20,000, paid 50% at mold start and 50% at T1 sample approval. The mold is yours: we engrave your project code on it, store it, maintain it and never run it for another customer.
What a drawing needs to contain
Send a STEP or IGES 3D file if you have one. If you only have a 2D drawing or a sketch, make sure it specifies:
- Nominal and overflow capacity (ml)
- Overall height with cap, body diameter, cap diameter
- Wall thickness (we recommend 1.2–1.8 mm for AS outer walls, 0.8–1.2 mm for PP)
- Neck finish, or tell us to use our stock airless pump neck
- Surface finish per area: gloss, frosted, textured
- Draft angles if you have them — if not, our engineers add 1–2° and send back a DFM report
A reference sample from another brand plus “like this but 30 ml and taller” is a legitimate starting point; we turn that into a drawing in 3–5 days.
Minimum volume for a new mold to make sense
Tooling of US$12,000 amortized over 20,000 pcs adds US$0.60 to every bottle; over 100,000 pcs it adds US$0.12. Our honest guidance: below 20,000 pcs per year, put the money into a premium stock series with electroplating and a bespoke cap; above 50,000 pcs, a mold pays for itself within the first year.
Have a drawing or a reference bottle? Send it through our quote form or by email and our engineers return a DFM review, mold quotation and unit price within 48 hours.
Start an OEM projectThe 7-step OEM process
- Brief and RFQ — series or drawing, capacities, decoration, quantities, formula type, target market. We reply within 24 hours with price, MOQ and timeline. (Day 0–2)
- DFM and quotation sign-off — for new molds, our engineers review draft angles, wall thickness, pump fit and decoration feasibility and send a marked-up drawing. (Day 3–7)
- Samples — free stock samples by courier for Route 1; T1 mold samples in 25–30 days for Route 2, followed by one or two revision rounds of 7–10 days. (Day 3–45)
- Color and artwork approval — physical color sample and a printed pre-production sample, signed by both sides. Nothing goes into production without this signature. (5–7 days)
- Deposit and production — 30% T/T; production 15–25 days depending on decoration, running on our 50 injection and 25 blow molding machines in Yuyao.
- Inspection — in-house AQL 2.5/4.0 inspection with a report and photos; third-party inspection (SGS, QIMA, Intertek) welcome, US$250–350 per man-day at your cost.
- Shipment — balance 70% against B/L copy, FOB Ningbo; we hand over to your forwarder with packing list and all compliance documents.
Compliance documents you can expect
- Resin grade declarations (PP, AS, PE, ABS) and BPA-free statements
- EU Regulation 10/2011 or FDA 21 CFR 177 letters for PP in contact with cosmetic formulas on request
- Heavy-metal (RoHS/REACH SVHC) test reports on electroplated parts
- ISO 9001 and BSCI certificates for retailer onboarding
- Certificate of origin (CCPIT) for duty purposes
Sustainable options for private label
Retailers in the EU and UK increasingly ask for mono-material or refillable airless. Both are stock at Hongye and can be customized to your brand without tooling:
- Full-PP airless — bottle, piston, pump housing and cap all PP, recyclable in one stream. Frosted or custom color.
- Refillable airless — replaceable PP inner bottle inside an AS or electroplated shell; consumers keep the shell and buy refills at roughly a third of the cost of the full pack.
- PCR content — 30–50% post-consumer recycled PP on request for opaque bottles, with a surcharge of about 10–15% on the resin portion.
Where OEM projects go wrong
- No signed color standard. “Like the screenshot” is not a standard. Sign a chip.
- AS chosen for an oil formula. Stress cracks appear after shipment. Test for 4 weeks with free samples first.
- Artwork supplied as JPEG. Silk screens need vectors; a redraw costs time and sometimes a reprint.
- Capacity confusion. 30 ml nominal vs 30 ml overflow differ by 2–4 ml. State which one your filling line needs.
- Decoration after assembly. Electroplating and spray painting happen on bare parts before assembly; a late change to plating means re-ordering collars, not re-working bottles.
Next step
Decide which route you are on. If a stock series with your color, plating and logo will do — and for most brands it will — choose a series and send us the five items under Route 1. If you need your own shape, send the drawing or reference bottle and we return a DFM report and mold quotation within 48 hours. Either way, start from the quote form; a sales engineer, not a bot, replies within 24 hours.
For price context before you write, see our wholesale pricing guide and manufacturer comparison.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I put my own logo on airless bottles with a small order?+
Yes. Silk screen or hot stamping of a logo is available from the standard 5,000 pcs MOQ with no tooling cost beyond a screen or stamping die of US$50–120. Artwork must be supplied as vector (AI, PDF or EPS).
How much does a custom airless bottle mold cost?+
Roughly US$3,000–8,000 per component set (bottle body, outer cap, collar) depending on cavities and finish, so a complete new design is typically US$8,000–20,000. The mold stays your property for your exclusive use; the factory stores and maintains it.
What files do I need to send for a custom mold?+
A 3D model (STEP or IGES) is ideal. A 2D drawing (PDF or DWG) with capacity, overall height, diameter, neck finish and wall thickness also works, and a reference sample or photo plus target capacity is enough to start a DFM discussion.
How long does OEM airless bottle development take?+
Stock mold with custom decoration: 20–25 days from deposit. New mold: 25–30 days to the first (T1) sample, one or two rounds of modification of 7–10 days each, then 15–20 days for production — 45–60 days in total.
Is there a minimum for custom colors?+
The standard MOQ of 5,000 pcs applies per color. Below about 1,500 pcs per color we add a changeover surcharge of US$150–300. A signed color chip or Pantone reference with ΔE tolerance is required before production.
Do you offer refillable or mono-material custom airless bottles?+
Yes. Refillable designs with a replaceable PP inner bottle and full-PP mono-material airless bottles are stock series that can be decorated to your brand; both can also be used as the base for a custom-shape outer shell.