Once you approve a sample, the factory keeps it at the press and builds every box to match. Anything you miss now is harder to argue about later, so check it the way your customer will meet it: with the product inside.
Size and fit
- Put the real product in. It should slide in without force and not rattle.
- Close the box. Lids should sit square and magnets should catch without a gap.
- If there is an insert, shake the closed box and listen.
Print and colour
- Compare brand colours with a printed reference in daylight, not on a screen.
- Read every line of small text, including barcodes and legal copy.
- Check that artwork crossing a fold or a seam lines up.
Finish and build
- Rub a laminated panel with a clean cloth and look for scuffing.
- Look at the corners of a rigid box. No board should show.
- Open and close it twenty times. Creases should not crack and glue should hold.
- Check foil and embossing for position and clean edges.
Before you sign
Write every change on the sample or in one email, with photos. Ask for a second sample if a change affects size or colour. Then sign and date the approved one and send a photo of it: that image is what production will be checked against.