APB FAQs

New projects start with our sales team. Call us at 204-233-6784 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CT, Mon-Fri or email info@advancepaperbox.ca, and we will connect you with a representative who guides your project from first conversation to final delivery. Every customer works with a dedicated point of contact who coordinates design, production, and shipping.

No — we manufacture custom folding cartons, made to order to your specifications. We don't sell catalogue items. If you're not sure what structure you need, our design team can help develop the right carton for your product and filling line.

After we receive your purchase order and all approvals, typical production lead time is 2-4 weeks. Complex structures, specialty materials, or large volumes may need additional time, quoted at the time of order. Because we keep paperboard in stock, we can hold standard lead times short

Our minimum order quantity is 5,000 boxes.

Carton pricing depends on the structure and its complexity, size, board grade and caliper, printing and finishing, and order quantity. Tell us about your project and we will prepare a quote — and we can price several quantities so you can see how cost changes with volume.

The more detail you can share, the faster we can quote: carton dimensions or a sample, the quantity (ora few quantities to compare), the board grade if you know it, print and finishing requirements, and the status of your artwork. If you only have a product and an idea, that's fine too — our team can work from there. Send what you have to get started.

We retain your cutting dies and printing plates so they're ready for your reorders. Most orders carry no separate tooling or plate charge. When a job involves more complex tooling or a one-time run, any tooling charge is set out clearly on your quote upfront — so there are never surprises.

Reorders are straightforward. Your die, plates, and approved artwork are already on file, so repeat runs move faster than a first order. Just send your representative the item and the quantity.

Yes — we routinely work under non-disclosure agreements and are comfortable handling confidential and pre-launch projects. Send us your NDA, or ask us for one, before sharing sensitive details.

Yes. Our structural design team engineers cartons around your product, filling line, and end-use, drawing on a library of proven structures and adapting them to your needs. We also review customer-supplied artwork and prepare it for production.

Yes. Send us a physical sample of your current carton and we can reverse-engineer the structure and match the specifications — a common first step for brands moving production to us. We'll confirm board grade, dimensions, and finishing, and flag any improvements worth considering along the way.

Typical prototype turnaround is 5 business days. We cut physical samples in-house on our digital sample table, so you can check fit and structure before committing to a production run. Timing depends on complexity and the number of designs requested, and we'll confirm it when the project begins.

It helps. Sharing the physical product — or a digital model — along with any existing samples or specifications lets us design for accurate size, fit, and performance from the start.

Prototypes can be cut from in-stock paperboard for a quick structural review. Final approval samples are made on the same grade specified for your order.

Initial design prototypes are provided at no charge; additional samples can be quoted on request.

You can email your files or use a secure upload link — whichever is easier. Our prepress team will review everything for production readiness and advise on anything that needs adjusting before we proceed.

We work from print-ready vector files — press-ready PDF or Adobe Illustrator (.ai) is ideal. If you're not sure your files are print-ready, send what you have and our prepress team will review them and advise on colour, inks, coatings, and layout for accurate offset printing.

Before we print, you'll review and sign off on a digital proof through our online approval system (EskoShare & Approve). You'll see exactly what will print — layout, copy, and colour — and approve it online,which keeps approvals fast and gives both of us a clear record of what was signed off. For colour-critical work, we also provide a hard-copy proof.

We're a folding carton manufacturer, not a design studio, so we don't offer brand or creative design services — artwork is normally supplied by you or your designer. That said, our prepress team can often help with production-side adjustments to get your files press-ready, and we'll always flag anything that needs attention before printing. For structural and die-line design, that's handled in-house as part of your project.

Yes. We provide digital proofs and, hard-copy to-size printer proofs, and we submit plain structural samples for approval before production begins.

A proof confirms copy, layout, coating and no-coat areas, and finishing. On-screen and proof colour can differ from final press output — particularly for spot and Pantone matches. Our G7 Master– holds tight, repeatable colour across the run.

We run the full carton build under one roof in Winnipeg — sheeting, six-colour offset lithographic printing with in-line coating, die-cutting, folder-gluing, tray forming, and window patching — with in-house. Keeping every step in-house gives us control over quality, consistency, and lead time.

Our presses run to a maximum sheet size of 28" × 40", which sets the largest single carton blank we can print and cut; smaller cartons are limited mainly by what runs cleanly through folding and gluing. If you're not sure whether your size is workable, send us the dimensions and we'll confirm.

A wide variety, matched to your product and end use — from coated recycled board (CRB) for everyday cartons, to solid bleached sulphate (SBS) for premium and food-contact applications, to folding boxboard (FBB) where you need strength and a bright surface. We also stock specialty grades such as grease-resistant and freezer-grade board. If you're not sure which grade fits, our team will recommend one based on your product, filling line, and budget.

We specialize in folding cartons rather than traditional corrugated shipping containers. If you're not sure whether a folding carton is the right fit for your product, ask our sales team and we'll point you the rightway.

We are certified to FSSC 22000, a food-safety scheme recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), audited by AIB International. Our pressroom is G7 Master qualified for colour. We operate documented GMP and HACCP-based programs with full lot traceability and recall readiness.

Yes — food-contact packaging is core to what we do. Our FSSC 22000 system and documented HACCP controls are built around food-safe production, backed by approved-supplier and material controls.

We offer recycled and paper-based options and help customers move away from plastic where the application allows. As part of the design process, we can advise on recycled content, recyclable coatings, and plastic-alternative materials.

Paperboard scrap is baled and returned to the mill for reuse, keeping it in the paper recycling stream.

We source fibre responsibly and are working toward FSC chain-of-custody certification.

We ship across Canada and the United States — most of our work crosses the border — using your carrier or freight arranged through us.

Yes. Cross-border shipping into the US is routine for us, and we're set up to handle the documentation.

Yes. We offer finished-goods storage and release programs — we can hold your stock and ship to your schedule, which helps manage lead times and demand swings.

Cartons ship folded flat in corrugated cases to protect them in transit and storage.

Yes — arrange your preferred carrier, or we'll coordinate freight for you. We recommend avoiding double-stacked pallets to prevent damage in transit.