Fulfillment and 3PL (third-party logistics) is the work that happens after custom packaging is printed: warehousing finished goods, kitting each order (building a printed box with inserts, tissue, or product), picking and packing, shipping to the recipient, and handling returns. Most of the market splits this across two vendors, so branded packaging is treated as a pass-through by the 3PL. Teal Packaging works differently: it is a US custom printed packaging manufacturer that also runs kitting, pick-pack, storage, and ship-to-recipient from its fulfillment center in West Chicago, Illinois, so the company that prints the boxes also kits and ships them under one quote and one point of contact. Fulfillment is offered as a managed, quote-based service rather than an instant checkout, priced per project from storage, kitting, pick-pack, and outbound freight. On the packaging side, custom orders start from $0.44 per unit at volume with a 50-unit minimum.
Questions or ready for a quote? Contact Teal Packaging at info@tealpackaging.com or (224) 546-8325.
Fulfillment and 3PL: The Complete Guide from Teal Packaging: 50-unit standard MOQ (100+ units for specialty rigid boxes), 2-5 business day delivery in the US (express and economy options available), free design help included on every order, free generic sample kit ($19.99 shipping, credited toward your first order). Standard production runs from about 7 business days after digital proof approval; complex or high-volume orders take longer.
Materials and certifications: FSC-certified paper stock, soy-based inks, kraft / corrugated / rigid paperboard / mylar / tin / vinyl substrates.
Contact Teal Packaging: Call (224) 546-8325, email info@tealpackaging.com, or request a free quote at tealpackaging.com/contact-us. We reply within one business day.
Updated July 7, 2026 · Teal Packaging operates a US facility in West Chicago, Illinois.
Fulfillment and 3PL (third-party logistics) is the work that happens after your packaging is printed: storing finished goods, building each order into a kit, picking and packing it, shipping it to the recipient, and handling returns. This guide is the hub for every fulfillment topic Teal Packaging covers, and it links each detailed page in one place. Teal is a US custom printed packaging manufacturer that also runs kitting, pick-pack, storage, and ship-to-recipient from its fulfillment center in West Chicago, Illinois, so the same company that prints your boxes can also kit and ship them under one quote. Start with the packaging fulfillment pillar for the overview, or request a fulfillment quote when you are ready for real numbers.
What is fulfillment and 3PL in custom packaging?
Fulfillment is the set of steps between "the packaging is made" and "the order is in your customer's hands." A third-party logistics provider (a 3PL) performs those steps on your behalf. In most of the market, the company that prints your custom boxes and the company that stores and ships them are two different vendors, so your branded packaging is treated as a pass-through. Teal's model is different: because Teal manufactures the printed packaging in the first place, the making and the shipping sit on one quote and one point of contact. That means the printed box, the tissue, the insert, and the product can leave one building already kitted and addressed.
What are the core 3PL services?
Most fulfillment programs are built from five named services. Each has its own detailed guide:
- Warehousing and storage: holding your finished packaging and components until orders release. See warehousing and storage.
- Kitting and assembly: building each finished unit, for example a printed box combined with inserts, tissue, or product. See kitting and assembly services.
- Pick, pack, and ship: pulling the right items per order, packing them, and handing them to a carrier. See pick, pack and ship.
- Ship-to-recipient: sending each parcel to an individual address rather than to you in bulk. See ship custom boxes to recipients.
- Returns and reverse logistics: handling what comes back. See returns and reverse logistics.
Why use one company to print and fulfill?
Splitting printing and fulfillment across two vendors is common, but it adds handoffs. Your printer ships pallets of flat or assembled boxes to a separate 3PL, the 3PL receives and stores them, and any print defect, count discrepancy, or design change has to travel back across a vendor boundary. When one company both prints and fulfills, the box spec, the kit spec, and the shipment live in one place. That is the seam Teal occupies: a manufacturer that also kits and ships. For a brand that wants a consistent unboxing (the printed box, the tissue, the insert card, and the product all on-brand and all leaving one building), a single quote and a single point of contact remove a coordination step. It also means the people printing your box already understand how it needs to be kitted, so assembly instructions do not get lost in translation between companies.
Which fulfillment guide do I need?
The pages below break the topic down by use case, platform, location, and cost. Use this as a table of contents:
- By use case: order fulfillment for small business, subscription box fulfillment, gift and corporate kitting, and event and conference kit fulfillment.
- By platform: Shopify fulfillment for brands running a Shopify storefront.
- By location: the West Chicago fulfillment center that runs the work.
- By cost: how fulfillment and kitting pricing works, which breaks a quote into its components.
- For branded merch: company swag kits and branded box and swag fulfillment, for teams sending merch to employees or clients.
Together these cover the whole cluster: the pillar for the overview, the five service pages for each step, the use-case and platform pages for your situation, and the pricing page for budgeting.
How does Teal run fulfillment?
Teal runs fulfillment as a managed, quote-based service, not an instant self-serve checkout. You describe the packaging, what goes in each unit, roughly how many, how it needs to be stored, and where it ships, and Teal scopes the storage, kitting, pick-pack, and outbound freight for that specific run. Because Teal also manufactures the printed packaging, both the print and the fulfillment land on one quote. On the packaging side, Teal is a US custom printed packaging manufacturer: custom orders start from $0.44 per unit at higher volumes, with a 50-unit minimum (specialty rigid from 100), free dieline design, and free US shipping on custom orders. Standard production runs from about 7 business days after you approve the proof, with complex or high-volume jobs taking longer, plus transit time. You can browse buy-ready options in the Teal shop, or start from a box such as custom mailer boxes for DTC unboxing or rigid boxes for premium kits.
What does a fulfillment quote need from me?
To scope a project accurately, Teal needs a few basics: the packaging you want printed (style, size, and finish), what goes in each unit for kitting, the rough monthly volume, how the finished goods need to be stored, and where they ship. With that, Teal can scope the print, storage, kitting, pick-pack, and outbound freight as one project. If you are still deciding, the use-case guides above (for example subscription box fulfillment or small-business order fulfillment) show how similar programs are structured, and the pricing guide shows how the components add up. You do not need every detail settled to start; a rough spec is enough to get a first quote and refine from there.
Where should I start?
If you already know your spec, the fastest path is a quote. Share the packaging you want printed, what goes in each unit, the rough monthly volume, your storage needs, and the destinations, and Teal scopes the print plus fulfillment as one project. Request a fulfillment quote to begin, or read the packaging fulfillment pillar first for the full picture.
