A pencil case is a simple object made of three decisions: what the outside is made of, what the inside looks like, and which hardware you touch every day. Those three set most of the cost and all of the feel.
The shell sets the shape
The range is built on a melange poly-cotton. It dyes evenly, resists pilling and has enough body to hold a four-compartment structure without collapsing when empty.
Weight and weave matter more than the fibre name. A tighter weave keeps the corners square and takes print cleanly; a looser weave feels softer but shows abrasion earlier. Yarn-dyed stripes, jacquard and all-over print are quoted from your artwork.
The lining is seen every day
Buyers usually change the lining before anything else: a contrast colour is the cheapest way to make a stock case look like your own. It also has to survive pens, rulers and keys, so tear strength matters as much as the shade.
Lining colour, zipper tape and puller colour can all be changed from 500 pcs.
Zippers: coil, resin or metal
Nylon coil is light and flexible, resin gives a smoother run and a closer colour match, and metal carries the premium end. Match the tape colour to the shell or the lining — not both.
A custom puller carries your mark and needs a mould; it starts at 2,000 pcs.
Hardware is where defects become critical
Locks, carabiners, handle wraps and metal plates are quoted from 2,000 pcs. Sharp edges, broken hardware and wrong safety labelling are classed as critical defects — AQL 0 — because they are the failures that matter at the destination market, not in the warehouse.
Logo method follows the panel and the quantity
Woven labels and embroidery both start at 500 pcs; screen print at 1,000. Embroidery reads best on a flat front panel or a badge, print is sharpest on light fabric, and a woven label is the default when the logo is the main design element.
Briefing a change that survives production
Send a reference sample or detailed photos, the Pantone reference, the exact position in millimetres and the quantity you expect to order. We will tell you the MOQ for each option — and which one to use if the quantity is below it.
Labels and testing
Composition and care labels are printed to your market’s requirements. The test report we hold — CTI 2024, GB 21027-2020 — covers heavy-metal migration and phthalates in label and coating parts, and both pass. Testing to EN 71-3, REACH or CPSIA can be arranged with your nominated laboratory before production.