Custom Manufacturing

Do you have a great design for a product, but you're not sure how to have your item manufactured? Here's how Maryland China can help.

The Process:

1. Send us a sample, a drawing, or artwork of the item you would like manufactured. In about a week, we can usually get a preliminary quote for production costs, minimum quantities required, and product development fees.
2. If the quotation is acceptable, we will forward the development fee to the factory and authorize them to make samples of your product. The development fee covers the cost of making the original model, necessary molds and express shipping of the samples. Developing a sample usually takes about four to six weeks.
3. After producing a sample for your approval, we will reconfirm all pricing for your project.
4. Once you approve the samples and final pricing we must send the factory a 50% deposit and they will begin production. Manufacturing time varies with each product but generally takes three to four months.
5. Once the factory has notified us that your order has been shipped, the remaining 50% of the payment is due. Maryland China will handle all aspect of importing including the ocean freight, customs clearance and FDA approvals.

Why Should My Company Use Maryland China Company?

Overseas production is a complicated process with many opportunities for things to go wrong. Although Maryland China Company does not own the factories we work with, we do have dedicated staff members overseas who work directly with the factories during the entire process. From sample development to quality control during manufacturing, final packaging and thorough inspection of the finished merchandise, our staff will work with the factory to assure success. Having experienced staff on the ground overseas keeps the factories focused on the production timeline and ensures that the details of your project are correct.

The majority of our custom manufacturing customers have tried to import themselves but have wasted valuable time and money working with a factory that could not deliver what it promised. Each of our 140 factories has strengths and weaknesses and slightly different offerings and specialties. We have the experience and knowledge to match your project with the appropriate factory and to monitor all aspects of production. We have a long and steady business relationship with these factories and they are often willing to work with us on projects that they would reject from other companies.

Examples of Custom Manufacturing Projects:

• Decorated dinnerware
• Custom shaped mugs, steins and commemorative drinking vessels
• Teapots
• Cups and saucers
• Salt and pepper shakers
• Ceramic house and kitchen wares
• Collectibles

Custom Decorating

Have you seen one of our items that would look even better with your logo or custom design on it? We have a custom decorating department on site that can help you with your project. There are minimum quantities for each item which depend upon the type of item and the specific decorations. In general, it is difficult to customize less than 144 pieces.

The Process:

1. Choose one of our items that you would like customized with your logo or design.
2. Email us your digital artwork or design to des@marylandchina.com. We will need to see your artwork before being able to provide a quote. Be sure to include your contact information with your artwork. High resolution vector art (such as a 300 dpi Corel, Illustrator, or ".eps" file) is preferable to low resolution raster art (such as a low resolution ".jpg" file). Color separated artwork is preferred.
3. We will provide a quote based on the item you have chosen and the artwork you have submitted. Decorating costs are based on two main components:

   • The cost of printing decals:

     Porcelain and ceramic items are decorated with specially made decals that have ceramic pigments that bond permanently to the glazed surfaces when kiln fired at high temperatures. All of the decals for your project are printed at once and the higher the quantity, the less expensive the cost per piece. The printing cost for decals is also dependent on the number of colors in your design and the size of the design. We often recommend printing more decals than your initial order requires if there is a chance you will need more at a later date.

   • The cost of decorating:

     Ceramic decals must be hand applied to each item and then fired in the kiln. The complexity of the decoration, the number of decorations per item, and the size of the item determine the decorating cost.

If you have any questions or if you have a custom decorating project you would like to discuss, please call us at (800) 638 3880.

Examples of Custom Manufacturing Projects:

• Cups and saucers
• Commemorative plates
• Tea caddies
• Mugs
• Teapots
• Wedding bells
• Candy dishes