OEM, ODM, private label and white label — what each one actually means

These four terms are used interchangeably by suppliers, but they describe different levels of customisation and different minimum orders. Getting clear on which one you need is the single fastest way to a realistic quote, because it determines how many components we have to re-engineer rather than re-badge.

Model	Who designs the product	What carries your brand	Typical MOQ	Best for
White label	Us — you pick from our ready designs	Packaging, label and inserts only	100 sets	Fast launch, testing a market, limited budget
Private label	Us — plus your branding decisions on components	Box, canvas corner mark, brushes, cards, paint strip	100–500 sets	Established sellers building a recognisable range
OEM	You supply the artwork and specification	Everything, made to your drawing	300–1,000 sets	Brands with their own design language and artwork
ODM	Us — we develop the product and range for you	Everything, with your name as the brand	500–1,000 sets	Retailers and distributors entering the category

In practice most buyers land between white label and private label on their first order and move towards OEM once the range sells. That progression is normal and we plan for it: your first tooling-free white label order uses the same canvas and paint recipes as your later custom run, so nothing has to be re-tested from scratch. Our comparison article private label vs white label paint by numbers works through the cost difference line by line.

Every component you can customise

A kit has eleven brandable components. You do not have to change all of them — most brands start with the box and the thank-you card, which together deliver the majority of the unboxing impression for a fraction of the cost of a full custom build.

1. Custom canvas with your logo

The canvas is the product. We print your numbered layout on cotton, cotton-blend or linen, from 10 × 15 cm up to 90 × 120 cm, rolled or stretched over kiln-dried pine frames. Your logo can appear as a corner mark on the printed artwork, as a stamp on the reverse of a framed canvas, or on the protective interleaving sheet. Number size, line weight and outline colour are all adjustable — a genuinely important detail, because numbers printed too small or in too light a grey frustrate painters over fifty, who are a large share of this market.

2. Custom paints

Our colour team matches acrylic paints to your artwork using physical swatches or Pantone references, then confirms the match under daylight-balanced lighting before the run starts. Standard pots hold 3 ml; 5 ml and 8 ml are used for larger canvases, dark palettes or designs with heavy coverage areas. Every pot is numbered to match the canvas, foil-sealed and packed in a vacuum strip so paint arrives wet. Formulations are water-based and non-toxic, and can be produced to child-safe specifications with EN71-3, ASTM F963 or CPSIA testing.

3. Custom high-performance brushes

Brush quality is the most common complaint in low-cost kits and the easiest place to differentiate. We supply high-elasticity nylon filament that returns to a point after pressure instead of splaying, in flat, round and detail shapes, two to five per kit. Handles can be natural wood, lacquered in your brand colour, or laser-engraved with your logo. If you sell to experienced painters, upgrade to sable-blend or tapered detail brushes — a $0.12 addition per kit that shows up strongly in reviews.

4. Custom reference paper and guide card

Each kit contains a printed colour reference sheet showing the finished artwork with its numbered colour key, and a line-art guide card painters can lay over their work to check placement. Both are printed on your choice of card stock in your layout and languages, and both are prime real estate for brand messaging, care instructions and a route back to your store.

5. Custom thank-you card

The cheapest retention tool in the box and the one most suppliers forget. We print your thank-you card in full colour with a QR code to your review page, a discount code for a repeat purchase, care tips, or a link to a video walkthrough. Card sizes from 85 × 54 mm business card up to A6, on matte, silk or uncoated kraft stock.

6. Custom packaging

• Printed colour box — the retail standard; full litho print, matte or gloss lamination, spot UV, foil blocking, embossing
• Rigid magnetic gift box — premium positioning, corporate gifting, higher price points
• Kraft mailer — low cost, eco-friendly look, ideal for dropshipping and DTC
• Window box — shows the artwork on the shelf without opening
• Peg-hook and euro-slot packaging — for physical retail hanging displays
• Tubes and flat mailers — for large-format and framed canvases

7. Labelling, barcodes and compliance marks

We print EAN-13, UPC and Amazon FNSKU barcodes, apply them at kitting stage, and add the warnings your market requires: poly-bag suffocation notices, age grading, choking-hazard statements, CE or UKCA marking, batch and production codes for traceability, and country-of-origin marking. Multilingual packaging for EU, UK, US, Canadian, Australian and Japanese markets is routine.

Free design service — what it includes

Our in-house designers convert your artwork, photograph or idea into a production-ready numbered layout at no charge when you place a production order. This is not an automated filter applied to an image; it is a designer deciding how the painting should behave.

• Conversion of photographs, illustrations, logos, artwork or a written concept into a numbered canvas layout
• Colour count optimisation — reducing a 40-colour automatic trace to the 20–28 colours that actually paint better
• Segment resizing so no area is too small for a standard brush, which is the main cause of unfinished kits
• Number placement and sizing tuned for readability, including larger numbers for accessible or senior ranges
• Paint recipe creation and physical colour matching against your reference
• Packaging dieline design, artwork placement, barcode positioning and compliance label layout
• Unlimited revisions on the digital proof until you approve it in writing

You own the artwork you supply and the branding you commission from us. We will not sell your custom design, your logo packaging or your bespoke colour recipes to any other customer, and we can sign a non-disclosure agreement before files are exchanged. Our position on third-party artwork is equally firm: we do not reproduce copyrighted characters, brand logos, sports team marks, celebrity likenesses or licensed artwork unless you hold the rights and can evidence them.

The custom development process, step by step

Stage	What we do	What you do	Timing
1. Brief	Review your artwork, target market, price point and packaging idea; advise on feasibility	Send files, sizes, quantities, destination	Day 0
2. Quotation	Itemised FOB Tianjin quote by component, so you can see what to keep and what to cut	Confirm specification	Within 24 h
3. Free design	Convert artwork to a numbered layout; optimise colour count and segment sizes	Review and request revisions	2–3 working days
4. Digital proof	PDF showing canvas, colour key, paint strip, cards and box dieline with your branding	Approve in writing	1–2 days
5. Pre-production sample	Build one complete physical kit to the approved proof	Paint it, test coverage and brush feel, approve	3–5 working days
6. Mass production	Print, colour-match, fill, assemble, kit, pack, with in-line checks	Receive photos and video updates	8–15 days
7. QC & inspection	AQL 2.5 final sampling, report and photographs; third-party inspection welcomed	Approve shipment	1–2 days
8. Shipping	FOB Tianjin, or CIF, CFR, DDP to your door or FBA warehouse with documents	Clear import, receive stock	By method chosen

MOQ and lead time by level of customisation

The more you customise, the higher the minimum, because each customised component carries its own setup cost. This table is the honest version — most suppliers quote one number and then revise it upward after you commit.

Level of customisation	MOQ	Setup cost	Lead time
Ready design + your branded thank-you card and insert	100 sets	None	10–12 days
Ready design + your logo on canvas corner and box label	100 sets	None	10–15 days
Your custom artwork, standard box with your label	100 sets	None	12–15 days
Your custom artwork + fully printed custom box	500 sets	$60–$120 per box dieline	15–20 days
Custom-matched Pantone paint colours	300 sets	$45 per colour matched	15–20 days
Laser-engraved or lacquered brush handles	500 sets	$80 setup	18–22 days
Rigid magnetic gift box	1,000 sets	$150–$300 per dieline	20–28 days
Custom canvas size not in our standard range	500 sets	Quoted per size	18–25 days
Fully bespoke ODM range developed by our designers	1,000 sets	Waived above 3,000 sets	25–35 days

Setup costs are one-off, refundable against orders above the stated volume, and are never charged twice for a repeat run.

Why brands choose to manufacture with us

Background on our facility, team and standards is on the about page. If you are comparing several factories, use our 14-point supplier vetting checklist — we wrote it to be fair, and we are happy to be measured against it.

OEM and private label sit alongside nine other services from the same factory — see the services page for the full list and the FAQ for 77 answered questions.

Custom and private label FAQ

Can I make a custom paint by numbers kit from my own photograph?

Yes, and it is our most requested service. Send a JPEG or PNG of at least 2,000 pixels on the long edge, ideally with good contrast and a clear subject. Our designers convert it into a numbered layout, choose a workable colour count and send a proof for approval. For stores selling one-off photo kits to end customers, we run an automated per-order pipeline — see custom photo paint by numbers.

What is the minimum order for a private label kit?

100 sets, covering your branded packaging, thank-you card, canvas corner mark and choice of design from our library or your own artwork. A fully printed custom box requires 500 sets because of plate and setup costs; below that we use a printed sleeve or label on a kraft or white box with almost the same shelf impact.

Do you sign an NDA and protect my designs?

Yes. We will sign your NDA or provide ours before you send artwork. Your custom designs, packaging artwork, colour recipes and customer data are never reused, resold or shown to other clients, and files are deleted on request once an order is complete.

Can you match a specific Pantone colour?

Yes. Give us Pantone references, a physical swatch, or the artwork itself. Our colour team mixes and confirms the match under daylight-balanced lighting, and we send you a painted sample card for approval before the run. Custom colour matching starts at 300 sets with a $45 setup per colour.

Can you copy a kit from a competitor I like?

We can match specification, size, component quality and packaging construction, and we will improve on anything you found weak. We will not reproduce another brand's artwork, logo or copyrighted designs. Send us the sample and tell us what to keep and what to fix.

How much does custom packaging add to the unit cost?

Roughly $0.18–$0.35 per set for a printed colour box at 500+ units, $0.55–$1.20 for a rigid magnetic gift box at 1,000+ units, and as little as $0.03–$0.06 for a printed thank-you card or insert. Full figures by packaging type are in private label vs white label.