A wholesale name puzzle order is one board design produced at 500 pieces, with a different name engraved on each unit. The MOQ applies to the design, not the name, because the name is data rather than tooling. This guide covers the personalisation file, a 500-piece run, how the name is applied, and the pricing logic from landed cost to retail.
What a wholesale name puzzle is
Construction is a base board with cut-out letter cavities, a top layer holding the letters, and a finished edge. What we produce:
- Base and letters in 12 mm or 15 mm birch plywood, sometimes with a solid beech frame.
- Board size from about 20 × 30 cm for a first name up to 30 × 40 cm for longer or two-word names.
- Letter pieces cut to lift out easily, often with a knob or finger notch for younger children.
- Name laser-engraved on the base or on the letters, or printed in colour.
Personalisation changes how the order is planned: every unit carries unique content that must be checked before it is cut.
Personalisation: one design, five hundred names
The workflow is a data file, not a design change. What the factory needs:
- A base design — board outline, letter style, spacing rules and the fields that vary.
- A name file — a spreadsheet with one row per unit: order reference, name, colour variant.
- A font decision — one font for the run, with a licence that covers reproduction on goods.
- Character rules — case, maximum letter count, handling of spaces, hyphens and apostrophes, and supported accents.
- A proof — a sheet showing every name as it will be engraved, checked before the run starts. This removes the most common defect in the category: a misspelled name.
Because the name is data, the letter shape is fixed by the design and only the content varies, which keeps the 500-piece floor at design level.
MOQ, mix and planning a 500-piece run
The minimum is 500 pcs per design. Within that run, names can be mixed freely, in whatever quantity per name.
- Balance the run. 30 names × 16 units is fine; so is 400 of one name and 5 each of 20. The constraint is the design, not the split.
- Allow for handling time. A unique name per unit adds machine time and a checking step, quoted into the unit price and inside the normal 25–30 day window.
- Sample first. A 7–10 day functional sample with one name engraved proves the font, the contrast and the letter clearance before you commit.
- Colour variants. Two or three colours of the same design can run in the same production window, with the split in the packing instruction.
If you sell one at a time, plan the season in batches: the economics work at batch size, not at one.
How the name is applied
| Method | Look | Durability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laser engraving on bare wood | Burned, single tone, grain visible | Permanent, no coating to fail | Natural and oil-finished boards |
| Laser engraving through paint | Pale or contrasting line | Permanent, edge depends on paint | Painted boards with a natural base |
| UV print | Full colour, crisp | Good, but a coating that scratches | Colourful designs and brand marks |
| Painted lettering | Solid colour | Good, labour-heavy | Premium gift lines |
Engraving is the default: permanent, no plate, reads clearly on birch. UV print is for a brand colour or graphic. Avoid stickers: they peel.
Size, age grade and safety
Name puzzles sit between infant and preschool, and the age grade follows the letters, not the marketing:
- Letters that fit the small-parts cylinder are not for under-3s, which is why most standard name puzzles are graded 3+ with the choking-hazard warning.
- A 12m+ version needs chunky knobs, letter pieces too large to swallow, and a board with no detachable small parts — a different design, not a different label.
- Edges are rounded, cavities sanded, and the letters must lift out without a tool but not fall out in transit.
- If the name includes a cut hyphen or apostrophe, check it against the small-parts rule before approving artwork.
For the EU the CE file must match the age grade on the box; for the US, the CPC and tracking label do the same.
Packaging and retail readiness
A personalised product is usually a gift, and the packaging reflects that:
- Printed tuck-top box with a window, or a rigid gift box for the higher band.
- Barcode on the base of the box, not the lid, so it scans on the shelf.
- A care card: wipe clean, do not soak, natural wood may vary in grain and tone.
- For e-commerce, a mailer-ready carton, with the poly bag warning if a bag is used.
State the grain and tone variation on the pack: wood buyers expect it, plastic buyers complain.
Retail price band logic
Name puzzles price on a gift logic, not a commodity logic. The chain, without quoting prices:
- Landed cost = unit price + freight per unit + duty + inspection spread.
- Wholesale price typically sits at 2–2.5× landed cost for this category.
- Retail price typically sits at 2–2.5× wholesale.
- That puts retail at roughly 4–6× landed cost, with the top of the range supported by gift packaging and personalisation.
Personalisation lifts retail price more than cost, because the buyer is paying for a name. It also lifts the return rate when name data is wrong, which is why the proof sheet is a commercial control.
What goes wrong on a name order
- Misspelled names. Caused by an unproofed name file. Fixed by a proof sheet, not a promise.
- Font substitution. A glyph missing from the font, or a licensed font used without rights.
- Long names. 14 letters on one line either shrink or need a two-line layout; set the limit before the artwork is fixed.
- Colour and depth drift. Engraving depth and paint batch variation both show; fix the batch and the depth setting.
- Packing errors. 500 unique units need a pick-and-check step, usually a scan or a name list per carton.
FAQ
Is the MOQ 500 per name or per design?
Per design. The 500 pieces can be split across as many names as you need, because the name is engraving data rather than tooling. A run with 500 different names costs more in handling time, which shows in the unit price.
Can the box be personalised with the name?
Yes, but it changes the process: the box is labelled per unit, so it moves from a print run to a labelling operation. Most buyers personalise the product and use a generic box with a name window or sticker.
What file format do you need for the names?
A spreadsheet with one row per unit and a clear name column, plus the character set and case. We generate the engraving data from it and send back a proof sheet showing every name as it will be engraved. The proof is signed off before production.
Frequently asked
Is the MOQ 500 per name or per design?
Per design. The 500 pieces can be split across as many names as you need, because the name is engraving data rather than tooling. A run with 500 different names costs more in handling time, which shows in the unit price.
Can the box be personalised with the name?
Yes, but it changes the process: the box is labelled per unit, so it moves from a print run to a labelling operation. Most buyers personalise the product and use a generic box with a name window or sticker.
What file format do you need for the names?
A spreadsheet with one row per unit and a clear name column, plus the character set and case. We generate the engraving data from it and send back a proof sheet showing every name as it will be engraved. The proof is signed off before production.