Can you do the packaging design?
Asking about design capability early prevents the moment when the factory sends a blank box and says 'send us the design file' when you thought design was included.
你们能做包装设计吗？
Do you have in-house packaging design capability? — a critical upfront question that determines whether the quoted price includes design work or just printing.
You can do packaging design [question]?
Do you have in-house packaging design capability? — a critical upfront question that determines whether the quoted price includes design work or just printing.
WHEN IT FITS
“Can you do the packaging design?” is a question with a high rate of misunderstanding between foreign buyers and Chinese factories. The buyer asks it meaning: “Can you create the visual design for my packaging — the layout, colors, typography, branding?” The factory hears: “Can you produce packaging?” and says yes — because they can print boxes, but they can’t design them. The disconnect surfaces weeks later when the factory asks for your 设计稿 (design file) and you realize the “yes” was about production capability, not creative capability.
The clarifying question is 你们提供设计服务吗 (do you provide design services)? This separates design-as-service from production-as-capability. Most factories don’t have in-house designers. Those that do typically offer basic layout work — putting your logo on a standard box template, adjusting text, choosing from their library of stock patterns. This is not brand design. If you need sophisticated packaging design, hire a designer separately and send the factory finished artwork files (AI, PDF, or CDR format). The factory’s job is printing and production, not creative development.
If the factory does offer design, set expectations with references: 参考这个风格做 (use this style as reference) with visual examples. Never describe the design in words and expect it to come back looking how you imagined. Chinese factory design teams work best from reference images, not design briefs. And always confirm the format: 设计确认后发我源文件 (after the design is confirmed, send me the source files). You want the editable files, not just a screenshot. If you switch factories later, you’ll need those files to give to the next supplier. A factory that won’t share source files is a factory that plans to keep you dependent on them.
HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY SAY IT
包装设计你们能做吗？还是我们自己提供设计稿？
Can you do the packaging design? Or do we need to provide the design files?
Clarifying the handoff — who does what in the packaging workflow你们提供设计的话，费用包含在报价里吗？
If you provide the design, is the cost included in the quotation?
Critical cost question — design is often a separate chargeCHOOSE BY SITUATION
我们自己做设计，你们只负责印刷。
We'll do the design ourselves — you're only responsible for printing.
You have your own design files and just need the factory to print/produce the packaging能不能推荐一个包装设计公司？
Can you recommend a packaging design company? — for when the factory doesn't do design.
The factory can't do design and you need a local referral