Sample Approval Checklist for Custom Foil Containers
Does the sample fit your food, close properly and arrive as expected? Sample approval covers those details, plus the size, print and packing you have agreed with Qixin.
Discuss your sample with us
Your first sample check: is it the right version?
A dented rim and the wrong tray size need different answers. Before deciding whether the design works, it helps to separate the sample itself from damage during delivery.
- The right item
- Does the tray match your sample reference, drawing version and requested lid? A similar-looking container may have a different rim or depth.
- Its condition
- A crushed carton corner, bent rim or pressure mark is worth recording before you handle the stack. These details help distinguish transit damage from a fit issue.
- Anything missing
- Perhaps the tray is here but the printed version or lid is not. Those parts can remain open in your sample approval rather than being treated as accepted.
Does your sample pass the lid-fit check?
A lid that sits neatly on an empty tray may press against a full portion. The useful comparison is the same tray and lid, before and after filling.
- Before filling
- Look for an even fit around the rim. Loose corners, a bowed lid or a closure that needs force are points to discuss.
- At your fill level
- Is there clearance above the food? Sauce or food on the closure area may affect the result, so the fill level belongs with your fit comments.
- During handling
- Does the closure stay in place through the handling you plan to use? Heating, freezing and sealing conditions need agreement for the exact tray and lid combination.
How does the filled sample look and handle?
Your food can sit very differently from water used to measure capacity. A filled trial shows the portion, space below the lid and what moves when the pack is carried.
Your usual fill
How much food will you pack, and where does the highest part sit? The target weight, fill line and lid clearance help explain whether the size suits your portion.
The handling you expect
Movement, stacking and the intended storage or reheating conditions belong in the trial plan. A good result on the desk does not confirm performance through every later step.
What changed afterwards
Food touching the lid, sauce at a corner or a distorted base gives us a specific point to review. Photos from the same angle before and after the trial make changes easier to see.
The measurements behind sample approval
You do not need a new drawing for every comment. A dimension, its measurement point and a marked photo can explain where the sample differs from what you need.
| Check | What to compare | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Outside top | Overall length and width, including the rim. | Your lid and the space available in a sleeve or carrier. |
| Base | The bottom footprint, measured separately from the top. | How the tray sits on a shelf or within your packing arrangement. |
| Depth | Tray height and clearance with the chosen lid. | The room for your food and the height of a closed pack. |
| Working fill | Your food weight, fill level and remaining headspace. | Whether the intended portion fits without pressing on the lid. |
| Nested stack | Tray count, stack height and how trays separate. | Packing quantity, pressure marks and handling at your filling station. |
Will the agreed carton suit your shipment?
The sample parcel may not use your final export packing. Sleeve counts, lid packing and carton dimensions need their own confirmation. The carton specification checklist covers those details.
If you need distribution testing, the protocol should reflect your shipment. ISTA's test selection guidelines explain the factors involved; an undamaged sample parcel alone is not a transport-test result.
What is agreed, and what is still open?
You may be happy with the size and still need a different lid, a print adjustment or a packing change. Your confirmation can cover the accepted parts without closing those questions.
A sample reference and the points you want changed are enough to start the discussion. Photos help when the issue is easier to show than describe.
Talk through your sampleCan I confirm the size while artwork is still open?
Yes. Your size confirmation can be separate from the print decision. The artwork preparation guide covers the files and print details to agree. A formed tray and a flat proof show different things, so the approved version needs to be clear.
Does sample approval also cover documents?
A physical sample does not establish food-contact compliance. The documents need to match the material, coating, intended use and destination. Our food-contact document checklist sets out the information to discuss separately.
What happens if a change affects another part?
A deeper tray may change the fill or packing; a different rim may need another lid. We can review the affected points with you before they enter the order. The accepted sample reference and any remaining conditions should be clear on both sides.