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The shoe charm mold fee, explained
The mold fee is a one-time charge for the mold that gives a custom charm its shape. With us it is $30–80 per design, depending on the size and complexity of the artwork, and it is waived when a single design reaches 5,000 pieces. Every new design needs its own mold, and reorders of the same design have no mold fee.
What the mold is
Soft PVC charms are drip-molded. The mold is a plate with the charm's shape cut into it in reverse: a recess for every color area, thin walls where the outlines go, and different depths where parts of the charm stand higher than others. In production, liquid soft PVC is applied into the mold color by color, layer by layer, and then cured by heat into one flexible charm. The process page shows each step.
The mold is made by a specialist mold maker from your approved artwork and takes 2–3 days. Everything after the mold, from color mixing to packing, happens in our factory in Shishi.
Why it is charged per design
The mold holds the shape of one design: its outline, its color areas and its raised details. A new shape cannot be poured into an old mold, so each design needs its own. That is also why our prices and minimums are set per design and not per order.
It follows that an order of 10 designs pays 10 mold fees, however many pieces it adds up to in total. Changing only the colors is a different case, because the shape stays the same: A color version of a design you already have uses the same mold, so it needs no new mold. If an outline or a raised area changes as well, the shape is new, and we tell you when we quote whether the existing mold can be changed or a new one is needed.
What decides where a design falls between $30 and $80
The fee depends on the size and complexity of the artwork. In practice, these are the things that make a mold more work to cut:
| Factor | Simpler | More work |
|---|---|---|
| Size | A small charm around 25 mm | A charm at the top of the 25 to 35 mm standard, or larger |
| Color areas | Two or three large areas | Up to 6 colors, each in several separate areas |
| Outlines and gaps | Bold outlines, wide spaces between areas | Thin outlines and small gaps between colors |
| Height | One flat level | Raised layers and stacked details at several heights |
Text that is too small to mold and gradients are usually UV-printed on top of the molded charm. That changes the price per piece, not the mold. We confirm the mold fee for each design when we review the artwork, before you pay anything.
What the mold fee adds to each charm
On small orders the mold can cost more than the charms, so it helps to look at it per piece. This table spreads a $30 and an $80 mold over the quantity of one design and adds the price per piece for that quantity.
| Pieces of one design | Price per piece | Mold, per piece | Total per piece |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $0.30 | 30 to 80 cents | 60 cents to $1.10 |
| 300 | $0.30 | 10 to 27 cents | 40 to 57 cents |
| 500 | $0.20 | 6 to 16 cents | 26 to 36 cents |
| 1,000 | $0.20 | 3 to 8 cents | 23 to 28 cents |
| 2,000 | $0.15 | 1.5 to 4 cents | 16.5 to 19 cents |
| 5,000 | $0.10 | Waived | 10 cents |
Two things stand out. Between 100 and 500 pieces the mold makes the biggest difference, so if you are unsure between those quantities, the larger order often costs little more in total. And a reorder of a design that sold costs only the price per piece, because the mold is already made.
At 5,000 pieces of one design, even an $80 mold comes to less than 2 cents a charm, and the run is large enough for us to cover it. The waiver is set per design: an order of 10 designs with 500 pieces each also adds up to 5,000 pieces, but each design still has its own mold fee. Our price breakdown works through that order and two others in full.
When you pay it, and what happens next
Molds and samples for custom designs are paid before we start. Once the artwork is approved and the mold and sample fees are paid, the mold is made, and the sample is ready about 3 business days after artwork approval. You check the sample, and approved samples become the standard for bulk production. See how sampling works for the steps and what to check on a sample.
The mold fee is separate from the sample fee. The sample fee is credited against your bulk order; the mold fee is paid once for the design.
What happens to the mold after your order
We keep your mold at our factory with no time limit, so reorders of the same design have no mold fee. If you want to take the mold or move production to another factory, we release the mold to you.
Bulk production normally runs one mold per design. For urgent orders, or 10,000 pieces or more of one design, we recommend a second mold plate so two machines can run the design at once; it is quoted with your order. The second plate is quoted separately from the mold fee.
The mold and the artwork are separate questions. Your design stays yours whoever holds the mold: we only make designs the customer owns or is licensed to use, and we do not sell or show customer designs.
Common questions
Do I pay the mold fee again when I reorder?
No. We keep your mold at our factory with no time limit, so reorders of the same design have no mold fee.
Can I take my mold to another factory?
Yes. If you want to take the mold or move production to another factory, we release the mold to you.
Does a new color version need a new mold?
No. A color version of a design you already have uses the same mold, so it needs no new mold.
Is the mold fee waived if my whole order reaches 5,000 pieces?
Only for a design that reaches 5,000 pieces on its own. Designs below that pay their own mold fee.
Can I know the mold fee before I pay?
Yes. We review each design and quote its mold fee, within the $30–80 range, before you pay for molds and samples.
Do designs from your existing series need a mold fee?
We confirm it when you order, because it depends on the design and on any changes you ask for. Our comparison of ready series and custom charms covers when a series design is the better start.
Do silicone or acrylic charms have mold fees too?
Silicone charms are also made in molds; acrylic and 3D-printed charms are not. Our guide to charm materials compares setup costs, minimums and feel.
More answers are on the FAQ page, and the budget calculator on the prices page adds the mold fees to your estimate. Send your artwork and within one working day we send a proof sheet showing how the charm will look, its size in millimetres, the number of colors and the backing position. It is free and you do not need to place an order first. Send your artwork through the quote form, with the number of designs and the quantity of each. We quote the mold fee for each design with it.