Prototype Printing for Agencies – Display Mock-Ups, 3D Prints and Test Prints Before the Pitch and Before the Run

A prototype before the pitch – what is worth showing physically

A rendered visual shows the idea; a physical object on the table shows that it works. In pitches for retail, POS, packaging and events, agencies most often bring:

• a working sample of a counter or floor display, cut and printed on the real material
• a 3D logo, mascot or product replica for a stand or a window display
• a test print of the key visual on fabric, backlit film or board, to show colour and texture
• a scaled model of a stand, a shop-in-shop or a pop-up
• a branded gift or packaging sample

Our guide on making a product prototype explains the options, and mock-ups and models covers scale models.

3D printing, CNC routing and UV print in a single piece

Prototype printing for agencies needs a plant that can make one piece without setting up a production line. We combine three technologies:

• 3D printing on a farm of 7 printers, for logos, figures, product replicas and display parts; see 3D printing from your own file
• CNC routing and laser cutting of foam PVC, acrylic, dibond, MDF and styrofoam, for display bodies and shaped panels
• UV printing directly on boards and on rolls up to 3.2 m wide without joins, so the prototype carries the real graphics

Parts made with different methods are assembled and finished in-house, so the sample looks like the product, not like a collection of parts.

3D scanning of the client's product for visuals

If the pitch involves the client's product, for example a bottle, a tool or a vehicle part, a 3D scan gives you an accurate model for visuals, packaging and display design without waiting for CAD files from the client. Our 3D scanner captures the shape; our studio cleans the model and prepares it for rendering, 3D printing or routing. See 3D scanning and our guide on what 3D scanning is used for.

The same scan later becomes the basis for display trays, inserts and cut-outs that fit the product exactly.

Confidentiality: NDA on request, no publication

Pitch work is confidential by nature. Our rules for agency prototypes:

1. We sign an NDA on request before you send the brief.
2. Files and scans are used only for your job.
3. We do not photograph or publish pitch prototypes, including on our website and social media.
4. Samples ship in neutral packaging without our logo, directly to you or to the pitch venue.

We already work with agencies in cities such as London and Berlin. For the general model of working with agencies, see white label printing and our page for agencies.

From prototype to production run in the same plant

The main advantage of prototyping with a producer rather than a model maker: when the pitch is won, nothing has to be re-engineered. The materials, cutting files and print settings from the prototype become the production specification, and the run is made on the same machines. Our head office and main production plant are in Wieluń, Poland, where we have been producing since 1991 on more than 35 machines.

If the client wants a final check before the run, we print a sample from the production batch; see samples, prototypes and proofs.

Prices and lead times

Prototypes are priced by time and material, so the cost depends on size and complexity. Send us the visual, dimensions, materials and the pitch date; we return an indicative price and a date, and confirm the price before we start. Standard production is about 3 working days; for many prototype items express work in 24 hours is possible at an average surcharge of approx. +40%. Large 3D prints take longer because of printing time.

Write in your language and we reply in it; we handle all 14 languages of this site. Our guide on 3D printing costs gives typical examples.