Make certain you use a graphic designer that has board game experience. All graphics known as live copy (such as type or other critical elements) must be at least 1/8" from any fold lines on boxes or game boards, and the same distance from the edges of cards and other printed pieces. Design artwork that is "forgiving," that is, not too close to edges to allow for movement in cutting and placement.

What is I want to have special items in my game, such as special graphic treatments and special playing components?

You must remember this: everything you do that is added value also costs more. The plain fact is that the average consumer will not recognize the value, and probably won't pay for it. The retailers are looking for price points, that is, games that cost less and therefore have a better chance to move off the shelves. Again, that's the name of the game. For every $.25 of cost in the game, the consumer pays $1.00. But, retailers don't price things like that. Go in the stores and look at the costs of games. You'll see $9.95, $14.95, $19.95, $24.95, $29.95, $34.95 and so on. When you add things like foil stamping and embossing or colors more than four-color process and deviate from standard sizes and shapes you add cost. When you use special playing pieces you add cost, too. Our recommendation is to be as standard as possible until you have a certain winner. Then, you can command a higher price point and can add the special touch, if you still want to.

How long will it take to produce my game?

This depends on the time of year. Generally, you should allow about six weeks from the time your artwork is camera-ready, that is, ready to be made into film (which is required for printing). The later in the season, the longer the lead times. Also, if your game is being produced for the first time, you are going to want special attention paid to your project, so it's best to be ready to go before it becomes to busy. The busy season starts around September 15, and reaches an absolute peak November 1. After your game had been produced once and all the kinks are out, Paragon Packaging can produce most games in about four weeks.

What is the quantity of games that I should produce for my first run?

The minimum number that Paragon recommends is 5,000 because that's the general number you can produce and break even. Any less than that, and the set up costs cannot be amortized effectively. On occasion, we will produce less than the minimum, but if you do your homework and set up your business properly, you should be able to generate enough momentum to produce at least 5,000 games.

What will my game cost to manufacture?

Every game is different, but typically a 5,000 run of games costs about $6.00. If your game is very simple, that is, no play money, standard pieces, a small number of cards, and an average size, the cost could be substantially less. If you have consists of hundreds of game cards, though, it could cost substantially more. Most games, however, fall into a $5.00 - $7.00 range on the initial run. Added to that, of course, are your graphic design cost, and your pre-press charges (films). Depending on the number of game components and the colors and sizes, films cost between $3,500 and $7,000. These costs are determined once your final graphic design has been made camera-ready and submitted for quotation. All in all, you should budget at least $50,000 for your start-up, and twice that amount if you are going to do the things necessary, i.e. travel expenses, hiring of outside firms for marketing and sales, to make your game successful. You'll also have freight, order handling, and warehousing costs to add on, which willl probably cost about $1.00 - $2.00 per game more.