The short version: Jlighting, the decorative lighting brand of Dongguan Jinlai Corporation Ltd., has worked from Changping Town, Dongguan, since 2007. Its stated terms: an MOQ of 100-500 units for standard products, samples of existing designs in 7-14 days, custom-design samples in 20-30 days after design approval, and 30-45 days of production after sample approval and deposit. Goods ship FOB Yantian, or CNF/CIF to your port. Add realistic review time and the order clock comes to roughly 9-12 weeks before freight for an existing design, and roughly 13-16 weeks for a new one.
How long does it take to order decorative lighting from a Dongguan factory?
Most delays in a lighting order happen between the factory's stages, not inside them. The factory's own times are short and published. The days it takes to review a sample, sign off a colour or pay a deposit belong to the buyer, and they add up quickly.
The table below turns Jlighting's stated times into a week-by-week plan for two routes: ordering an existing design from its 68-piece range, and developing a new design. The factory figures are the company's own. The weeks for design rounds, sample transit, your review and final inspection are planning assumptions, so replace them with your own.
Enquiry and quote: Existing design - Week 1; New custom design - Week 1; Whose clock - Factory: reply within 24 hours, quote once details are complete
3D renders and material options: Existing design - Not needed; New custom design - Weeks 1-3 (assumption, depends on revision rounds); Whose clock - Shared
Sample making: Existing design - Weeks 1-3 (7-14 days); New custom design - Weeks 3-7 (20-30 days after design approval); Whose clock - Factory
Sample transit and your review: Existing design - Weeks 3-4; New custom design - Weeks 7-8; Whose clock - Buyer
Written approval and deposit: Existing design - Weeks 4-5; New custom design - Weeks 8-9; Whose clock - Buyer
Production with inline QC: Existing design - Weeks 5-11 (30-45 days); New custom design - Weeks 9-15 (30-45 days); Whose clock - Factory
Final inspection and loading FOB Yantian: Existing design - Weeks 11-12; New custom design - Weeks 15-16; Whose clock - Shared
Read the table from the bottom up when you plan. Start from the date the goods must arrive, subtract sea freight and customs for your destination, then the loading week, the production window and the sample stage. If the start date lands in the past, switch to an existing design or reduce the number of new items in the first order.
Freight is not in these numbers: Every figure above ends when the goods are loaded at Yantian. Sea freight time depends on your destination port and the carrier's schedule, so ask your forwarder for a door-to-door estimate before you fix an in-store or on-site date.
What is the MOQ for decorative lighting, and what changes it?
Jlighting states a minimum order of 100-500 units for standard products. That range is per design, and where a given item sits inside it is not published, so the only reliable figure is the one written on your quote.
As general practice in lighting, the MOQ follows the materials and processes behind each item. A lamp assembled from stock parts in a stock finish can run in small batches. A custom glaze, a dyed fabric, a special metal finish or a printed gift box each needs its own batch of material, and the supplier of that material has a minimum too. The table shows how common order cases usually behave and what to ask.
Existing design, standard finish: What usually drives the MOQ (general practice) - Stock parts and materials, so the lowest quantities are usually possible here; What to ask Jlighting - The MOQ for that item, and whether it applies per item or per colour
Existing design in your colour or finish: What usually drives the MOQ (general practice) - A separate batch of paint, glaze or fabric for your colour; What to ask Jlighting - The MOQ per colour, and whether a second colour can share the order
Existing design with your logo or packaging: What usually drives the MOQ (general practice) - Minimums for printed boxes, labels and inserts at the packaging supplier; What to ask Jlighting - Whether the packaging minimum is higher than the product minimum
New design (OEM): What usually drives the MOQ (general practice) - New moulds, tooling or patterns, and materials bought for one product; What to ask Jlighting - The MOQ for the new item and any tooling or sample cost
Ceramic and glass items: What usually drives the MOQ (general practice) - Kiln or furnace batches and an allowance for breakage; What to ask Jlighting - How many spare units are planned and how colour variation is agreed
LED frames with your artwork: What usually drives the MOQ (general practice) - Print runs for each artwork version; What to ask Jlighting - The minimum per artwork, since custom photo printing is offered on this collection
If your first order is a test, put your intended quantity on the request anyway. It is easier for a factory to say what is possible at 150 units than to answer an open question about the minimum. If you expect larger repeat orders, say so as well, because it changes how materials are bought for the first run.
Standard sample or custom sample: which one do you need?
Jlighting works with two kinds of sample. A sample of an existing design is ready in 7-14 days, because the design, materials and method already exist. A custom-design sample takes 20-30 days, and that clock starts after design approval, not on the day you send your sketch.
Before a custom sample is made, the design team prepares 3D renders and material options for your approval. That step is where most of the time on a new product is won or lost. Send clear dimensions, finishes and references at the start, and answer each render round quickly, because every round adds days before the 20-30 day sample clock begins.
A sample is also your quality reference for production. Check it against the points that will matter on the shelf or in the room, not only the look.
• Dimensions and weight, measured against your drawing or the catalogue figure.
• Colour and finish in daylight and under the light source you will sell with, compared with your swatch or Pantone reference.
• Shade fit, stability on a flat surface and the feel of switches, dimmers or touch controls.
• Cable length, plug type and markings for your market, and which CE, UL or ETL documents cover this model.
• Packaging: carton strength, inner protection and labels, ideally checked with a drop test on the sample carton.
Keep one approved sample on each side: When you approve, keep one signed and dated sample yourself and ask the factory to keep a matching one. As general practice, this approved sample becomes the reference for production checks and for any later discussion about colour or finish.
When does the 30-45 day production window start?
Jlighting states standard production of 30-45 days after sample approval and receipt of the deposit. Both conditions count. A sample approved on a Monday with a deposit paid two weeks later starts production two weeks later, and the loading date moves with it.
The deposit percentage and balance terms are not published. They are agreed per order, so ask for them on the quote and arrange the payment before you give final approval. Send your written approval with photos of the approved sample in the same message, so there is no doubt about which version goes into production.
Inside the production window, the company states that QC inspections run inline at every stage and that every product is checked before shipment. It lists more than 100,000 units a month from its 10,000 m² main plant, plus a 7,800 m² secondary factory that handles large promotional orders. For a large seasonal programme, ask where your order will run and when its production slot starts.
Changes after approval restart the clock: As general practice, a change to colour, size, material or packaging after sample approval means new materials and often a new sample. Treat it as a new approval and ask for a revised date in writing before you agree to it. Most avoidable delays in a first order start here.
Plan around the calendar too. As general practice, factories across China close for the Lunar New Year holiday in January or February, and production takes time to return to full speed afterwards. Orders that must load before the holiday need approval and deposit well ahead of it, so ask for the factory's holiday dates when you order.
What does FOB Yantian mean for your costs and paperwork?
Jlighting ships FOB Yantian, or on CNF/CIF terms to ports worldwide. Yantian is one of Shenzhen's main container ports, a road trip from Dongguan. The Incoterm on a quote decides where the factory's costs and risk end and yours begin, so only compare quotes on the same term.
FOB Yantian: Who books and pays the sea freight - You, through your own forwarder; Where risk passes to you - When the goods are on board the vessel at Yantian; Often suits - Buyers with a forwarder and regular volume
CNF (also written CFR): Who books and pays the sea freight - The seller, to your destination port; Where risk passes to you - Also on board at the port of loading; Often suits - Buyers who want one price to their port
CIF: Who books and pays the sea freight - The seller, to your destination port, plus minimum cargo insurance; Where risk passes to you - Also on board at the port of loading; Often suits - Buyers who want freight and basic insurance arranged
Under FOB, the seller normally handles export clearance and loading, while you choose the forwarder, the carrier and the sailing. That gives you control over price and timing, but your forwarder needs the cargo-ready date and the carton list early to book space.
Under CNF or CIF the freight is arranged for you, which is simpler for a first order. Check what CIF insurance actually covers: the minimum cover is narrow, and many importers add their own policy. Whichever term you choose, agree shipping marks, carton labels and the document set before production starts: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and any certificates your importer needs.
What should you send to get an accurate quote?
A quote is only as precise as the request behind it. The company says it replies within 24 hours and can start from a full CAD file or just an idea. To get prices and dates you can plan with, include the item references from the collections or your sketch, the quantity per item and per colour, the market the lamps are for, the packaging you need, your preferred Incoterm and destination port, and the date the goods must arrive.
When the quote comes back, check that it answers the ordering questions, not only the price. These points make two suppliers' quotes comparable line by line.
• Unit price and the Incoterm it is based on: FOB Yantian, CNF or CIF, and to which port.
• MOQ per item and per colour, and the price at your actual quantity.
• Sample lead time, any sample cost, and whether that cost is credited against the order.
• Production lead time and the event that starts it: sample approval, deposit or both.
• Deposit and balance terms, and the payment method.
• What packaging the price includes: carton type, retail box, labels and inserts.
• How long the quote is valid, since prices of materials such as brass, aluminium and glass move.
If an answer is missing, ask before you order a sample. It costs a day now and can save a week later.
How do you keep a first order on schedule?
Three habits keep most lighting orders on time. Give one person on your side the authority to approve samples and colours, and agree a reply time for each approval. Book the pre-shipment inspection date as soon as production starts. And ask for a short update at fixed points, for example when materials arrive, when assembly starts and when packing starts.
For hotel projects, the company says its engineering team works to construction timelines. Share the site programme early, with the date each area needs its fittings, so that production and loading can follow the build instead of a single delivery date. You can also see all nine collections in the company's 2,000 m² showroom before you choose which items to sample.
Get dates for your order
Send the items, quantities per colour, destination port and the date the goods must arrive. The Jlighting team replies within 24 hours by email, WhatsApp or the enquiry form, so you can plan the sample and production stages back from your deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 30-45 day production time include shipping? No. The 30-45 days cover production only, and they start after sample approval and receipt of the deposit. Goods ship FOB Yantian or on CNF/CIF terms, and sea freight time to your port comes on top.
How quickly can I get a sample of an existing Jlighting design? Samples of existing designs are ready in 7-14 days. Add courier time to your address and the days you need to review it before you approve.
Is the custom sample time counted from my first email? No. Custom-design samples take 20-30 days after design approval. Before that, the team prepares 3D renders and material options, and the number of revision rounds decides how long that step takes.
Can I combine colours or designs to reach the MOQ? The stated MOQ is 100-500 units for standard products, and the rules for splitting it are not published. Put your planned split per item and per colour on the request and ask the factory to confirm it on the quote.
Can Jlighting ship to my port instead of FOB Yantian? Yes. Besides FOB Yantian, the company ships on CNF or CIF terms to ports worldwide. Compare quotes on the same Incoterm, and check what the CIF insurance covers.
What happens if I change the design after approving the sample? As general practice, a change after approval needs new materials and often a new sample, so the dates move. Ask for the revised production and loading dates in writing before you agree to the change.