China produces the majority of colored pencils sold worldwide. If you are looking for the best colored pencils manufacturers in China, you are sourcing from a market with decades of production depth — from budget 12-color school sets to professional 72-color artist ranges with oil-based and water-soluble cores.
But factory quality varies. Some suppliers run full vertical production lines — slat cutting, lead extrusion, gluing, shaping, lacquering, and tipping — while others buy semi-finished pencils and relabel them. This guide breaks down 7 verified Chinese colored pencil manufacturers for 2026, with factory data, certifications, OEM capabilities, and the type of buyer each one fits best.
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Why Source Colored Pencils From China?
Three reasons keep China at the center of global colored pencil production.
- Scale and cost structure. Zhejiang province alone — home to Ningbo, Lishui, and Yiwu — hosts hundreds of pencil factories ranging from small family workshops to publicly listed industrial groups. This density drives competition, which keeps pricing sharp. A basic 12-color set in cardboard packaging runs $0.30–$0.70 FOB at volume; a 24-color tin set, $1.20–$2.50.
- Full supply chain access. Raw materials — basswood, poplar, pigments, wax binders, lacquers — are sourced locally. Factories that control their own slat mills and lead extrusion lines can adjust color formulations, core hardness, and barrel finishes without relying on third-party suppliers. That vertical integration translates to faster sampling and tighter batch-to-batch consistency.
- Mature OEM/ODM infrastructure. Most mid-to-large Chinese pencil factories have handled private-label work for European and American brands for 10–20 years. Custom barrel printing, Pantone color matching, bespoke tin or wooden-case packaging, and retail-ready labeling are standard capabilities — not premium add-ons.
7 Best Colored Pencils Manufacturers in China
1. Syloon (Ningbo Syloon Imp & Exp Co., Ltd.)
Official Website: www.syloon.com
Location: Ningbo, Zhejiang
Founded: 2004
Syloon is a fashion-stationery company that built its own production base — Ningbo Syloon Stationery Co., Ltd. — in 2006. The factory covers 40,000 square meters with 8 integrated workshops handling pencils, markers, crayons, printing, and packaging under one roof. Annual sales exceed $100 million USD, and the company ranks among the top 10 stationery exporters globally.
Production & OEM Syloon offers full-cycle OEM on colored pencils: custom color palettes, barrel printing, hot-stamp foiling, tin and gift-box packaging, and bundled art sets that combine colored pencils with markers, crayons, and highlighters. The company has deep experience with licensed character merchandise and promotional stationery programs for retailers across Europe, North America, and Latin America.
Certifications: ISO 9001, BSCI, SEDEX 4-Pillar (SMETA), SCAN
Best For: Brands that need a one-stop stationery supplier capable of producing colored pencils alongside markers, crayons, and full art kits — with mature social compliance credentials for major retail channels.
2. Honeyoung Pencil (Zhejiang Honeyoung Stationery Co., Ltd.)
Official Website: pencilchina.com
Location: Lishui, Zhejiang
Founded: 1998
Lishui is one of China's largest pencil production clusters, and Honeyoung sits among its most established factories. The facility runs 12 fully automated production lines using basswood and reforested poplar as primary raw materials. Honeyoung's strength is high-volume school-grade output — standard round, hexagonal, triangular, and jumbo barrel shapes with pre-sharpened options.
OEM Capabilities: Custom pencil shape, color selection, barrel printing, packaging design, sampling, and logistics support. Honeyoung can handle runs from 5,000 to 500,000+ sets.
Certifications: ISO 9001, FSC (reforested wood), EN71, ASTM, CPSIA
Best For: Importers placing large, price-sensitive orders for school seasons. Honeyoung's scale keeps unit costs low on 50,000+ set runs.
3. Beifa Group
Official Website: www.beifa.group
Location: Ningbo, Zhejiang
Founded: 1994
Beifa is one of China's largest stationery conglomerates. While best known for pens, the group's portfolio spans colored pencils, markers, art supplies, and bundled school kits. Beifa operates 20+ sub-factories across 3 industrial parks, employs thousands, and exports to nearly 150 countries. Overseas offices in the U.S., Spain, and the UAE support local account management.
OEM Capabilities: Full OEM on colored pencils with strong capability in bundled programs — pencils combined with erasers, sharpeners, rulers, and zipper cases for private-label school kits.
Certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BSCI, SEDEX, EN71, REACH, CPSIA
Best For: Hypermarkets, dollar-store chains, and importers running bundled stationery programs at scale.
4. H&B (Shanghai Haobin Stationery & Art Material Co., Ltd.)
Official Website: www.hb-art.com
Location: Shanghai
Founded: 2010 (H&B brand launched 2016)
H&B started as an OEM vendor for international art brands before launching its own label in 2016. The company focuses on professional art supplies and giftable art sets — colored pencils packaged in metal tins, wooden boxes, and zipper cases alongside sketch pencils, watercolors, acrylics, and oil pastels. H&B markets heavily on cross-border e-commerce platforms and provides design solutions within 24 hours for custom packaging projects.
Product Range: Oil-based and water-soluble colored pencil sets (12 to 72 colors), bundled art kits, children's DIY art products.
Certifications: ISO 9001, EN71, ASTM D-4236, CE, REACH
Best For: Amazon FBA sellers, art-supply e-commerce brands, and gift retailers who need premium-looking colored pencil sets in retail-ready packaging.
5. Deli Group Co., Ltd.
Official Website: www.deliworld.com
Location: Ninghai, Ningbo, Zhejiang
Founded: 1981
Deli is one of the oldest and largest office and school stationery manufacturers in China — 40+ years in the industry. Its colored pencil line sits inside a catalog that covers nearly every stationery and office product category. Deli colored pencils are widely stocked on Chinese e-commerce platforms and exported throughout Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Product Range: Basic and mid-tier colored pencil sets in tin boxes or plastic cases, targeted at schools, offices, and mass retail.
Certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EN71, ASTM, CPSIA, REACH
Best For: Buyers who want one supplier for a complete stationery range — colored pencils alongside binders, staplers, calculators, and desk accessories. Deli's recognized brand name can also work as a co-brand in some markets.
6. M&G Stationery (Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc.)
Official Website: www.mgstationery.com
Location: Shanghai
Founded: 1997
M&G is the largest comprehensive stationery manufacturer in China by revenue, listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Its core business is pens and writing instruments, but the colored pencil range covers school-grade wooden pencils, water-soluble sets, and premium art pencil collections. Multiple production bases across China and its own design centers allow M&G to move quickly on new formats.
OEM Capabilities: Full-service OEM for international retailers and private-label brands. R&D depth supports new product formats like water-soluble sticks and multi-head combo pencils.
Certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, EN71, REACH, ASTM
Best For: Large retailers and distributors who value supply-chain stability and compliance depth from a publicly listed manufacturer.
7. Guangbo Group Co., Ltd.
Official Website: www.guangboworld.com
Location: Ningbo, Zhejiang
Founded: 1992
Guangbo is a publicly listed stationery group (Shenzhen Stock Exchange, code 002103) — and was the first domestic paper-product stationery company to go public in China. The group operates four production bases (Ningbo, Jiangsu, Vietnam, Cambodia), employs over 7,000 people, holds 200+ patents, and manages 23 brands including the fashion stationery line Kinbor and the modern office brand Fizz. Products sell in 80+ countries through six overseas branches.
Product Range: Writing instruments, notebooks, paper products, filing and storage, colored pencils, and student stationery.
Certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001
Best For: Distributors looking for a large-scale, publicly listed partner with broad stationery coverage and production bases outside China (Vietnam, Cambodia) for tariff diversification.
Quick Comparison
| Manufacturer | Location | Founded | Key Strength | Typical MOQ | Top Certifications | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syloon | Ningbo | 2004 | Fashion stationery, one-stop OEM | 1,000–3,000 sets | ISO 9001, BSCI, SEDEX | Retail brands, gifting programs |
| Honeyoung | Lishui | 1998 | High-volume school pencils | 5,000–10,000 sets | FSC, EN71, CPSIA | Large school-season orders |
| Beifa Group | Ningbo | 1994 | Bundled stationery programs | 5,000+ sets | BSCI, REACH, EN71 | Mass retail, hypermarkets |
| H&B (Haobin) | Shanghai | 2010 | Giftable art kits | 1,000–3,000 sets | EN71, ASTM, REACH | E-commerce, gift retailers |
| Deli | Ningbo | 1981 | Full-line stationery | 3,000+ sets | ISO 14001, CPSIA | One-brand stationery supply |
| M&G | Shanghai | 1997 | Scale + compliance | 5,000+ sets | ISO 9001, REACH | Large retailers |
| Guangbo Group | Ningbo | 1992 | Listed company, multi-base | 5,000+ sets | ISO 9001, ISO 14001 | Tariff diversification, scale |
How to Choose the Right Manufacturer
Picking the right factory from this list depends on your market, order size, and product positioning. Here are five practical decision points.
- Match the supplier to your product tier. If you are selling artist-grade colored pencils, focus on H&B — it specializes in high-pigment formulations and premium packaging. For school and office pencils, Honeyoung, Deli, and Beifa offer better pricing at volume.
- Check certification fit for your target market. Selling into the EU requires EN71-3 and REACH. The U.S. market demands CPSIA and ASTM D-4236. Syloon, Beifa, and M&G carry the broadest certification portfolios. Always request recent third-party test reports from SGS, Intertek, or Bureau Veritas — not just the factory's general certificate.
- Test MOQ flexibility early. For pilot orders of 1,000–3,000 sets, Syloon and H&B are more accommodating. For runs above 50,000 sets, Honeyoung, Beifa, and M&G have the production lines to absorb the volume without stretching lead times.
- Request a golden sample. A golden sample is a pre-production sample made to your exact specifications — color palette, barrel print, packaging artwork. Expect to pay $50–$200 for one. It is the cheapest protection against a five-figure production mistake.
- Consider tariff strategy. Guangbo's production bases in Vietnam and Cambodia can help buyers avoid tariffs on China-origin goods in certain markets. If duty rates affect your landed cost, ask which production base will fulfill your order.
Pricing Guide
Colored pencil pricing from Chinese factories depends on core type, color count, packaging, and order volume. These ranges are based on FOB pricing at production quantities of 10,000+ sets.
| Product | Price Range (FOB) |
|---|---|
| 12-color school set, cardboard box | $0.30–$0.70/set |
| 24-color mid-tier set, tin box | $1.20–$2.50/set |
| 36-color water-soluble set, tin box | $2.00–$4.00/set |
| 48-color artist set, wooden case | $5.00–$9.00/set |
| 72-color professional set, wooden case | $8.00–$15.00/set |
Customization — logo printing, custom Pantone colors, bespoke packaging — typically adds 10–30% to the base unit cost. Water-soluble (watercolor) cores cost more than standard oil-based cores because the binder system and pigment load differ.
FAQs
Q1: What is the typical lead time for OEM colored pencils from China?
Sample development takes 10–15 days. Bulk production runs 30–45 days, with extra time if you need custom tin printing or wooden-case packaging. Add 25–35 days for ocean freight to Europe or North America. Plan roughly 2.5–3 months from order confirmation to port arrival.
Q2: How do I tell a real manufacturer from a trading company?
Ask for the business license showing "manufacturer" in the registered scope. Request video of the actual production lines — slat shaping, lead extrusion, barrel lacquering. Trading companies typically cannot produce real-time factory video on demand and will push you toward finished-sample photos.
Q3: Are Chinese colored pencils safe for children?
Reputable manufacturers on this list produce pencils that meet EN71-3, ASTM D-4236, CPSIA, and REACH standards. Always request third-party test reports specific to the SKU you are ordering — not just the factory's blanket certificate.
Q4: Can factories produce both oil-based and water-soluble colored pencils?
Yes. M&G, H&B, and Deli all make both types. Oil-based cores are standard for most school and artist sets. Water-soluble leads use a different binder and are priced higher. Specify the core type at the quotation stage because tooling and MOQs may differ.
Q5: What is the minimum order quantity for colored pencils?
MOQs range from 1,000 to 10,000 sets depending on the factory and customization level. Suppliers with existing color libraries and standard packaging (like Syloon and H&B) often accept lower MOQs. Fully custom palettes and bespoke packaging push minimums above 5,000 sets.
Q6: What wood types are used for colored pencils in China?
Basswood, cedar, and reforested poplar are the most common. Basswood and cedar sharpen cleanly without splintering. Reforested poplar is the most affordable option and works well for school-grade pencils. If wood quality matters for your market, ask the factory for the specific wood species used and whether it carries FSC certification.
