We often suggest to make a prototype for evaluation before create mold, it's a necessary step for ensure we are going to make a perfect mold and it helps to verify if the design is perfect.
The cost of prototype is cheap and lead time is very fast, but It will help to reduce the potential risk than to create the mold directly, so we sincerely recommend to make it for all projects. We can provide both 3D printing prototype and traditional machinery prototype service to you.