A packaging spec sheet is the document a supplier quotes from, tools from and makes from. When it is complete, every quote you receive is comparable and every production run matches the sample. When it is not, you get quotes that are cheaper because they assumed something different, which is the most expensive kind of cheap.
The fields, and what to write in each
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Item name and code | Your internal SKU, so revisions can be tracked |
| Structure | The style, for example straight tuck end, RSC, tray and sleeve, two piece rigid |
| Dimensions | Length x width x depth, with the word internal or external stated explicitly |
| Material and caliper | Board type and thickness, in points or millimetres |
| Print process | Offset, digital or flexo, and which faces print |
| Colours | Number of colours per face, plus any spot colours named |
| Coating | Gloss, matte, soft touch, spot varnish, or none |
| Special finishes | Foil, emboss, deboss, window film, each with its own artwork layer |
| Insert or fitment | Material, style and whether it is assembled or shipped flat |
| Quantity | The break you want priced, and any alternatives to compare |
| Packing | Units per inner, inners per case, case dimensions and pallet pattern |
| Destination | Ship to address and required date |
The three fields that cause the rework
Dimensions without internal or external. This is the single most common cause of a re-tooled job. Write the word. On corrugated the difference is roughly the board caliper on every wall, and on rigid it is larger.
A missing quantity. Price per unit moves with volume, so a quote without a quantity is not a quote. State the break you actually intend to order and ask for one or two alternatives beside it if you want to see the curve.
Finishes described in words only. Foil, emboss, deboss and spot varnish are each a separate tool or plate, and each needs its own vector layer in the artwork. A note saying gold foil on the logo is a starting point, not a specification. The artwork rules are on what resolution does packaging artwork need.
What a good spec sheet lets you do
Compare suppliers on the same basis. Reorder in two years and get the same box. Hand the project to a colleague without losing anything. Catch a mistake at proof stage rather than on delivery. None of that is glamorous, and all of it saves money on a repeating line.
Where the dieline fits
The spec sheet describes the item and the dieline draws it. Supply the dieline as vector on a named layer and never flattened into the artwork, because the cutting die is made from it. If you do not have one, design support is included on every iBox Factory order and a dieline can be drawn from your measurements. The pallet and packing section is often the last thing filled in and the first thing that causes a freight problem, so if you are unsure what to put there, what is a pallet pattern covers it.
What you get back
A written quote against your spec, at a minimum of 100 units and from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes. The cutting die, the printing plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included. Turnaround is stated per product across three lanes, rush (expedited production plus air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days of production plus 2 to 5 days for delivery, with specialty imported items running up to about 12 weeks. Production is split between West Chicago in the US and Guangzhou in China.
Fill in what you know, leave the rest blank, and send it. A partial spec with honest gaps gets a better answer than a complete one with guesses in it. Start at request a quote.
