How-To Guide

How to Brief a Packaging Supplier: The Exact Spec Sheet Your Factory Needs

An incomplete brief means delayed quotes, wasted revision cycles, and production errors that cost far more than the time you saved by not filling out a form properly. Here is the complete spec sheet — and why every field matters.

By PackTist EditorialJune 202511 min read

The single most common cause of packaging project delays — ahead of factory lead times, shipping disruptions, and artwork revisions — is an incomplete or ambiguous brief. When a supplier cannot answer a specification question from your brief, they either make an assumption (which may be wrong) or ask you for clarification (adding 1–3 days per round of communication). A complete brief eliminates both failure modes.

3–5 days

Average time added to a project per round of spec clarification between brand and supplier

68%

Of packaging revision requests stem from specification misunderstandings that could have been prevented at brief stage

2.3 rounds

Average number of sample revision rounds for brands who provide incomplete briefs vs. 0.8 rounds for complete briefs

The Complete Packaging Specification Sheet

Below is the full specification template used by professional packaging buyers. Every field marked Required must be completed before a supplier can generate an accurate quote. Optional fields are not required for a quote but are required before production begins.

PackTist Packaging Specification Sheet — Template

v2025.1

Section 1 — Project Identity

Brand name Required

e.g. "Lumière Skincare"

Product name Required

e.g. "Brightening Serum 30ml"

Quote deadline Required

Date by which quote is needed

Target delivery date Required

Date product must arrive at your warehouse

Destination port / address Required

e.g. "Los Angeles port" or "3PL address in New Jersey"

Section 2 — Box Format & Construction

Box style Required

e.g. Rigid magnetic closure / Folding carton tuck-end / Corrugated mailer RSC

External dimensions Required

L × W × H in mm or inches — EXTERNAL measurements of finished box

Internal dimensions Optional

If product fit is critical, provide internal L × W × H

Wall thickness / board weight Optional

e.g. 2mm greyboard for rigid / 350gsm SBS for folding carton

Insert type Optional

e.g. None / Foam die-cut / Corrugated tray / Molded pulp

Tray / inner components Optional

If box includes inner tray, sleeve, or additional components — describe each

Section 3 — Print & Artwork

Print color specification Required

e.g. CMYK 4-color / 2-color Pantone / 1-color / No print

Pantone colors Optional

List exact PMS codes if brand colors must be matched. e.g. PMS 187 C, PMS Cool Gray 9 C

Print side(s) Required

Outside only / Outside + inside lid / Full inside print / All surfaces

Artwork status Required

Not started / In progress / Finalized (attach if finalized)

Artwork format Optional

AI / PDF press-ready / Send supplier dieline for placement

Section 4 — Surface Finishes

Base lamination Required

Gloss / Matte / Soft-touch / Water-based matte / None

Spot finishes Optional

Spot UV / Foil stamping (specify color) / Emboss / Deboss / None

Foil color & type Optional

e.g. Gold gloss foil / Rose gold foil / Matte silver foil / Holographic

Emboss area description Optional

Describe or sketch the area to be embossed — logo / pattern / full surface

Section 5 — Quantity & Commercial Terms

Order quantity Required

e.g. 500 / 1,000 / 2,500 / 5,000 units. Request pricing for multiple tiers if unsure.

Sample required? Required

Yes — pre-production sample before bulk / No — proceed direct to bulk

Shipping method preference Optional

Ocean freight (standard) / Air freight (express) / Both — quote both

Incoterms Optional

FOB (factory pays to port) / CIF (factory pays to destination port) / DDP (fully landed)

Payment terms Optional

Standard: 30–50% deposit, balance before shipment. State if different terms needed.

Section 6 — Sustainability Requirements

FSC certification required? Optional

Yes — FSC Mix minimum / Yes — FSC 100% / Yes — FSC Recycled / Not required

Recycled content target Optional

e.g. Minimum 30% post-consumer recycled fiber / Not specified

Recyclability requirement Optional

Must pass How2Recycle assessment / Must be curbside recyclable / Not required

Why Each Section Matters: The Supplier's Perspective

Delivery date is the most important field on the brief

Every factory decision — material allocation, production queue placement, freight booking — flows from your delivery date. A supplier who doesn't know your deadline will give you a standard lead time quote. A supplier who knows you need units in Los Angeles by October 15 will immediately tell you whether that is achievable and what it would cost to expedite if necessary. This one field saves more time than any other.

External dimensions, not internal, should be your primary measurement

Many brands specify internal dimensions — the size of the product — and expect the factory to determine the external size based on wall thickness. This is acceptable but adds an interpretation step. Suppliers working in different material thicknesses will quote different external box sizes. If your product's shelf footprint or shipping dimensions matter, specify external dimensions directly and let the supplier confirm internal clearance.

Pantone codes prevent color surprises

CMYK printing from a digital file will not match your brand's Pantone color without Pantone-to-CMYK conversion. If your burgundy is PMS 7421 C and the factory prints CMYK only, your box will come back a significantly different shade unless you specify the Pantone reference and request a Pantone match print run. The cost premium for Pantone matching is typically $0.10–$0.25 per unit — a small price against reprinting an entire order.

Incoterms determine who pays what and when

FOB (Free on Board) means the supplier is responsible for the goods until they are on the ship at origin port — you pay all freight costs from there. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means the supplier delivers to your door, fully duty-paid — the simplest arrangement for first-time importers. Not specifying Incoterms leads to ambiguous quotes and unexpected freight invoices.

Brief Quality: Common Errors and How to Avoid Them

✕ "A luxury box, approximately 20cm × 15cm"

No style specified, dimensions are approximate, and "luxury" is subjective. A supplier will make 5 assumptions before quoting. The quote will not reflect what you actually want.

✓ "Rigid magnetic closure box, 210mm × 160mm × 70mm external. 2mm greyboard, 128gsm art paper wrap, matte lamination + gold foil logo."

Completely unambiguous. The supplier can quote this in under 10 minutes with zero clarification calls.

✕ "Need 500 pieces as soon as possible"

No delivery address. No specification whether sample approval is required before bulk. "As soon as possible" is not a production target.

✓ "500 units, delivered to Los Angeles port CIF by September 30. Pre-production sample required. Air freight acceptable if ocean freight timeline at risk."

Every production and logistics decision can be made from this brief without a follow-up call.

✕ "Same as last time but smaller"

Unless your supplier has your previous spec on file and it is current, this brief is unusable. Always provide full specifications on every new order, even reorders.

✓ Reference previous order number AND attach the original spec sheet, then note only the changes.

Gives the supplier a complete baseline with only the delta to process. Fast and unambiguous.

The 10-minute brief review — before you send it

Before sending a brief to a supplier, read it once as if you are the factory receiving it for the first time and know nothing about the brand. Every place where you would have to make an assumption or ask a question is a gap in the brief. Fill every gap before sending — and you will get accurate quotes faster and produce better packaging.

Ready to Brief Your Next Packaging Order?

Use our guided quote form — it walks you through every specification field and gives us everything we need to quote accurately, the first time.

Start Your Packaging Brief →