What to Include in a Packaging RFQ, Plus a Simple Builder

Why a Complete RFQ Changes the Quotes You Get Back

A request for quotation is only as good as the inputs you provide. When a supplier has to guess at board grade, quantity, or artwork status, the quote may include padding for unknowns or may need revision once details emerge. A complete RFQ lets you compare bids on the same basis instead of comparing assumptions.

Suppliers also price risk. If your RFQ is silent on whether the product is a food contact item, a household chemical, or an Amazon FBA unit, the supplier may add contingency or decline to quote at all. Stating these things up front is not oversharing; it is how you get a real number.

• Same specs to every supplier so quotes are comparable
• Quantities and delivery cadence stated explicitly
• Compliance and channel requirements flagged early
• Artwork and file status made clear

Section 1: Product and Unit Details

Start with the thing being packaged, not the package. Give the finished product's dimensions, weight, fragility, and any sharp edges or protrusions. Note whether the product is liquid, powder, or solid, since this drives liner, seal, and closure choices. If the product ships in a retail carton inside a master shipper, describe both levels.

For shipping cartons, also give the packed unit weight and how many units go in each master. The cited FedEx guide compares actual and dimensional weight and uses the greater as chargeable weight. Its dimensional calculation is length times width times height in inches divided by 139 for U.S., Puerto Rico, and international shipments. Providing outer carton dimensions can help with preliminary freight estimates, but confirm the method and applicable terms for your carrier, service, and account.

• Product dimensions, weight, and form (solid, liquid, powder)
• Fragility and any protruding components
• Units per master carton and packed weight
• Outer carton dimensions if known

Section 2: Packaging Format, Materials, and Structure

Describe the format you want: folding carton, rigid box, mailer, sleeve, label, pouch, or liner. Give substrate preferences such as SBS board, kraft, corrugated grade, or film type, and finish preferences such as matte or gloss lamination, soft-touch, foil, or embossing. If you do not know the right spec, say so and ask the supplier to recommend options at two or three price points.

Be careful with geometry. A simplified box exercise can estimate material area, but a flat panel dimension is not the same as a finished product dimension, and a real dieline includes glue flaps, tucks, and tolerances that a simple sketch does not. Ask the supplier to confirm the dieline before artwork is finalized.

• Format and construction style
• Substrate and caliper or board grade
• Print process and number of colors, including any spot colors
• Finishes and special effects
• Whether a dieline exists or needs to be created

Section 3: Quantities, Timing, and Delivery

State the quantity for the initial order and the expected reorder pattern. Suppliers generally price run efficiency against volume, and some also spread setup or tooling charges across it, so a one-time order of 5,000 units and a 5,000 unit first order with monthly reorders are different conversations. Note palletization or floor-loading requirements if the boxes go to a warehouse or fulfillment center.

Give a target in-hand date and any fixed events such as a launch or trade show. If dates are flexible, say that too, because it can open lower-cost scheduling options.

• Initial order quantity
• Expected annual volume and reorder cadence
• Delivery destination and pallet requirements
• Target in-hand date and any hard deadlines

Section 4: Compliance and Regulatory Flags

Do not ask a supplier to guess whether compliance applies. Flag the product category and describe the intended packaging use. For food products, identify which packaging components will contact food, the food type, and the intended contact conditions; do not assume that every adhesive or colorant directly contacts food. FDA describes food contact substances as including packaging components and substances applied to packaging surfaces. Under U.S. federal law, a food contact substance that is a food additive must be authorized for its intended use before it is marketed in the U.S. Ask for documentation relevant to that use and route the final assessment through qualified review.

If the product is a household substance that may fall under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act, note it in the RFQ. The CPSC explains that special packaging requirements apply to the primary package in direct contact with the regulated substance, and that the finished product manufacturer is responsible for selecting suitable packaging and ensuring compliance. The CPSC also states that it does not approve or certify special packaging. Use the RFQ to ask suppliers what child-resistant closure systems they can supply and what test documentation they can provide, rather than asking them to make a compliance determination for you.

• State whether the package contacts food, and the food type and conditions
• State whether the product is a regulated household substance, pesticide, or similar
• Ask what compliance documentation the supplier can provide
• Route final compliance decisions through your own review with counsel or a qualified consultant

Section 5: Channel and Fulfillment Requirements

If units go to Amazon FBA or another marketplace fulfillment network, the RFQ should reflect that. Amazon's published guidance covers barcode types, label placement on flat surfaces, bagging requirements for categories like liquids, apparel, and plush, and set labeling for multi-item units. Confirm the current requirements in your marketplace account's official prep guidance, since marketplace rules change.

Ask the supplier whether they can apply FNSKU labels or bag units, or whether you will handle prep yourself. This affects the quoted price per unit and your labor plan.

• Fulfillment channel: own warehouse, 3PL, or marketplace fulfillment
• Whether the supplier applies labels or prep, or you do
• Set or kit packaging and required set labeling
• Any suffocation warning or bagging requirements

Section 6: Artwork, Files, and Proofs

State whether artwork is final, in progress, or not started, and whether a structural dieline exists. Ask each supplier what file format they want and what their proofing process is. PDF/X-4 is a widely used print standard, but the printer's agreed workflow governs color handling and any conversion, so ask rather than assume. If you plan brand colors as spot colors, note that digital workflows typically simulate named spot colors while plate-based workflows can run actual spot plates.

Ask how dielines, printer marks, and layer organization should be handled, and whether a physical proof or contract proof is available before the run. Follow each converter's specific instructions rather than universal rules.

• Artwork status and who owns file preparation
• Requested proof type: soft proof, contract proof, or physical sample
• Spot color intentions and how the supplier handles them
• Who checks and approves the final proof

Section 7: Commercial Terms to State or Ask About

State your target unit price only if you have a defensible basis for it; otherwise ask for pricing at the stated quantities and let the supplier propose options. Ask explicitly about setup fees, plate or tooling charges, and whether those fees recur on reorders. Many suppliers charge such fees; Teal Packaging does not charge setup, plate, or tooling fees, which is worth comparing when you evaluate quotes side by side.

Also ask about payment terms, sample costs, over/under run tolerance, and storage or inventory programs if you want the supplier to hold stock.

• Pricing at stated quantities, with any quantity break points
• Setup, plate, and tooling fees, and whether they recur
• Sample policy and cost
• Over/under run allowance
• Payment terms and reorder process

What to Attach: A Decision Table

Attachments make an RFQ concrete. Use this table to decide what to include with your request.

A Worked Hypothetical: Building One RFQ Step by Step

Imagine a fictional seller, Marisol, who sells a 12 ounce jar of spice blend, 4 inches tall and 3 inches in diameter. Each jar weighs about 1 pound once it is in its folding carton. All numbers in this example are hypothetical. She wants a folding carton and ships 24 cartoned jars per master carton to her own 3PL.

She drafts the RFQ. The food is sealed in a glass jar, and the folding carton is secondary packaging that does not touch the food. She states this plainly so suppliers understand the context, and she notes that her own review will confirm any food contact obligations. Format is a folding carton, SBS suggested, one spot color plus process. Quantity is 5,000 initial with quarterly reorders of 2,500. Artwork is in progress, so she asks each supplier for their dieline and file requirements. She asks about setup and plate fees, sample cost, and over/under tolerance.

For a hypothetical dimensional-weight calculation only, she considers outer master-carton dimensions of 16 by 12 by 10 inches. These dimensions do not establish that 24 cartoned jars fit safely. Before selecting a master carton, she needs the finished folding-carton dimensions, the master's usable internal dimensions, and the space required for dividers or cushioning. Multiplying 16 by 12 by 10 gives 1,920 cubic inches; dividing by 139 gives about 13.8 pounds before applicable carrier rounding. At the hypothetical packed-unit weight of 1 pound each, 24 units would weigh about 24 pounds before adding the master carton and dividers. If a validated packout retained these outer dimensions and weights, actual weight would exceed the calculated dimensional weight under the cited FedEx method. Carrier measurements and applicable rules govern the charge. This calculation validates neither fit nor shipping protection.

• Product facts first, then format, then quantities, then compliance, then commercial questions
• Estimates labeled as estimates, with carrier rules acknowledged as the authority

The RFQ Builder: Copy and Fill In

This builder is Teal Packaging's editorial planning framework. It organizes what you already know so a supplier can quote without guessing. The cited sources cover only specific underlying principles such as carrier dimensional weight rules and regulatory context; the builder itself is our recommendation, not a mandated form.

• 1. Product: name, dimensions, weight, form, fragility
• 2. Pack level: units per inner and master carton, packed weights
• 3. Format: carton, box, sleeve, label, or pouch; substrate and finish
• 4. Print: colors, spot colors, finishing, artwork status
• 5. Quantities: initial order, reorder cadence, annual volume
• 6. Compliance: food contact yes or no; regulated substance yes, no, or unsure
• 7. Channel: own warehouse, 3PL, or marketplace; prep expectations
• 8. Commercial: target dates, fee questions, sample request, terms

Checklist Before You Send

• Every supplier receives the identical RFQ
• Product dimensions and weights are measured, not guessed
• Compliance flags stated even if the answer is 'not sure'
• Artwork and dieline status is honest
• Fee questions included: setup, plates, tooling, recurring charges
• Quantities and reorder pattern included
• Delivery destination and date included

Scope Limits

This guide covers how to assemble an RFQ, not how to determine regulatory compliance, food safety suitability, or child-resistant performance. Those determinations belong to the finished product manufacturer, often with legal or qualified expert support. Carrier and marketplace requirements change; confirm current rules in your own agreements. Pricing is quoted per project, and any arithmetic here is illustrative only.

Questions about packaging RFQ contents and builder