Packaging Fundamentals · Guide
How to Write a Packaging Specification (with Template)
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A packaging specification is a written record of exactly what you are buying: the style, the internal dimensions, the board, the print and finishes, any insert, the quantity, the artwork and the delivery. It lets suppliers quote like-for-like, gives the proof something to be checked against and makes reorders repeatable. Copy the template below, fill in what you know and leave the rest for your supplier to recommend.
What a packaging specification does
A specification turns "a nice box for our candle" into something that can be priced, drawn, proofed and made the same way every time. It does four jobs.
- It makes quotations comparable. Every supplier prices the same box. Without it, each fills the gaps with different assumptions, and the lowest quote is often a lower specification. Our guide to comparing packaging quotations explains what to look for.
- It gives the proof something to be checked against. When the proof arrives, you check it against the specification, not against memory.
- It makes reorders repeatable. A reorder months later should match the first run. The specification, together with the approved proof, is the record of what that was.
- It survives staff changes. Whoever orders next time, inside your business or on the supplier's side, has the full picture.
The packaging specification template
Copy this table into a document or spreadsheet and fill in the last column. Leave a field blank, or write "please recommend", if you want your supplier to advise. Every field is explained in the next section.
| # | Field | What to specify | Example | Your answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | What goes in the box, and anything special about it (glass, liquid, food, fragile) | 200 ml glass jar candle with a metal lid | |
| 2 | Product size and weight | Length × width × depth in mm at the widest points, and weight in grams | 80 × 80 × 95 mm, 520 g | |
| 3 | Box style | The construction, or the job it must do if unsure | Crash-lock bottom carton with straight tuck top | |
| 4 | Internal dimensions | Length × width × depth in mm, or "please calculate from product" | 84 × 84 × 100 mm | |
| 5 | External size limits | Any hard outside limit, such as a postal band, shelf or outer carton | None | |
| 6 | Board | Material and grade, or "please recommend" | 350 gsm folding boxboard, white back | |
| 7 | Outside print | CMYK, Pantone references, number of sides, flood colour | CMYK plus Pantone 7421 C, all panels | |
| 8 | Inside print | None, one colour, or full colour, and which panels | None | |
| 9 | Lamination or coating | Matt, gloss, soft-touch, anti-scuff, or uncoated | Matt lamination | |
| 10 | Embellishments | Foil blocking (colour), embossing, debossing, spot UV, and where | Gold foil blocking on logo, front panel | |
| 11 | Insert | Material, what it holds and how | Card collar holding jar centred | |
| 12 | Special features | Window, hang tab, tear strip, thumb cut, ribbon, magnets | None | |
| 13 | Versions | Number of designs or sizes, and quantity of each | Three scents, same size, different artwork | |
| 14 | Quantity | Quantity per version, plus any alternative quantities to quote | Minimum, and a larger quantity for comparison | |
| 15 | Artwork | Ready, in progress or needs design; file format; who supplies | Print-ready PDF supplied by our designer | |
| 16 | Mandatory information | Barcodes, product and safety text, recycling marks, batch area | EAN-13 barcode on base, safety text on back panel | |
| 17 | Packing method | By hand or machine; machine make and size range | By hand, around 200 a day | |
| 18 | Delivery | Address, access, goods-in hours, pallet or parcel | Business unit, ground floor, no forklift | |
| 19 | Required delivery date | The date you need the boxes, and why | Before a stated launch date | |
| 20 | Proofs and samples | Digital proof only, or ask about sample options | Digital proof; ask about sample options | |
| 21 | Priorities | What matters most if there is a trade-off | Presentation first, then unit cost | |
| 22 | Sustainability requirements | Recyclability, plastic-free, recycled content, or none stated | Prefer no plastic window |
How to fill in each part
Product, size and weight (rows 1–2)
Describe the product as it goes into the box: in its jar, pouch or wrap. Measure at the widest points, including caps and pumps, in millimetres, and weigh it. If the product is glass, liquid or food in direct contact with the board, say so here, because it changes the board and the insert. Our guide on how to measure a box explains how.
Style and dimensions (rows 3–5)
Name the style if you know it, such as a crash-lock bottom carton or a magnetic closure rigid box. If you do not, describe what the box must do: stand on a shelf, go through the post, open like a book. Give internal dimensions, or ask us to calculate them from the product. Add any external limit separately and label it clearly as external.
Board (row 6)
Specify the board by type and weight or thickness: for example 350 gsm folding boxboard, E flute corrugated with a white liner, or 2 mm greyboard with a printed wrap. If you are unsure, write "please recommend" and give the weight of the product. Avoid US point sizes; UK board is specified in gsm and microns, corrugated by flute, and greyboard in millimetres.
Print (rows 7–8)
State whether the design is full colour (CMYK), uses Pantone spot colours, or both, and give the Pantone references. Say which panels are printed, whether there is a flood colour, and whether the inside is printed. Inside print is specified separately because it is a second printed side.
Finishes and embellishments (rows 9–10)
Choose the lamination or coating first; it covers the whole sheet. Free Lamination is standard on every order. Then list each embellishment with its colour and position: gold foil blocking on the logo, blind debossing on the lid, spot UV on the product name. Each is a separate process, so name each one.
Inserts and features (rows 11–12)
Describe what the insert holds and how: a collar keeping a jar centred, a cavity insert holding three bottles apart, a platform raising a product to the top of the box. Material can be card, corrugated, foam or moulded pulp. See custom box inserts. List any features such as windows or tear strips, because they change the dieline.
Versions and quantity (rows 13–14)
List every design and size, and the quantity of each. Our minimum order is 50 boxes. Ask for one or two higher quantities as well, on the same specification, so you can see how the unit cost changes.
Artwork and mandatory information (rows 15–16)
Say whether artwork is ready, and who is supplying it. List everything that must appear on the pack: barcode, product text, safety or allergen information, recycling marks and an area for batch codes. These need space on the dieline, so they are planned before design is finished. Our packaging artwork guide covers file preparation.
Packing and delivery (rows 17–19)
Tell us how the boxes will be packed, by hand or by machine, and roughly how many a day. Give the delivery address and any access limits. Delivery is included on every order, and your quotation confirms the delivery address and timing. For timing, give your required delivery date and our team will confirm whether the timing is achievable.
Proofs, priorities and sustainability (rows 20–22)
Every job has a digital proof before production. Ask about sample options when you request your quotation if you want to handle a box first. Then state your priorities: if presentation matters more than unit cost, or a plastic-free pack matters more than a window, the recommendation changes.
A worked example
Here is a completed specification for a fictional product: a range of three scented candles in 200 ml glass jars, sold online and through gift shops.
| Field | Specification |
|---|---|
| Product | 200 ml glass jar candle with metal lid, three scents |
| Product size and weight | 80 × 80 × 95 mm, 520 g |
| Box style | Crash-lock bottom carton with straight tuck top |
| Internal dimensions | Please calculate from product and insert |
| Board | Please recommend for a glass product of this weight |
| Outside print | CMYK with one Pantone for the brand colour, all four side panels and top |
| Inside print | None |
| Finish | Matt lamination, gold foil blocking on the logo |
| Insert | Card collar holding the jar centred |
| Versions | Three designs, same size |
| Quantity | Minimum per design, plus a larger quantity for comparison |
| Artwork | Print-ready PDF from our designer once the dieline is supplied |
| Mandatory information | Barcode on base, safety text on back panel |
| Packing | By hand |
| Required delivery date | A stated date, set ahead of the first gift shop delivery |
| Priorities | Presentation, then protection in the post |
This is enough to draw a dieline, recommend the board and quote. The same candle ranges are covered in our candle packaging page.
When to specify and when to ask for a recommendation
Specify anything that is fixed by your brand, your product or your customers: the dimensions, the brand colours, mandatory text, a style that matches an existing range, the delivery date. Ask for a recommendation on anything technical where you care about the result rather than the method: the board grade, the flute, the insert material and how the box is constructed.
If you specify something the supplier thinks is wrong for the product, such as a board too light for glass, a good supplier will say so and explain why. That conversation is much easier before the quotation than after the proof.
Keeping the specification up to date
Treat the specification as a living document.
- Record the approved version. Once the proof is approved, update the specification to match it and note the date.
- Record changes. If a later order changes the artwork, board or quantity, note what changed and when.
- Store it with the artwork. The dieline, the final artwork files and the specification belong together.
- Use it for every reorder. Send the same specification each time, even to the same supplier, so nothing drifts.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the weight. Board and base strength depend on it.
- Mixing internal and external sizes. Label every dimension.
- Writing "gold" instead of specifying it. Gold foil, gold ink and metallic Pantone are different things with different results.
- Forgetting mandatory text. Barcodes and safety text added after design often end up squeezed onto a side panel.
- Specifying different things to different suppliers. Quotes can then only be compared on price, not value.
- Not updating after approval. The next order repeats the original specification, not the approved changes.
When your specification is ready, even partly, send it through the quote form. Our guide to the information needed for a quote lists the minimum to get started.