Common pack formats
| Format | What it is | Often used for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single polybag | One folded garment in a clear bag, usually with a sticker or insert. | Online sales and marketplaces | Bag size against the folded garment; size and barcode visible through the bag. |
| Polybag with header card | A bag fixed to a printed card, with a hang hole. | Retail pegs | Card strength, staple or adhesive placement and the hole position. |
| Printed box | A folding carton, sometimes with a window. | Premium and gift lines | Box tooling and artwork lead time; more volume per piece in the carton. |
| Multipack | Several garments in one bag, box or band. | Value ranges | A separate barcode for the pack, the colour assortment, and size shown on the pack. |
| Hook or hanger pack | A garment on a hook or hanger with a clip. | Retail displays in some markets | Extra component cost and carton volume. |
| Bulk pack | Loose or bagged pieces in a carton with no retail packaging. | Wholesale, or repacking in your own warehouse | Counting accuracy; garment labels are still needed. |
Decide the pack format before you request quotations. Printed boxes, cards, inserts and stickers are usually separate lines in a quotation, and the format changes the carton size, which changes freight cost per piece. The landed cost guide shows how.
What goes on a pack
- Brand name, product name and style or colour description.
- Size, with the size system you use and a size chart reference if the market expects one.
- Fibre content and country of origin, in the form the destination market requires.
- Care instructions, normally on the garment label, repeated on the pack if the retailer asks.
- Importer, brand owner or contact details where the destination market requires them.
- A barcode for each sellable item.
- The count of pieces in a multipack.
- Any warning text the market requires for plastic bags.
What must appear on the garment label and what must appear on the pack differs by market. Plastic bags can carry warning-text or size requirements set by law in some markets and by some marketplaces, so ask your importer and check the marketplace rules. The US and EU compliance guide covers the garment label basics.
Barcodes
A barcode identifies the item at the till and in the warehouse. UPC-A is used mostly in North America and EAN-13 in most other markets. The numbers come from your own GS1 membership, which assigns a company prefix, and are normally supplied by the brand to the supplier rather than created by the factory.
- Give each sellable variant its own barcode, so every size and colour combination can be told apart.
- Give a multipack its own barcode, different from the single garment.
- Marketplaces may require their own labels or a specific barcode type. Check the current preparation rules before artwork is final.
- Place the barcode on a flat area, away from folds, seams and the hang hole.
- Keep the quiet space around the barcode clear and the contrast high, and test-scan a printed proof before approving.
Cartons and carton marking
Carton marking tells the receiving warehouse what is inside without opening the box. Agree the carton specification before production, because carton dimensions and weight set the freight cost per piece, and a late change to the pack or the carton changes both.
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Purchase order number | Matches the carton to the order at receiving. |
| Style, colour and size | Lets the warehouse put stock in the right place. |
| Pieces per carton | Allows a quick count against the packing list. |
| Carton number, for example 3 of 40 | Shows whether the full set has arrived. |
| Gross and net weight, and dimensions | Support freight booking and customs documents. |
| Country of origin | Required on cartons by many importers and customs authorities. |
| Carton barcode or pallet label | Retail accounts and distribution centres often specify the format. |
- Solid cartons hold one size and colour; assorted cartons mix them. Say which you want, because it changes picking and receiving.
- Retail accounts often publish a routing or packing guide. Ask for it before the first purchase order.
- Write the carton specification, the inner pack count and the marking into the purchase order.
From artwork to an approved print
- Send the brand artwork and the pack format in the brief, with any retail or marketplace rules you must meet.
- Get a dieline or template from the supplier or the printer for the exact pack dimensions.
- Place the artwork, the barcode and the required text on the template.
- Approve a digital proof, including the barcode and every line of required text.
- Approve a printed sample or white sample on the real pack before bulk printing starts.
- Check the first finished packs from bulk production against the approved sample.
Colour printed on card or paper can look different from the colour on a screen, and coated and uncoated stock print differently. Use a colour reference such as Pantone and judge the printed sample, not the file.
Material choices and environmental claims
Paper, card and plastic each have trade-offs in protection, appearance and cost. A pack with less plastic can change how well the garment is protected in transit. Recycled-content or recyclable claims usually need documentation and can mean different things in different countries, so do not print an environmental claim until the supplier can support it for your market. Packaging laws on recycled content, labelling and producer responsibility are also changing in the EU, the UK and Australia, so ask your importer what applies to your pack.
Common packaging errors
- The same barcode used for two colours or two sizes.
- A size printed on the pack that differs from the size on the garment label.
- A multipack count on the pack that does not match what is inside.
- Artwork scaled after the proof was approved.
- Carton dimensions changed after the quotation, so freight no longer matches.
- Required compliance text missing from the pack or the carton.
Common questions
Does the pack format change the quotation?
Often. Printed boxes, header cards, inserts, stickers and polybags can be separate lines, and the format changes the carton size. State the format you want in the brief so each quotation covers the same pack.
Who supplies the barcodes?
Usually the brand, or the retailer for a retailer’s own brand. The numbers should come from the GS1 membership of the company that owns the brand, not from a reseller, and are given to the supplier with the artwork so every size and colour carries the right number.
Can pieces be shipped without retail packaging?
Bulk packing is a normal option for wholesale or for repacking in your own warehouse. Say so in the brief and we reply with what is workable. Each garment still needs its own label, and your destination rules still apply.
Can you use my packaging design?
Send the artwork, dieline or reference pack with your brief and we reply with what is workable for your project.
Ready to brief a style?
Send a reference garment or sketch, the quantities you are considering and your destination. The quotation will state what is included and how minimums are counted.