How to Prepare a Professional RFQ for Custom Bag Production
What a complete RFQ contains
- Bag type and a reference image or sketch
- Dimensions: width x height x depth, and handle or strap length
- Material and target weight; for fabric, a GSM range; for leather, genuine or PU and a thickness or feel
- Lining requirement, if any
- Hardware: zipper, magnetic closure, snap buttons, feet, branded pullers
- Quantity, including any split by colour or size
- Decoration method, placement, colours, and vector artwork with Pantone references
- Labels and tags: woven label, hang tag, care label
- Packing: individual polybag, barcode, carton requirement
- Destination country and preferred Incoterm (EXW, FOB, CIF)
- Target price or budget range, stated honestly
- In-hands or delivery date, if there is a deadline
RFQ checklist (copy this into your enquiry)
- Product and reference image
- Dimensions and capacity
- Material and GSM or leather type and thickness
- Lining and reinforcement
- Hardware and zipper
- Quantity and any colour or size split
- Decoration method and vector artwork
- Pantone colours
- Labels and hang tags
- Packing format
- Destination and Incoterm
- Target price and deadline
What buyers should prepare before requesting a quote
Have your artwork in vector format before you write to a supplier. Decide the fabric and the decoration method together, since one constrains the other. Know your destination and rough quantity, because both change the quote. If you have a tech pack, send it; if not, the list above is enough to start.
Common RFQ mistakes
Sending only a logo and a target price with no product detail. Giving quantity as "a few thousand" instead of a number or a range with price-break points. Attaching a low-resolution logo and expecting an exact colour match. Leaving out packing and Incoterm, so the quote misses real cost and is not comparable to others. Asking for a sample before the spec is agreed, which produces a sample of the wrong thing.
Why the format matters for comparison
When you send the same complete RFQ to two or three manufacturers, the quotes are comparable, because they are pricing the same product. An incomplete RFQ produces quotes built on different assumptions, which look different for reasons that have nothing to do with the supplier.
What happens after you send it
A good supplier confirms or proposes the spec, flags anything that will not work at your target cost, and quotes with a lead time. The next step is a sample. Build a sample round into your timeline rather than treating it as a delay.
Ready to send one? Use the checklist above and request a quote, and ask for the lead time and a cost split with the offer.
Internal links: start on request a quote, see the sample stage on sampling, and compare fabrics on materials.
RFQ / spec checklist
- Bag type with a reference image or sketch
- Dimensions (W × H × D) and handle/strap length
- Material and weight/GSM (or genuine/PU and thickness for leather)
- Quantity with colour/size splits and price-break points
- Vector artwork with Pantone colours, decoration method and placement
- Lining, hardware, zipper and reinforcement details
- Packing format, barcode requirement, destination country and Incoterm
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a tech pack to send an RFQ?
No. A tech pack helps, but the checklist above is enough to get an accurate first quote. Missing detail is resolved during specification.
How exact does the quantity need to be?
Give a number or a range with the quantities you would actually order. MOQ depends on material, construction and customization, so ask for price breaks at your likely volumes.
What artwork should I attach?
Vector files (AI, EPS, PDF) with outlined fonts, plus Pantone references for exact colours. Low-resolution images often need recreation and slow things down.
Why do suppliers ask for the destination country?
Because the Incoterm and destination affect freight, documentation and landed cost. Duties and import compliance are the buyer's responsibility to confirm.
How many suppliers should I send it to?
Enough to compare, usually two or three, with the identical RFQ so the quotes are truly comparable.