Direct answer: Before authorizing packaging work for a first production run, send the supplier one final written checklist covering the product and order, every packaging item, the artwork to use, label placement, inserts, carton marks and anything that is still undecided. Ask the supplier to repeat back what it will print, apply and pack. Do not start because the artwork merely “looks finished”; start only after the open questions for this order have written answers.
What This Final Check Is For
This is a short pre-production handoff for a first-time importer, Amazon/FBA seller, TikTok Shop seller, Shopify/DTC brand or small team. Use it after the product and packaging have been discussed, just before the supplier sends packaging to print or begins applying labels and packing the order.
It is not a complete file-management system. If several artwork versions are circulating or you need a method for naming, archiving and approving files, use the separate packaging and label file version-control guide.
This checklist does not provide trademark, product-safety, legal or marketplace-compliance approval. The buyer remains responsible for checking applicable requirements through appropriate official or qualified sources.
Check 1: Does Everyone Mean the Same Product and Order?
Begin the message with the product, colour/size/model, quantity and order or quotation reference. Packaging that fits one version may not fit another.
If the product description is still unclear, use the first China order product specification guide before approving packaging. Do not use packaging approval to fill gaps in the product specification.
Check 2: Have You Listed Every Physical Packaging Item?
Write one line for every item the supplier will print, apply or put into the package:
- retail box, bag or wrap;
- product label and its placement;
- barcode artwork supplied by the buyer, when applicable;
- warning card, instruction insert or manual;
- polybag or other unit-packaging mark;
- master-carton mark; and
- any different language or market version required for this order.
If an item does not apply, say so in a sentence. If it is still undecided, name the question instead of leaving a blank field.
Check 3: Can the Supplier Name the Exact Artwork It Will Use?
For each packaging item, include the complete filename and ask the supplier to reply with the same filename. For example: “For the retail box, please use green-desk-organizer-box-v3-2026-09-07.pdf and confirm that this is the file you will send to the printer.”
The filename and product are illustrative, not a customer case or a universal naming rule. For detailed advice on replaced files, written approvals and production evidence, continue to the full file version-control guide.
Check 4: Are Placement and Physical Details Clear?
Artwork on a screen does not by itself show where a label will be placed or how the finished packaging will look. Ask the supplier to confirm the details relevant to the order, such as:
- where the label or mark will appear;
- which product variant receives each version;
- the packaging dimensions or dieline used;
- the material or finish stated in the order; and
- the number and language of inserts in each unit.
Choose an appropriate proof or sample for the order. This checklist does not prescribe an inspection method or prove colour, materials, dimensions, compliance or batch-wide conformity.
If the packaging shown for production differs from the approved sample or order, record the difference in the sample-to-production comparison guide rather than treating it as a minor visual change.
Check 5: Are Marketplace and Shipping Questions Kept Separate?
For Amazon/FBA, review current label, carton and destination requirements through the seller’s own account. The FBA supplier shipping checklist can organize sourcing-side questions, but it does not replace current marketplace instructions or make artwork compliant.
If packaging changes the quoted material, packing method, quantity or other included work, compare the revised scope with the supplier quote comparison guide. If payment instructions change, use the separate supplier payment verification guide.
Check 6: What Is Still Waiting for an Answer?
End the checklist with the remaining questions. Write them as instructions the supplier can answer, for example:
- “The label position is not confirmed. Please send the requested placement image before applying labels.”
- “The English insert is confirmed. The French insert does not apply to this order.”
- “The carton mark is still being checked. Please do not print it until we send a written confirmation.”
Do not hide unresolved questions inside a note called “pending” or “hold.” Say what must not start and what answer is needed.
Copyable Final Message Before Packaging Starts
The details below are fictional and show how to write the message. Replace them with the real order information.
This final packaging check applies to purchase order 104 for 500 green 240 mm desk organisers.
Please use green-desk-organizer-box-v3-2026-09-07.pdf for the retail box and green-desk-organizer-label-v2-2026-09-07.pdf for the product label. Include one English insert using desk-organizer-insert-en-v2-2026-09-07.pdf. The French insert does not apply to this order.
Please place the product label in the position shown in the placement image we confirmed on 7 September 2026. The carton mark is not confirmed yet, so please do not print it.
Before sending anything to print, please reply with: the filenames you will use, the product variant for each file, the insert quantity per unit, and the question still waiting for our answer.
Please do not treat this message as approval of any file or change not named above.
This illustrative message is not a production authorization for a real order, a compliance approval, a customer case or a promise of outcome.
Stop Before Production If Any of These Are True
Pause the affected packaging step when the product version is unclear, an item is missing from the list, the supplier names a different file, label placement has not been answered, a market-specific requirement is still being checked, or a packaging change may alter the quotation.
The goal is not to create a complicated record. It is to make the final pre-production conversation specific enough that the buyer and supplier can identify what may start and what still needs an answer.
Minimum viable next step
Create the register for one SKU and label every file as approved, change requested or unconfirmed. Send only the factual open questions to the supplier contact, then compare their response against your register before a production, payment or shipping decision. For small-batch sourcing, packaging, labeling, checks or consolidation coordination, review 1688 sourcing support, Pricing, FAQ or Contact with your product context.
Frequently asked questions
Is an email attachment enough to count as an approved packaging file?
Not necessarily. Keep an internal file reference, version/date and a production-use confirmation. An attachment may be a draft, a concept or a file for a later run.
Should every packaging change trigger a new quotation?
Confirm whether the change affects the agreed scope, materials, quantity, tooling or packing. If it does, compare the scope rather than assuming the earlier quotation still applies.
Can a sourcing agent confirm marketplace compliance for my label?
No. The seller remains responsible for marketplace, legal, product and destination requirements. A sourcing workflow can help coordinate the files and questions that the seller provides.
What should I do when the supplier has a different file version?
Do not assume which version should win. Mark the difference, identify the source and date of each file, and obtain a clear decision before treating either as the instruction for the current run.
Need to clarify a packaging or label change?
Send the product link, target quantity and destination. We will use those basics to identify which packaging, artwork or supplier questions need clarification before the next step.
You do not need a finished order plan or payment details to start.