Quick answer: A bag specification is the document that makes quotations comparable, samples verifiable and reorders repeatable. It needs twelve fields: style reference, dimensions, material and colour, lining, hardware, internal structure, stitching and edge finish, branding method, packing, quantity with colourway split, destination market and delivery date. Written once, it prevents the three most common project failures — quotes that cannot be compared, samples that cannot be approved objectively, and a second order that does not match the first.
Why an incomplete brief produces quotes that cannot be compared
Suppliers quote what they are asked for, and where the brief is silent each supplier fills the gap with its own default. One assumes an 8 oz canvas, another assumes 12 oz. One includes a metal zipper, another a nylon one. One quotes with a printed hangtag, another without.
The result looks like a price difference and is actually a specification difference. Because the gap is invisible at the quotation stage, it is usually discovered at the sample stage — or worse, at the reorder, when the second batch is checked against a first batch that was built to a different document.
The twelve fields a bag specification should contain
| Field | What to state | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Style reference | Name or code, plus reference photos or a physical sample | Gives every quotation and sample a common identity |
| 2. Dimensions | Width, height, depth, strap drop or handle length, with tolerance | Determines pattern, material usage and fit for the intended contents |
| 3. Material | Material family, weight or thickness, finish, supplier reference if fixed | The largest driver of cost and of how the bag ages |
| 4. Colour | Colour reference and the surfaces it applies to | Prevents colour drift between the sample and bulk |
| 5. Lining | Type, colour, and whether padded or bonded | Affects interior feel, cleaning and water resistance |
| 6. Hardware | Zipper type and length, sliders, snaps, rings, plating finish | Where bags fail first; also a strong quality signal |
| 7. Internal structure | Interlining, stiffening, reinforcement at load points, base panel | Decides whether the bag holds its shape and where it tears |
| 8. Stitching and edges | Stitch density, thread colour, edge finish method | Close-range quality signal and a durability factor |
| 9. Branding | Method — print, embroidery, embossing, metal plate — plus placement and size | Different methods suit different surfaces and have different durability |
| 10. Packing | Polybag, retail box, sleeve, hangtag, carton configuration | Quoted separately and easy to under-specify |
| 11. Quantity | Total, and how it splits across colours and sizes | Colourway split changes cutting and printing setup costs |
| 12. Market and delivery | Destination country, compliance requirement, target delivery date | A market requirement discovered late is a schedule risk |
Dimensions: how to state them so they can be checked
Dimensions are the field most often written in a way that cannot be verified. Three rules fix that:
- State whether the measurement is external or internal. A tote with a specified external width and an unspecified lining thickness will not have the internal width the buyer assumed.
- State the measurement point. “Width 38 cm” means different things on a bag with curved sides, gussets or a soft body.
- State a tolerance. Soft goods vary. A tolerance of a few millimetres is normal; a product that must fit a laptop or a specific carton needs the tolerance written down before, not after.
Material and colour: specify against a retained sample
Material is the decision that constrains every other one, and colour is the field most likely to drift. Both are best fixed against something physical.
- Approve a material swatch and keep it. Repeat orders should be matched against the retained swatch rather than against a photograph or a digital colour value.
- Record the weight or thickness and the finish, not only the colour name. “Black PU” describes a very wide range of products.
- Decide which surfaces must match exactly and which may vary slightly. On a multi-material bag, insisting on perfect uniformity across a printed fabric and a coated leather usually adds cost without improving the product.
Our comparison of PU leather, genuine leather, canvas and nylon explains how each family behaves, which is useful when a specification has to trade cost against service life.
Structure and hardware: the details that decide how the bag ages
Two buyers can specify identical material and still receive products that age differently, because structure and hardware sit underneath the visible surface.
- Interlining and stiffening determine whether the bag holds its shape and how the front panel behaves when the bag is full.
- Reinforcement belongs at handle attachments, strap anchors, zip ends and base corners — the points that take load. This should be written into the specification, not left to the factory's discretion.
- Hardware should be specified by type and finish, including plating, since plating determines how quickly the finish wears. Our guide to bag hardware and zippers covers the components and what to test. The structural side is covered in bag structure and construction.
What to send with the first enquiry
- Filled specification, or the closest available draft of it.
- Reference photographs, or a physical sample where one exists.
- Branding artwork in a usable format, if decoration is required.
- Target quantity and the colourway split.
- Destination market and any compliance requirement.
- Target delivery date, including the date the goods must be on the shelf rather than the date they leave the factory.
Buyer FAQ
Do I need a specification if I am sending a physical sample?
Yes. A sample shows what the product should look like; it does not state material weight, hardware specification, interlining, tolerances or packing. The sample answers some questions and leaves others open, and the open ones are the ones that cause rework.
How detailed should the branding field be?
Method, placement, size, colour and, where relevant, the material of the logo plate. If the method is left open, the result may be a technique that does not suit the surface — embossing on coated fabric, for instance, behaves differently from embossing on leather.
Can the specification change after sampling?
It can, but the change should be documented and the sample re-approved if it affects appearance, function or the parts that take load. Silent changes are what make a reorder arrive different from the first shipment.
What makes a reorder match the first order?
A written specification plus retained physical references: the approved sample and the approved material swatch. Production is then checked against objects rather than against memory.