Build a Promotional Product Brief
Prepare quantity, color, artwork, budget and delivery requirements so promotional product quotes answer the same brief.
Read guide →Buyer resources
Make the next product decision clearer.
Check the details behind a shortlist: artwork, quantity pricing, samples and the date you need the order.
Plan your request
Three decisions before you request a quote.
Plan Trade Show Giveaways
Turn recipient estimates, handout plans, artwork and receiving deadlines into a practical trade show giveaway brief.
Read guide →Artwork, Virtual Proofs and Physical Samples
Understand what artwork files, virtual proofs and physical samples can help you check, and what still needs confirmation.
Read guide →Deep-dive guides
Compare the decisions that change cost, timing and finish.
Logo artwork checklist
File format, color references and alternate layouts for the available imprint space.
Read artwork guidance →Match the method to the surface
Review imprint areas, color limits and the detail your selected product can carry.
Read decoration guidance →MOQ and quantity tiers
Compare the same requirements and identify what still needs confirmation.
Read the price checklist →Samples and proofs
Decide whether your question concerns artwork placement or the physical item.
Read the sample checklist →Packaging and destinations
List the presentation and delivery details that belong in the quote request.
Read the delivery checklist →Working toward a fixed date
Make the needed date, destination and artwork status explicit.
Read the timing checklist →01 / Quantity & pricing
Compare like for like.
The minimum order quantity and the displayed quantity tiers are starting points for comparison. Check the chosen product and color, then use the same quantity and artwork requirements for each option.
- Record the number of pieces you actually need and the tier shown for that quantity. Do not assume a lower quantity qualifies for the next tier.
- Specify the decoration method, number of colors and imprint locations you want confirmed.
- Ask which decoration, packaging and delivery requirements are included in the quote, and which remain separate or unconfirmed.
- Compare the total for the same scope. A lower displayed unit price alone does not establish the lower final cost.
Keep in your brief: product selection, color, quantity, decoration requirements, destination and any budget limit. Product availability and final quote details still require confirmation.
02 / Samples & proofs
Name the question before choosing the check.
A virtual proof helps you review logo position, approximate scale and production notes. It cannot answer every question about the physical product.
- Artwork question: check the correct logo, layout, spelling, placement and stated decoration details on the proof.
- Product question: if size, feel or construction affects your decision, ask whether a physical sample is available and what it represents.
- Finished-result question: clarify whether any proposed sample includes the chosen decoration. Do not assume an undecorated sample shows the final print result.
Confirm availability, cost and timing before relying on a sample in your schedule. A virtual proof does not replace a physical sample when one is required.
Read the existing proof guidance →03 / Packaging & delivery
Describe how each gift will reach its recipient.
One event handout and a multi-item welcome kit raise different questions. Make your requested arrangement clear, then confirm whether it is available for the selected products.
- Identify whether products are handed out individually, packed together or presented in a specific box or bag.
- List item quantities and any required insert, assembly or labeling details as requests to confirm.
- State whether delivery is to one location or several, with the relevant destinations and needed dates.
- Ask how packaging dimensions, carton quantities and delivery requirements affect the quote.
Listing a requirement does not confirm a packaging, assembly or split-delivery service. Keep those items open until the quote specifically addresses them.
04 / Needed date
Work backward from when the products are needed.
Use the date products must be in hand, rather than only the event date. Availability, artwork review, production and delivery need to be considered together for the selected item.
- Record the destination and in-hand date, plus whether the date is fixed.
- State the required quantity, selected color and current artwork status.
- Identify any sample or proof review your team needs before proceeding.
- Ask for confirmation of the full schedule and any unresolved dependencies before making a commitment.
A product page, planning checklist or requested rush date is not a delivery commitment. If the schedule is uncertain, identify acceptable changes to the product, decoration or quantity for review.