Define the supplied carton
Use the same drawing revision, internal dimensions, board description and GSM in both enquiries. State whether the supplied item is a flat blank, glued carton or assembled pack. Different supply conditions can move work and cost between the supplier and your operation.
Record the print, coating and finishing scope in plain terms. A base quote with a separate finishing charge should not be compared directly with an all-inclusive quote without identifying that difference. Matching checklist text is an aid to review; it is not evidence of identical colour, tolerances or performance.
Count each charge once
Suppose the base carton costs EUR 0.10 and separately charged printing and finishing cost EUR 0.02 and EUR 0.01. The entered variable cost is EUR 0.13 per purchased carton. If the supplier already includes those services in EUR 0.13, additional printing and finishing must be entered as zero.
For 10,000 cartons, EUR 250 freight and EUR 400 first-order tooling give EUR 1,950 in first-order cash requirement. With the same quantity and freight but no repeated tooling charge, the repeat total is EUR 1,550. The EUR 400 difference comes from charge scope, not from a change in board consumption.
Check MOQ, packs and expected usable quantity
If cartons are sold only in cases of 500, an order for 10,100 units rounds to 10,500 purchased units before any supplier MOQ is considered. Confirm that the price applies to this quantity. A price tier quoted for a different run length may require a new offer.
Only enter an unusable fraction when you have a reason for that planning assumption. For a 10,000 usable-unit target with 2% expected loss, the unrounded purchase need is 10,000 ÷ 0.98, approximately 10,204.082. With 500-unit cases it becomes 10,500, yielding an expected 10,290 usable cartons. This is an illustrative forecast, not a promised acceptance rate.
Retain the technical review
The folding carton comparison keeps the die-cut reference, print and finishing description beside the purchasing totals. Record unresolved details rather than treating an empty field as a match. Export both the table and the charge assumptions.
Before placing an order, verify the artwork revision, trial requirements, tooling reuse conditions and the quoted delivery scope. The tool excludes tax, duty and inventory financing and does not determine suitability for a particular product.
Common questions
Should die-cut tooling appear on repeat orders?
Only if it is charged again. The tool separates first-order tooling from recurring freight and material.
Can I compare glued and unglued cartons?
Their commercial scope differs. Identify the additional work and cost before treating the offers as equivalent.