Scope and pack geometry used in this article
This article uses one primary configuration throughout: a single-column flat stack inside an open-top PDQ tray, with each folded throw lying flat on its largest face. The folded length runs left-to-right across the tray opening, the folded width runs front-to-back, and the folded thickness builds vertically as the stack height. All sizing examples, formulas and FOB calculations below use that geometry.
The product scope is a typical promotional throw in 200gsm polyester polar fleece, usually 127 x 152 cm or 130 x 150 cm finished size, overlocked or narrow-hemmed, with a paper belly band or insert card and optional barcode label. If you change to vacuum-packed units, two-row tray layout, edge-standing presentation, thicker printed sleeves, or non-fleece constructions, the numbers below stop being reliable and the pack should be re-engineered from fresh measurements.
Keep retail tray and export carton logic separate. In this article, the PDQ is treated primarily as an inner display tray loaded into a master carton for export. A shipper-PDQ, where the display tray is also the shipping case, needs heavier board, different compression assumptions and a different validation sequence. Buyers should state which format they want before any dieline is drawn.
Where these programmes fail
A 200gsm polar fleece throw traps air after brushing and regains loft after compression. That makes folded thickness the unstable dimension. Under repeat production folding, a realistic working band for saleable units is often around 295-305 mm folded length x 245-255 mm folded width x 60-80 mm folded thickness, but only for a defined throw size, fold count, edge finish, paper component set and conditioning protocol.
Most failures start when tray dimensions are based on nominal blanket size, showroom hand-folds, or one approval sample. If the fold changes from four panels to six, if the belly band board rises from roughly 250-300 gsm paper to 350-400 gsm card, or if the care label is moved into the fold bulk, unit thickness can increase by several millimetres. A 5-10 mm increase per unit is plausible under those conditions, but it is not a universal planning rule. It depends on throw size, fold sequence, whether a band or polybag is present, and whether the measurement is taken before or after pack settling.
The second failure is treating stack height as simple arithmetic. Lower units compress under pack weight, upper units recover more, and fleece loft changes with brushing and heat setting. So stack height must be measured on the assembled tray under defined dwell time. Simple multiplication of unit thickness is only a rough upper bound for early planning, not a production dimension.
The third failure is freight logic that starts too late. A tray that looks tidy on the sample table may create wasted cube in the master carton, push gross weight over retailer or courier limits, or reduce 40HQ floor-load efficiency by several percent. Buyers should approve folded unit, tray, overwrap, master carton and load plan as one system. Related QC background is here: blanket quality control inspection.
Freeze the saleable unit before tray design
Before approving a tray, ask for 10-20 saleable folded units from pre-production or bulk fabric. They must match shipped retail condition: same fold sequence, same edge finish, same belly band or insert, same barcode placement, same hangtag if used, and same polybag if the retail unit includes one. Do not measure naked blankets when the shipped unit contains paper or film components.
Conditioning needs to be defined tightly enough to compare results across factories. A practical protocol is 23 +/- 2 degrees C and 50 +/- 5% RH for at least 24 hours after folding and banding. If a site cannot hold that range, the data can still be used for internal comparison only if actual temperature and RH are recorded on the report. Results from 20 C / 50% RH and 25 C / 65% RH should not be treated as equivalent, because fleece rebound and corrugated curl can differ materially.
Measure folded length and width with a rigid steel rule or flat measuring table after the saleable unit is fully assembled. Measure thickness with a thickness gauge or flat compression foot, not by hand squeeze. A practical method is a flat foot about 50-100 mm in diameter applying low controlled pressure in the range often used for soft pack measurement, enough to seat the foot without visibly crushing pile. Record whether the polybag, belly band and barcode label are included. Measure after overwrap only if the PO specifically controls overwrapped retail dimensions.
For production control, record minimum, average and maximum across the sample set. A usable PO line is: 'Folded saleable unit based on approved PPS, conditioned 24 h at 23 +/- 2 C and 50 +/- 5% RH, measured after assembly with belly band and barcode label, before tray overwrap, target 300 x 250 x 70 mm.' If tolerances are written, state them by axis. Thickness often needs asymmetric control, for example +5 mm / -10 mm, because excess thickness breaks tray count and carton height faster than slight under-thickness.
Measurement method and reporting format
Subjective wording like 'light contact pressure only' is too loose for cross-factory repeatability. Buyers should ask the supplier to state the gauge type or foot dimensions, the nominal applied pressure or instrument setting, the number of samples, and the exact measurement stage. Without that, one factory may hand-press units while another uses a broad foot gauge, and the two datasets cannot be trusted against each other.
A practical report format is simple: sample ID, folded length, folded width, folded thickness, whether paper band is fitted, whether polybag is fitted, ambient temperature, ambient RH, conditioning time, operator date, and photos of the measured unit. For thickness, measure at the centre of the folded pack. For length and width, measure the outermost retail envelope, not the textile core only.
If the buyer controls outer retail size, specify whether dimensions include overwrap film shrink. In many promotional programmes the PDQ tray is overwrapped as a tray unit, while individual throws are banded only. In that case, folded-unit dimensions should be measured before tray overwrap. If single units are polybagged before tray loading, include the polybag in the folded-unit measurement because it changes slip and fit behaviour.
For inspection, tie the measurement method to AQL instead of treating it as an informal engineering note. A common commercial approach for promotional blankets is AQL 2.5 for major defects and 4.0 for minor defects, with dimensional checks against the approved folded-unit report and packed-tray report. If the retailer is stricter, AQL 1.5 may be more appropriate for pack-out appearance and count accuracy.
Tray sizing method buyers can use
For the flat-stacked single-column PDQ used in this article, tray internal length and width are based on one folded saleable unit plus fit allowance. Tray internal height is based on assembled stack height after settling, not on a simple sum of unit thicknesses. As a working method: internal length = approved folded length + 8-15 mm; internal width = approved folded width + 8-15 mm; internal height = measured settled stack height + 8-20 mm depending on front-lip style, film tension and first-unit removal requirement.
Worked example for an 8-unit tray: approved saleable unit before tray overwrap = 300 x 250 x 68 mm average thickness, 72 mm maximum thickness, conditioned at 23 +/- 2 C and 50 +/- 5% RH. Simple multiplication gives 8 x 72 mm = 576 mm, but that is only a rough upper-bound estimate before pack trials. The planning value must come from an assembled 8-unit stack loaded into the trial tray and allowed to dwell under normal pack compression for a defined period, for example 24 hours. Under those conditions a settled stack might measure around 558-566 mm, depending on fleece loft and band stiffness.
Using that measured assembled stack, a practical trial tray ID might be about 310 x 260 x 570 mm, with a front lip around 80-120 mm and rear wall close to full stack height for stability. If removal is too tight, increase ID length or width before increasing height. Height that is too generous often worsens wall flare and weakens display appearance once film tension relaxes.
Do not convert to external dimensions until board construction is selected. Corrugated caliper changes outer dimensions enough to affect master-carton fit. On the tray drawing, specify dimensions as ID. On the master carton drawing, specify fit dimensions as ID as well. Then require the supplier to declare calculated OD after board selection. That avoids the common failure where one vendor works in ID and another in OD. Related product examples for picnic and display pack-outs are here: 190gsm polyester fleece blankets with rPET webbing straps and 280gsm rPET fleece blankets with RF-welded EVA zip cases.
Board specification: what buyers should actually request
A single ECT claim without context is weak packaging guidance. Corrugated performance depends on case style, panel dimensions, flute profile, caliper, gross weight, humidity, stacking duration and whether the load is palletised or floor-loaded. Buyers should request board data together with the transport assumptions used to select it.
For the PDQ inner tray, ask for: tray style code or drawing reference, board construction, flute profile, nominal caliper range in mm, liner and medium basis weights if declared, whether the board is kraft or test liner, and the supplier's board performance basis. For the master carton, ask for: case style, board construction, flute profile, nominal caliper range, supplier test basis such as ECT or BCT if available, target gross weight, warehouse stack height, sea-freight humidity assumption, and palletised versus floor-loaded shipment.
A practical PO clause is: 'Supplier to recommend tray and master-carton board against approved packed dimensions, carton gross weight, stack height of X cartons for Y days, sea export under humid conditions, and packed drop requirement. Submit board construction, nominal caliper range, case style, and supplier test report or internal validation record.' That is more useful than simply writing '32 ECT' or similar without load profile.
For humid export lanes, ask the carton vendor to state the conditioning used for the board report. If the board report is generated at standard dry lab conditions but the load is expected to sit in high-RH freight environments, performance margin needs to be conservative. For master cartons of promotional fleece throws, moderate-strength single-wall corrugated can be adequate in many cases, but only if OD, GW, pallet pattern or floor-load count, and transit humidity are aligned with the board selection.
If the buyer wants a formal packaging test basis, ask for supplier reports referencing recognised packaging methods such as edge crush or compression procedures commonly used by the board vendor, plus packed-case trial results. The important point is not the test acronym alone. It is whether the reported pack matches your actual tray OD, carton OD, gross weight, stack assumption and humidity exposure. Related background on backing and outdoor pack structures is here: picnic blanket backing options.
Film and overwrap specification
Shrink film is not just a cosmetic choice. It controls tray integrity, dust protection, barcode readability, and first-unit removal feel. For promotional fleece PDQs, clear polyolefin shrink film is common because it shrinks more cleanly around corners than many lower-cost alternatives and gives better retail presentation. Typical working gauges are around 15-25 microns, depending on tray perimeter, pack weight and corner sharpness.
Film that is too thin tends to split at tray corners or bridge badly across the front opening after tunnel shrink. Film that is too heavy can over-compress the stack, make first-unit removal difficult, and add avoidable cost and glare. If the tray has a cut-front display lip, specify whether the front opening remains partially open after overwrap or whether a perforated tear-away section is required for store staff.
Buyers should state seam location, venting or perforation requirement, and no-adhesive-contact with textile. A practical RFQ line is: 'Clear POF shrink film, target gauge XX mic, overwrapped on loaded PDQ tray, no corner split, no severe bridging at front opening, barcode scan through film, first unit removable without tearing band.' Validate the final film against the packed-tray test, not by gauge alone.
8, 10 or 12 units: a decision tree instead of a guess
Choose count by passing four gates in order. Gate 1: first-unit removal. Gate 2: tray wall stability after shrink and 24-hour dwell. Gate 3: master-carton height, gross weight and compression performance. Gate 4: container utilisation. If the pack fails an earlier gate, do not keep the count for freight reasons only.
For standard 127 x 152 cm to 130 x 150 cm, 200gsm polar fleece throws folded to roughly 300 x 250 x 65-75 mm with a paper belly band, 8 units is often the safest starting point for a single flat stack. Ten units can work if fleece loft is controlled and the tray wall design is strong enough. Twelve units often becomes too tall for stable first-unit removal unless the throw is folded more tightly or the tray is converted to a different format.
Working ranges for packed tray ID in this configuration are typically about 308-315 mm length x 258-265 mm width. Height depends on settled stack height: roughly 540-575 mm for 8 units, 665-710 mm for 10 units, and 790-845 mm for 12 units. These are planning bands only and assume standard promotional throw size, one paper band, no individual polybag, and dimensions measured before tray overwrap after conditioning and settling.
Approximate gross weights also need qualification. A 200gsm 127 x 152 cm throw has a textile mass around 0.39 kg before sewing trim and packaging. With thread, band and labels, a saleable unit may land around 0.42-0.47 kg. That makes an 8-unit PDQ roughly 3.4-3.9 kg net product mass before tray and overwrap, a 10-unit PDQ about 4.2-4.8 kg, and a 12-unit PDQ around 5.0-5.7 kg. Actual GW depends on tray board, film and carton selection.
Decision tree: use inner display inside a master carton when retailer replenishes by opening export cases in-store, when board cost must stay moderate, or when humid export risk is high. Use shipper-PDQ only when the retailer wants shelf-ready case handling, the count is low enough to keep compression manageable, and the board vendor can prove the display case survives export and handling without a protective master.
RFQ fields, PO clauses, drawing notes and validation checklist
Separate factory know-how from buying documents. For RFQ, request: finished throw size; fabric type and gsm; edge finish; fold sequence; saleable-unit components; conditioned folded-unit dimensions; PDQ count; tray style; tray board construction and nominal caliper; film type and gauge; master-carton style and board; target GW; palletised or floor-loaded shipment; Incoterm such as FOB Ningbo, FCA Shanghai or CIF destination; and barcode or retail compliance requirements.
For the PO, write enforceable clauses: approved fold sequence locked to PPS; folded saleable unit measured after 24-hour conditioning at 23 +/- 2 C and 50 +/- 5% RH; dimensions include belly band and barcode label; tray drawing dimensions are ID; master-carton fit dimensions are ID; supplier to declare tray and carton OD after board selection; packed-tray count fixed; no adhesive contact with textile; AQL level and pack appearance criteria fixed; and any change to fold, band or label location requires reapproval.
For drawing notes, keep wording short and unambiguous. Example: 'One flat stack of 8 folded throws per PDQ. Folded 300 mm dimension left-right, 250 mm front-back. Shopper removes first unit upward from front opening. Front lip on 250 mm side. Tray dimensions shown as ID. No raw board edge in contact with textile face. Barcode visible after overwrap.'
Validation checklist: confirm conditioned folded-unit report; confirm trial tray ID/OD and master-carton ID/OD; confirm settled stack height after 24-hour dwell; confirm first-unit removal; confirm film integrity; confirm tray insertion into master carton without crush; confirm packed-carton GW; confirm pallet or floor-load pattern; confirm shipping marks and barcode scanability. For lead-time planning around approvals and booking, see custom blanket lead times and shipping.
Simple pack test with quantitative pass-fail criteria
If the article promises validation, the test needs numbers. A practical pack test can be run without a full laboratory setup, provided conditions are recorded. Build at least 3 complete PDQ trays from production-representative saleable units and at least 2 packed master cartons from production-representative corrugated and film. Condition units and packaging for 24 hours at 23 +/- 2 C and 50 +/- 5% RH before assembly. After assembly, let the loaded trays dwell 24 hours before measurement. If humid-risk review is needed, expose one packed-carton set for an additional 24 hours at a higher recorded RH, for example around 70 +/- 5% RH, and treat the result as comparative for that site, not universal.
Recommended observations and pass criteria for the loaded tray after 24-hour dwell: count correct; tray wall bow not more than about 5 mm measured at the midpoint of the long wall relative to a straight edge; no film corner split; no film hole larger than 3 mm; no severe bridging that blocks product view; first unit removable by one hand without tearing the belly band, pulling adjacent units out, or collapsing the front lip; and tray remains rectangular enough to insert into the approved master carton without forced crushing.
Recommended packed-carton checks: weigh each carton and record GW; verify carton OD against drawing tolerance; stack 3 cartons high or to the intended warehouse stacking pattern for 24 hours; then inspect for panel bulge, top-panel dish, seam opening and corner crush. A practical commercial threshold is no major board failure, no tape seam opening, no permanent carton deformation that prevents pallet stacking, and no product damage after the stack dwell.
For handling simulation, perform a basic drop sequence on one packed master carton representative of ship condition: one drop on base, one on the shortest side, one on the longest side, and one on a corner, from a practical distribution height commonly used for hand-loaded retail cartons in the roughly 6-15 kg range. After drops, the pass condition is no carton rupture, no tray breakout through the carton, no film split exposing multiple units, and no more than minor cosmetic tray crush that still leaves the retail pack saleable if removed.
For acceptance sampling, tie the pack test to pre-shipment inspection. Example: pre-shipment inspection under AQL 2.5 major / 4.0 minor; dimensions checked on at least 13 units from the sample size code used by the inspection plan; packed-tray count and appearance checked on the sampled cartons; one assembled tray tested for first-unit removal per sampled lot; and any tray-wall bow, wrong count, major film split, or carton fit failure treated as a major defect. Buyers who need tighter control can move pack-out appearance and count to AQL 1.5. Related inspection guidance is here: AQL 2.5 inspection checklist.
Worked FOB load example
Title claims about tray size and FOB load should end in load maths, not general advice. Use this worked example as a planning model for an inner-display programme under FOB Ningbo terms. Assume one flat-stacked 8-unit PDQ tray with trial ID 310 x 260 x 570 mm. Assume tray board adds about 4 mm total to length and width and about 6 mm to overall height, giving tray OD about 314 x 264 x 576 mm. Pack one tray per master carton with approximately 8-12 mm clearance by axis, so master carton ID is about 324 x 274 x 586 mm. With moderate single-wall corrugated, master carton OD may land around 332 x 282 x 594 mm, subject to actual board caliper.
Using those OD figures, one carton volume is about 0.0556 cubic metres. If each saleable throw is about 0.44 kg packed and the PDQ plus master carton adds about 0.9-1.3 kg, carton GW may land around 4.4-4.8 kg. That is manageable for manual handling and gives reasonable stacking margin. On a standard export pallet, whether the pattern is efficient depends on pallet footprint and retailer limits, but a floor-load ocean shipment often matters more for FOB cube on this type of programme.
Now look at a 10 mm tray height change. If tray OD rises from 576 mm to 586 mm, master carton OD may rise from about 594 mm to about 604 mm. That 10 mm change seems small, but across many cartons in a floor-loaded container it can reduce vertical fit tolerance enough to force a different stacking pattern or lower the count by one layer in some layouts. The cost effect is not linear per carton; it appears at the break point where the next layer no longer fits safely.
The same logic applies to width. If tray OD width grows by 5-10 mm because the folded unit or board caliper was understated, master carton OD width may cross from a clean row pattern to a partial row pattern, creating dead cube. Buyers should therefore ask the supplier for a load sheet showing tray OD, master carton OD, carton GW, pallet pattern if palletised, and estimated floor-load count if floor-loaded, all tied to the approved pack drawing and the chosen Incoterm.
For mixed-SKU or alternate port planning, make the supplier quote on the same dimensional basis. FOB, FCA and CIF comparisons become misleading when one quote is built on nominal dimensions and another on approved OD. Related costing logic is here: EXW vs FOB Ningbo and CIF Hamburg costing.
What to ask your supplier for before approval
Ask for five documents, not just a quote. One: folded saleable-unit measurement report with conditioning and measurement method. Two: PDQ tray drawing with ID dimensions, board construction and front-lip orientation. Three: master-carton drawing with ID and declared OD, board construction and target GW. Four: packed-tray and packed-carton trial report with dwell conditions, first-unit removal result and photos. Five: pallet or floor-load plan tied to the approved OD and Incoterm.
If any one of those documents is missing, the programme is not fully engineered. Promotional fleece PDQ packs are usually straightforward once geometry is frozen, but they go off track quickly when fold sequence, paper components, board caliper and load assumptions are approved by different people at different stages.
For buyers comparing alternative retail constructions, a webbing-strap or roll-pack format may be easier to control dimensionally than a tall PDQ stack, while outdoor or picnic formats may need very different board and moisture logic. Useful related references are foldable picnic mats with webbing handles, 150gsm fleece blankets with satin ribbon rolls, and travel and airline blanket weight packing.
Frequently asked
Should buyers specify PDQ tray dimensions as internal or external? Specify the retail tray drawing by internal dimensions and the master-carton fit drawing by internal dimensions as well. Then require the supplier to declare external dimensions after board selection. This avoids ID-versus-OD confusion between tray vendor, carton vendor and sewing factory.
Can stack height be calculated as unit thickness multiplied by unit count? Only as a rough upper-bound estimate for early planning. Production stack height must be measured on the assembled tray under defined dwell time, because lower units compress and upper units recover differently. Do not write simple multiplication into the PO as the approved tray height.
What conditioning protocol is reasonable for folded fleece PDQ development? A practical target is 23 +/- 2 degrees C and 50 +/- 5% RH for at least 24 hours after folding and banding. If a factory cannot hold that range, results are comparative only within the recorded site conditions and should not be treated as equivalent across locations.
What sample size is enough for a practical pack validation? For engineering trials, 10-20 saleable folded units are usually enough to establish the dimensional band, and at least 3 complete trays plus 2 packed master cartons are enough for a practical pack test. For pre-shipment inspection, dimensional checks should follow the agreed AQL sampling plan.
What film gauge is typical for shrink-wrapped PDQ trays of 200gsm fleece throws? Clear polyolefin film around 15-25 microns is a common working range, but final gauge depends on tray perimeter, corner sharpness, pack weight and required opening style. Gauge alone is not enough; the approved film must pass corner-split, first-unit-removal and presentation checks on the real tray.
What board data should a buyer request instead of a simple ECT claim? Ask for case style, board construction, flute profile, nominal caliper range, liner and medium basis weights if declared, supplier test basis such as ECT or compression data if available, target gross weight, intended stacking height, humidity assumption, and whether the load is palletised or floor-loaded. The board recommendation should be tied to your actual pack geometry and transport profile.
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