Free Packaging Materials Purchase Order Template & Generator
A packaging order is really two orders. The stock lines, void fill and labels, are catalog items you can reorder tomorrow. The printed mailer is a made-to-order run tied to a spec drawing revision, an artwork revision, an approved proof, a plate charge, and a run tolerance that decides whether you are invoiced for 20,000 boxes or 22,000. This PO puts those revision numbers on the line, sets the release schedule, and names who stores the balance.
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| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom shipping cartons | 2500 | $1.18 | $2,950.00 |
| Printed mailers | 1500 | $0.72 | $1,080.00 |
| Barcode label rolls | 24 | $28.00 | $672.00 |
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Use-case checklist
What to include in a packaging materials purchase order
The run tolerance is the number that surprises people. A converter that quotes a 10% over or under allowance on a printed run is quoting a real range, so a $12,240.00 line can invoice at $13,464.00 with nothing having gone wrong, and a buyer who budgeted the ordered quantity is $1,224.00 short before freight. Revision control is the other exposure: a box printed to artwork revision 3 when your team approved revision 4 is 20,000 units of waste, and the only document that settles whose mistake it was is the approved proof referenced on the PO. Storage is the quiet one, because a converter holding 12,000 boxes past a free-storage window starts charging for the pallet space, and that charge arrives with no PO behind it.
- buyer, supplier, PO, and specification reference
- dimensions, material, grade, print, and revision
- quantity, pack, pallet, and tolerance
- proof, sample, quality, and acceptance requirements
- release schedule, freight, overruns, payment, and invoices
Example starting lines
| Description | Qty | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Custom shipping cartons | 2500 | $1.18 |
| Printed mailers | 1500 | $0.72 |
| Barcode label rolls | 24 | $28 |
Complete it cleanly
Attach the specification or drawing, reference artwork revision, state samples or proofs required, quantity tolerance, pack and pallet configuration, delivery releases, freight, overrun policy, and invoice milestones.
How to make a packaging materials purchase order in 6 steps
Open the purchase order generator
Start from this page so the purchase order opens with fields and sample lines already set up for e-commerce, manufacturing, and fulfillment teams. No account is needed to create or preview.
Enter both parties
Add your business name, address and contact details, then the supplier name and address exactly as they should appear on the record.
Add the packaging materials lines
Replace each sample line with the real work or goods. Make sure the document shows buyer, supplier, PO, and specification reference, dimensions, material, grade, print, and revision, quantity, pack, pallet, and tolerance.
Check the figures
Totals calculate as you type. Confirm quantities, rates, any tax line and the final total against your own records before you send anything.
Set the reference and dates
Give the purchase order a unique number and the correct date so it can be traced later and matched to related documents.
Review and download the PDF
Attach the specification or drawing, reference artwork revision, state samples or proofs required, quantity tolerance, pack and pallet configuration, delivery releases, freight, overrun policy, and invoice milestones. Preview is free; a PDF download costs $4.99, or is included with Unlimited.
Worked example
A 20,000-box printed mailer run released in two drops
Marrow Goods Co. issues PO PK-5108 to Quillan Corrugated & Print on August 11, 2026 against quote QC-3327. The mailer is built to spec drawing MG-BOX-08 rev C with artwork AR-112 rev 4, and Quillan holds the balance of the run after the first release.
- Printed mailer box, 10 x 8 x 4 in inside, 32 ECT B-flute, 2-color flexo outside, spec MG-BOX-08 rev C, artwork AR-112 rev 4: 20,000 ea at $0.612
- $12,240.00
- Plate and tooling charge, 2 colors, one time only, plates held by Quillan for reorders
- $685.00
- Kraft void fill paper, 15 in x 1,200 ft roll: 24 rolls at $41.50
- $996.00
- Thermal shipping label, 4 x 6 in, 250/roll, 20 rolls/case: 6 cases at $128.00
- $768.00
- Subtotal at the ordered quantity, the four lines above
- $14,689.00
- Run tolerance on the printed line, plus or minus 10%, billed as produced: at 22,000 boxes that line bills $13,464.00 and the subtotal becomes
- $15,913.00
- Release schedule: 8,000 boxes to ship Sept 2, balance held by Quillan up to 90 days at no charge
- Storage quoted after day 90
- Freight, prepaid and added, 4 pallets to the Kent fulfillment dock
- $520.00
- Sales tax, shown here as $0.00 because this example assumes a resale exemption covers packaging that ships with the product; whether it does where you operate, and what rate applies if it does not, is jurisdiction-specific, so confirm yours
- $0.00
- PO PK-5108 total authorized at the ordered quantity
- $15,209.00
Write the tolerance as a dollar range, not a percentage, so whoever approves the invoice knows the ceiling: this order can legitimately bill between $13,465.00 and $15,913.00 on goods, plus freight. Approving the proof against the artwork revision printed on the PO is the other non-negotiable step.
When this document is the right choice
Use this purchase order to authorize a purchase before a supplier fulfills it. A purchase order comes from the buyer and authorizes an order. The supplier later sends an invoice that references the PO number for matching and payment.
Frequently asked questions
What is a run tolerance and why is it on my purchase order?
It is the range a converter is allowed to produce against a printed order, commonly stated as a percentage over or under and billed as produced. On a 20,000-box line at $0.612, a 10% allowance means anything from 18,000 to 22,000 boxes is a complete order and that line lands between $11,016.00 and $13,464.00. Budget to the top of the range, and confirm the exact allowance in the supplier's quote rather than assuming a figure you read somewhere.
How do I keep the wrong artwork revision from being printed?
Name the file and the revision on the line itself, then make production conditional on a written proof approval quoting that same revision. In the example the line reads artwork AR-112 rev 4, so a proof arriving marked rev 3 is visibly wrong before the plates are cut. Keep the approved proof with the PO, because that pair is the only evidence of what was agreed when 20,000 boxes come back carrying last quarter's URL.
Who pays for the plates, and what happens to them on a reorder?
State it on the line. A one-time plate or tooling charge, $685.00 in the example, is usually billed on the first run and not repeated, but whether the converter holds the plates, how long they hold them, and whether you can move them to another printer are separate questions your quote may not answer. Ask before the first run, because plate ownership is far harder to negotiate once you want to leave.
Can one purchase order cover a run that ships in stages?
Yes, and it is usually better than splitting it, because the price was quoted on the full run quantity. Put the release schedule on the face, naming each release quantity and date, and state how long the converter stores the balance at no charge and what storage costs after that. Then receive and approve invoices against each release rather than against the PO total, so the first 8,000 boxes get paid while the balance is still on their floor.
Do dimensions belong on the PO if the spec drawing is attached?
Put the critical ones on the line anyway: inside dimensions, board grade, and flute. A drawing gets detached from an emailed order more often than anyone admits, and a line reading 10 x 8 x 4 in, 32 ECT B-flute still orders the right box on its own. Say explicitly that the dimensions are inside measurements, since the gap between inside and outside is exactly what decides whether your product fits.
More purchase order templates
Start with the closest business workflow and adjust the details.