# Export Packaging and Carton Ratios | Surajmal > Source: https://surajmal.com/blog/2026/08/export-packaging-cartonisation [SSL Newsroom](/blog) Supply Chain # Export Packaging and Cartonisation: Ratios, Marks and What Delays a Shipment Kolkata · 30 AUGUST 2026 ·By Surajmal Editorial Team·11 min read Published 30 August 2026 Cartonisation is the plan that turns approved garments into a shipment a warehouse, forwarder and buyer can count. It sets the folding or presentation method, units per polybag and carton, size and colour ratio, carton dimensions, gross weight, shipping marks and carton numbering. A packing list then records the result carton by carton. This work begins before bulk packing. The purchase order, approved sample, size scale and delivery instruction all affect the plan. A carton can contain the right garment and still delay a shipment if its mark conflicts with the packing list, its ratio is wrong for the receiving warehouse, or its dimensions exceed the agreed specification. Packing is a controlled product stage, not an end-of-line task. The packing specification gives QC, the packing team and logistics staff one approved version to follow. A revised size ratio, store code or carton label is a release decision, not an informal instruction after garments have been sealed. ## What is cartonisation in a garment export order? Cartonisation is the calculation and physical arrangement of garments into export cartons. It answers four linked questions: what goes into each carton, how many cartons are needed, how each carton is identified, and what total weight and volume the shipment will present to freight. The calculation starts with the ordered quantity by style, colour and size. It then applies the agreed packing method. A flat-packed knitwear style may be individually folded, bagged and placed in a solid-size carton. A retail programme may use a pre-set assorted ratio that lets a store receive a balanced size run in one carton. Hanging garments, delicate embellishment, bulky fabric and retailer presentation rules can each change the carton choice. Packing element Decision to fix Why it affects the shipment Garment presentation Fold, hanger, tissue, polybag, banding or sleeve protection It protects the approved appearance and determines usable carton space Inner pack Units per polybag, inner box or bundle It controls how a warehouse can count and distribute the goods Carton assortment Solid size, solid colour, mixed size or mixed colour It determines the warehouse receiving and allocation process Outer carton Material, dimensions, weight limit and closure method It affects stacking, handling and freight volume Identification Shipping mark, carton number and barcode where instructed It connects the physical carton to the packing list and receiving record Carton count is an output of the plan. If 1,020 pieces are ordered and an approved solid carton holds 30 pieces, the base calculation is 34 cartons. An uneven balance may need a part carton, shown separately in the packing list. For a [full-package programme](/services/full-package), packing decisions sit alongside fabric, trims, sampling and delivery follow-through. The same discipline applies when the buyer supplies materials. The team still needs one controlled instruction for what the final goods must look like when opened at destination. ## Should garments be packed in solid or assorted cartons? Use solid cartons when each carton contains one size, colour or SKU, and use assorted cartons when each carton must contain an agreed mix. Neither is inherently better. The correct choice is the one that matches the buyer's allocation, warehouse and replenishment plan. An assorted carton contains a defined pack ratio, such as one XS, two S, three M, two L and one XL. The ratio is usually built from the size curve supplied with the order. It can help a buyer move a balanced size range through a warehouse or towards stores without opening and rebuilding every carton. The trade-off is that every carton must be packed and labelled accurately. One swapped size makes the carton total look correct while the allocation is wrong. Carton type Typical content Strongest use Main control point Solid size and colour One style, one colour, one size SKU-level warehousing and replenishment Match carton count to the size-level order quantity Solid colour, assorted size One style and colour with a repeated size ratio Balanced size allocation within a colourway Check every carton against the approved ratio card Assorted colour and size Several specified SKUs in one defined mix Store-ready or consolidated delivery programmes Mark every content line clearly on carton and packing list Mixed balance carton The final units left after full cartons are packed Completing an uneven order quantity Identify it as a mixed or balance carton, never as a standard pack Do not decide the ratio from a familiar curve. The purchase order may contain different size breaks by colour, channel or delivery group. If the order changes after the ratio is released, recalculate the whole plan. Trying to use the old ratio with a new size breakdown often creates excess in one size and an unexplained shortfall in another. The approved garment specification matters here too. A change in fold width, a thicker fleece, a rigid trim or an added inner box can reduce the safe units per carton. The [garment tech-pack guide](/blog/2026/05/garment-tech-pack-guide) explains why packing belongs in the product file alongside labels and trims, not in a separate spreadsheet that nobody revisits after sampling. ## How is ratio packing calculated and checked? Ratio packing is calculated by finding the largest whole number of complete ratio sets within each ordered size breakdown, then resolving the remaining pieces as a separate balance. The calculation must be performed for each style, colour and delivery group that has its own packing instruction. Take an example ratio of 1-2-3-2-1 across XS to XL. One complete pack contains nine garments. If a colour order is 120 XS, 240 S, 360 M, 240 L and 120 XL, it makes 120 complete assorted cartons. Each carton carries nine pieces, and the order total is 1,080 pieces. The arithmetic is simple. The control is ensuring that the physical packing follows it. Size Order quantity Ratio per carton Complete cartons supported Quantity packed in 120 cartons XS 120 1 120 120 S 240 2 120 240 M 360 3 120 360 L 240 2 120 - **240** XL 120 1 120 120 **Total** **1,080** **9** **120** **1,080** Where quantities do not divide cleanly, assign the remaining pieces to a separately approved balance carton, a revised ratio or a revised order quantity. Do not put extra units into standard cartons without changing the mark. Check ratio packing before bulk packing, at the packing station and in sampled cartons during QC. Compare the physical contents with the carton mark and packing list, as part of the same release discipline as [pre-shipment inspection and AQL](/blog/2026/05/pre-shipment-inspection-aql-guide). ## What should a shipping mark show on each carton? A shipping mark should identify the shipment, the carton and its contents clearly enough for the buyer's receiving team to connect it to the packing list without opening it. The exact layout comes from the buyer's shipping instruction, but the working fields usually include the buyer or consignee name, purchase-order number, style or item reference, colour, carton sequence, carton count and origin wording if supplied for the programme. The key is consistency. If the carton says “Carton 7 of 34”, the packing list should show carton 7 with the same contents, dimensions and weights. If one carton contains a balance pack, the mark needs to say so. A generic outer label such as “garments” gives a warehouse no usable route back to the order. Keep artwork and data separate where possible. A retailer logo, handling icon or formatted label can be part of the approved presentation. The operational fields still need to be legible and controlled. A change to the logo file must not obscure the carton sequence, while a late change to the purchase-order number must not require a designer to rebuild every element by hand. Shipping marks should be released before cartons are printed or labels are generated. If the instruction is still open when bulk is ready, use that time to resolve it. Re-labelling sealed cartons is slow, introduces counting errors and can make the carton sequence unreliable. ## Which carton specifications affect freight and handling? Carton specifications affect protection, warehouse handling and the volume presented to freight. The practical specification records the outer dimensions, board grade or construction where instructed, empty and packed weight limits, closure method, moisture protection, pallet rules if any, and whether cartons can be stacked. The packing team should test the proposed carton with the approved garment before bulk packing. A carton that looks suitable on a supplier drawing may crease a folded shirt, compress a padded jacket or leave excessive empty space that lets garments shift. The trial should use the real inner pack, labels, hangtags and any protective materials, because those details consume space and change the packed weight. Check the real fold, safe fill level, gross weight, sealed external dimensions and expected stack before bulk packing. Carton dimensions shape the freight decision, so a late carton-size change can alter the loading plan even when garment quantity stays constant. For the wider shipment file, see [shipping and export documentation](/blog/2026/05/garment-export-shipping-documentation). ## How should packing data connect to the packing list and shipment file? The packing list should be built from the approved cartonisation plan and then checked against the physically packed cartons. It maps styles and quantities into packages, shows carton count, net and gross weights, dimensions and marks, and provides the figures used by logistics and receiving teams. One master packing file prevents several versions of the shipment appearing at once. The order team may own style quantities, QC may confirm packed counts, and logistics may add transport references, but the carton sequence and totals should come from one controlled source. A handwritten correction on a carton or a separate list emailed to the forwarder can leave the documents describing a shipment that no longer exists. The basic reconciliations are mechanical: - total pieces by style, colour and size equal the purchase order or authorised balance - carton contents equal the ratio or solid-pack instruction - carton numbers run without duplicates or gaps - total cartons, net weight, gross weight and measurements equal the packing list - shipping marks match the buyer instruction and commercial documents Those checks work best when the pack plan appears on the order's [time-and-action calendar](/blog/2026/08/critical-path-time-and-action-calendar). Put mark approval, carton approval, packing start, final carton count and document review on the schedule. If packaging is left off the calendar, the work tends to surface only after final inspection, when changing it has the widest effect. ## What packing errors hold a garment shipment? The errors that hold a shipment are usually mismatches, not damaged cartons. A finished lot may be ready to collect, yet release stops because the marks show one carton total, the packing list shows another, or the buyer's receiving file expects a ratio that the packed goods do not contain. Packing error What it causes Recovery work Wrong size ratio in assorted cartons Warehouse allocation does not match the order plan Open, recount, re-sort and re-mark affected cartons Carton mark differs from packing list Forwarder or receiver cannot reconcile physical cargo to documents Verify each affected carton and reissue the controlled packing list if needed Duplicate or missing carton sequence Total package count becomes unreliable Reconcile the entire sequence before release Carton dimensions or weights are estimates Freight booking and loading data can be wrong Re-measure and update the shipment file before handover Old purchase-order or consignee data Goods may be routed or received against the wrong reference Stop label use, correct data and check all cartons already packed Unapproved balance carton The shipment contains units outside the agreed pack plan Obtain an instruction, then document and mark the exception clearly Many errors begin when a revised order or presentation change does not trigger a new pack plan. Final inspection can identify a wrong assortment, but carton trial, ratio reconciliation and mark approval catch it while the plan can still be changed cleanly. ## Short FAQ **Can one export carton contain more than one size?** Yes. An assorted carton can contain several sizes when the approved ratio states the exact quantity of each. The carton mark and packing list must show that it is an assorted pack and identify its contents. **What is a balance carton?** A balance carton holds the units left after complete solid or ratio cartons are packed. Mark it clearly, state its actual contents on the packing list, and obtain the relevant packing instruction before release. **Should carton weight be estimated from a sample?** No. A sample can help select a carton, but the shipment file should use representative completed-carton weights and sealed external measurements. Inner packing, trims and garment presentation can change both figures. **When should shipping marks be approved?** Approve them before printing carton labels or beginning bulk packing. The mark should be checked again against the final carton sequence and packing list before cargo handover. ## The release decision that protects the shipment Good cartonisation makes the physical shipment easy to read. Every carton contains what its mark says it contains; every mark maps to the packing list; every total reconciles to the approved order. Solid packs, assorted ratios and balance cartons can all work when they are planned, checked and recorded as separate instructions. The judgement is plain: cartonisation is not freight admin after production. It is a product-control step that protects allocation, documentation and release. Freeze the packing specification before bulk packing, verify the physical cartons against it, then issue one shipment file that describes the goods exactly as packed. Related pages - [Full-package (FOB)→](/services/full-package) - [Knitwear→](/products/knitwear) Share[](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsurajmal.com%2Fblog%2F2026%2F08%2Fexport-packaging-cartonisation) [](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsurajmal.com%2Fblog%2F2026%2F08%2Fexport-packaging-cartonisation&text=Export%20Packaging%20and%20Cartonisation%3A%20Ratios%2C%20Marks%20and%20What%20Delays%20a%20Shipment) [](https://wa.me/?text=Export%20Packaging%20and%20Cartonisation%3A%20Ratios%2C%20Marks%20and%20What%20Delays%20a%20Shipment%20https%3A%2F%2Fsurajmal.com%2Fblog%2F2026%2F08%2Fexport-packaging-cartonisation) [](mailto:?subject=Export%20Packaging%20and%20Cartonisation%3A%20Ratios%2C%20Marks%20and%20What%20Delays%20a%20Shipment&body=https%3A%2F%2Fsurajmal.com%2Fblog%2F2026%2F08%2Fexport-packaging-cartonisation) SSL Surajmal Editorial Team The Surajmal Editorial Team writes from inside a working textile export house in Kolkata, drawing on experience manufacturing garments, fabrics, and yarns for global retail buyers since 1968. Every article is reviewed by practitioners who source, sample, and ship the products they write about. On this page - [What is cartonisation in a garment export order?](#what-is-cartonisation-in-a-garment-export-order) - [Should garments be packed in solid or assorted cartons?](#should-garments-be-packed-in-solid-or-assorted-cartons) - [How is ratio packing calculated and checked?](#how-is-ratio-packing-calculated-and-checked) - [What should a shipping mark show on each carton?](#what-should-a-shipping-mark-show-on-each-carton) - [Which carton specifications affect freight and handling?](#which-carton-specifications-affect-freight-and-handling) - [How should packing data connect to the packing list and shipment file?](#how-should-packing-data-connect-to-the-packing-list-and-shipment-file) - [What packing errors hold a garment shipment?](#what-packing-errors-hold-a-garment-shipment) - [Short FAQ](#short-faq) - [The release decision that protects the shipment](#the-release-decision-that-protects-the-shipment) More from the newsroom - [Supply Chain · 11 min Size Grading and Fit: Specifying a Range That Fits Across Sizes](/blog/2026/08/size-grading-fit-specification) - [Supply Chain · 11 min Critical Path Management: Running an Order on a Time-and-Action Calendar](/blog/2026/08/critical-path-time-and-action-calendar) - [Supply Chain · 11 min Colour in Production: Lab Dips, Pantone TCX and Getting Bulk to Match](/blog/2026/07/colour-management-lab-dips-guide) START A CONVERSATION ## Ready to source with _confidence?_ Send a brief and we'll reply within 24 hours, with a first sample in 4 to 10 days. 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