Creating a line sheet is important when starting a fashion business- but first and foremost, lets clarify what a line sheet actually is;
A line sheet is a form of sales tool used by fashion brands and designers to present to wholesale buyers- ultimately, it is a fashion bible and super informative. Line sheets should include every single fashion product image in your brand, appropriate information such as the description of the product, colour, sizes and the wholesale prices for buyers need to make purchases from your line. In a nutshell, a line sheet is a booklet that presents product information in front of buyers to generate more wholesale orders from retailers- it should be clear, to the point and informative.
The Use of Line Sheets in Wholesale:
Line sheets are essential to have. Appealing sales and marketing materials can help your fashion brand stand out from potential competitors. Line sheets work as a sales tool and are vital if you want to target multiple sales options like shops, galleries, retail stores, catalogues and websites.
A finely executed line sheet can make a massive difference- fashion buyers will request these when they are searching for a new brand, therefore having a professional and well-presented line sheet ready-to-go allows you to take on any upcoming opportunities that come your way; these may occur at meetings with potential fashion buyers or at fashion trade shows.
Essential Information to Add into a Line Sheet
Your line sheet should include these pieces of information:
– Cover should have your branding (logo etc)
– Contact details
– Ordering information and sales T&Cs
– Images of your fashion product
– Names of your product
– Description of your product (materials, colour, size, etc)
– Size run and availability of colours
– Minimum order requirements
Your line sheet should also have a very clear and direct format so that it is easy for the buyer to navigate. Try to organise your line sheet by product category, as this will be clearer for the buyer to read and understand, plus it will also look more professional!
Let’s go into a little more detail of what your line sheet should contain:
1. Product Images
Whilst it may be exciting incorporating exciting trend-driven images of your fashion products into your line sheet, it quite simply is not worth it. Instead, add clear shots of your product, ensure the background is light and there are no distractions, to make it as clear as possible- a plain white background is best.
2. Product Information
Besides or underneath the product image, you should have a small section of information, almost like a bio for each fashion product. This should include:
– Item ID
– Style name
– Material
– Colour
– Size
– Wholesaler price
– Retail price
– Minimum order quantity
– Additional supporting notes
3. Wholesaler Information
This part is essential and you need to ensure you do not make any errors and you are is informative.
Payment
Information regarding your payment methods that you accept and any other requirements you have for your brand (such as deposits, upfront payments, additional payments) need to be added in the wholesale information section.
Timing
Make sure you get across how quickly you can provide orders and give an estimate on timings. You need to be honest with this information if you want a loyal connection with your stakeholder. This should also include the last date that your product can be ordered by- this is dependent on your schedule.
Cost of Shipping
Add details of your delivery charges and whether this is applicable for them or if your company covers this part of the fee.
Return T&C’s
This is a very important section to include to avoid any potential difficulties. Return information should highlight your brands policy on your client returning a product. You need to inform clearly whether you take on returns or not and this should also include your terms and conditions (such as time limits, reasons, what you can or cannot accept etc).
4. What Software can I Create my Line Sheet on?
It may not be your first thought, but you will need to know what software you need to create your line sheet on! Most of time, the creation of the line sheet is a task for the graphic designers who can create a basic template for your line sheet. That said, you can create it yourself with Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, PowerPoint or even Microsoft Word.
Using Photoshop may actually be more difficult as you will have to create layers, so it is better to use InDesign. Using MS office is actually more user-friendly as the tools are easier to use and you can use a grid to help make the presentation of your line sheet look clean and professional. Alternatively, you can search many line sheet templates online- this may be a good guidance if you are a first timer.
