The Questions to Ask When You Source a Manufacturer
My husband showed me a picture of a ruler.
“How much would it cost to make 200 of these for my students?”
He’s a maths teacher, and had seen a specific type of ruler (for teaching sine rule) that wasn’t available to buy. He had no idea if producing it was affordable.
Neither did I. But I knew where to start: 3D printing made sense for a small batch of a specialty shape that I assumed could be made out of plastic or acrylic.
I’ve spent 15 years in product operations. I’ve briefed hundreds of manufacturers for fashion, homeware, art prints, stationery. I know how this is supposed to work.
Which is why it was mildly horrifying to hesitate before hitting send on that first email.
Because 3D printing isn’t any of those things.
The terminology is different.
The process is different.
And I wasn’t sure if I was asking the right questions in the right way.
So I did what you do when you’re out of your depth: I asked everything.
“What information do you need from me? What material would you recommend? What type of file format? What’s the MOQ? What’s the lead time?”
Basically: I have no idea how this works. Please help.
And here’s what surprised me.
That approach worked brilliantly.
From Google to quote in 48 hours
I Googled “3D printing UK” and scrolled through results. Picked three manufacturers that seemed legitimate—professional websites, clear pricing structures, actual information rather than just marketing fluff.
All three had ‘instant quote’ tools on their websites—but those needed a 3D CAD file I didn’t have. So I emailed them instead.
My first email was:
“I’m sourcing a manufacturer to produce a small batch of custom rulers.
Quantity: 200 units.
Estimated dimensions: 10–15cm long.
Can you provide a quote?”
Then I added every question I could think of:
What information do you need from me?
What material would you recommend?
What file format do you need?
Can you create the CAD file from an image?
What’s the MOQ?
What’s the lead time?
One manufacturer replied with everything I needed:
Materials and finish options
Unit pricing (£2.50–3.50 per unit)
Lead times (6–10 days standard, 2–4 days express)
CAD file costs (£100/hour, ~2 hours)
MOQ (none—but £40 minimum order value)
One email.
No back-and-forth.
No confusion.
Here are the five questions that matter for any product, any manufacturer.
1. “What information do you actually need from me to quote accurately?”
I sent a reference image and rough dimensions.
I assumed they would need a technical drawing or CAD but I didn’t know the format or type of artwork.
They told me they needed a 3D file—specifically in STL format.
I didn’t have one. (I didn’t even know what STL format was—had to Google it.)
They referred me to a freelance designer who could create it for £100–200.
Why this matters:
If they’d needed a 2D technical drawing, I could have done that myself in an hour. But a 3D CAD file in STL format? Not my skillset. That would have taken me weeks to figure out—or I would have just guessed wrong and wasted time.
Asking upfront saved me from guessing.
What to clarify early—for any product:
Do you need technical drawings, or are reference images enough? What level of detail do your specs require? Will the quote change if specifications change later?
Specificity beats confidence here.
2. “What’s your MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)—and why?”
They said: “No MOQ, but we have a £40 minimum order value.”
At 200 units, that was fine.
But if I’d wanted 10 units to test? The unit cost would have doubled.
Why this matters:
MOQs aren’t arbitrary. They exist because of setup costs, machine time, and production efficiency.
Understanding why an MOQ exists helps you decide whether to order more than you need, pay a premium for smaller quantities, or find a different manufacturer entirely.
What to ask:
“What’s your MOQ for this product—and is that per design or per order? What happens if I order below it?”
3. “What does your lead time actually include?”
They offered two options:
Economy: 6–10 working days
Express: 2–4 working days
Sounds great—until you realise that’s production only.
It didn’t include:
time to create the 3D file (1–2 weeks)
sample approval
shipping
Actual lead time? Closer to 3–4 weeks.
Why this matters:
“6–10 days” sounds fast if you assume it means from today. It rarely does.
What to clarify:
Does the lead time start from payment or approval? Does it include sampling? What happens if materials are delayed? Is shipping included?
Lead times are promises—but only if you understand what they’re promising.
4. “What are your payment terms?”
They didn’t specify upfront. Which meant I should have asked:
What percentage deposit is required?
When is the balance due?
What happens if I’m not happy with samples?
For this project, I should have asked: “50% deposit, 50% on delivery—or is there flexibility if I need changes after samples?”
Why this matters:
Payment structure = risk structure.
For a £500–700 order, the risk is manageable.
For a £5,000 order, it’s not.
Tie payments to milestones wherever possible.
5. “What material would you recommend—and why?”
They suggested SLS Nylon, polished and dyed.
More expensive than PLA—but better quality and “won’t look 3D printed to the naked eye.”
I didn’t know what ‘SLS Nylon, polished and dyed’ actually meant in practice—so I should have asked for material samples to see the difference myself.
Why this matters:
Manufacturers know their materials better than you do.
But “what do you recommend?” gets you their default.
Better question:
“What material would you recommend if the priority is durability / cost / appearance / weight?” And: “Can you send material samples? How much does that cost?”
That one word—priority—changes the answer completely.
The email template
Here’s the email structure I use now—for fashion, ceramics, 3D printing, whatever.
Not perfect. Just specific enough to avoid expensive misunderstandings.
Subject: Quote request – [Product] – [Quantity] units
Hi [Name],
I’m sourcing a manufacturer for [brief description]. Here’s what I’m looking for:
Product: [Description]
Quantity: [Number]
Timeline: Needed by [Date]
Questions:
What information or files do you need to quote accurately?
What’s your MOQ for this product?
What material would you recommend if the priority is [cost / durability / appearance]?
What’s your lead time from approval to delivery?
What are your payment terms?
Can you provide samples before production? What’s the cost and lead time?
Let me know if you need anything else from me.
Best regards,
[Name]
Six questions. One email. Enough clarity to make a decision.
Copy this. Customize it. Send it.
