The width that reaches the cutting table
Before comparing prices for luggage lining cut panels, ask each supplier for the usable fabric width available for cutting. The marker is the arrangement of pattern pieces on the fabric. A quoted full width can include edges that the cutting room cannot use; an otherwise cheaper roll may therefore produce fewer complete sets.
Record nominal width, measured width and agreed usable cutting width separately. ASTM D3774 provides a method for measuring textile fabric width, but a purchase order must still define the width the cutting plan requires. Ask how narrow sections, unusable edges and other excluded areas will be handled. A width printed on a quotation is not a substitute for checking the material allocated to your order.
For custom panels, provide the suitcase's internal dimensions, a pattern or a physical sample. A 20-, 24- or 28-inch sales description does not define corner shapes, wheel housings or handle channels. Approve a trial assembly inside the intended shell before releasing the production patterns.
Send a pattern pack that can be costed
Each pattern should carry its revision, part name, size, quantity per suitcase and the intended fabric face. State whether seam allowances are included. Otherwise, two suppliers can quote different cut shapes while appearing to price the same set.
Use the following fields as the cover sheet for the cutting enquiry. If a field is undecided, flag it for sampling rather than letting the cutting room choose silently.
| Field | What to specify |
|---|---|
| Units and scale | Millimetres or centimetres; a dimension to verify imported pattern scale |
| Pieces per set | Separate lid, base, gussets, pockets and reinforcement pieces |
| Direction | Grain direction, face side and permitted rotation or mirroring |
| Print position | Logo direction, repeat size and matching requirements |
| Cutting details | Seam allowance, notches, drill marks and identification method |
| Size mix | Required quantities for each approved shell model |
A small example explains the cost difference
Illustrative calculation only: suppose one rectangular cut piece measures 48 cm across the roll and 60 cm along it, with allowances already included. Assume rotation is not permitted, pieces may share cut lines, and there are no print-matching constraints. A usable width of 145 cm fits three pieces across because 3 × 48 = 144 cm. A width of 140 cm fits only two.
Under those simplified conditions, 300 pieces need 100 rows × 0.60 m = 60 m at the wider width, or 150 rows × 0.60 m = 90 m at the narrower width. These figures exclude end allowances, defects, trials and other production losses. They are not a luggage-liner consumption quote.
Real sets contain different shapes that may nest together more effectively. Ask for consumption from the actual approved marker and size mix; do not apply the rectangular example to a whole suitcase. Compare cost per complete usable set as well as cost per metre.
Decide which pieces may turn
A nesting program can find arrangements, but it needs the correct restrictions. Lectra's CutWorks documentation identifies material width, pattern repeats and orientation constraints as inputs to nesting. The practical decision for the buyer is whether a piece may be rotated, mirrored or moved away from a specified motif position.
Do not approve rotation solely because it saves fabric. View a sewn sample with adjacent panels in the proposed directions, especially where sheen or a directional logo makes a change visible. Separate left and right pieces when their features differ. If multiple colours or dye lots are involved, define which pieces must stay together in one suitcase.
What to approve before cutting
Keep the final pattern revision, usable width, marker length, sets per marker and calculated metres per set in the same approval record. Ask the supplier to identify any extra allowance separately and explain its purpose. There is no single waste percentage suitable for every lining, print and shell model.
Specify bundle labels by model, size, part and lot. Agree how missing or rejected pieces will be replaced and whether spare panels form part of the order. If the allocated fabric arrives narrower than the approved plan, request a revised marker and cost confirmation before cutting begins.