Practical notes for people who buy fixtures

Guide · Briefing

How to brief a fixture manufacturer (and get a quote you can compare)

A comparable quotation needs five things: what the fixture holds (product dimensions and weight), where it stands (footprint and environment), how many (units and stores), what it should look like (finish references), and when (install date). Send those five and any competent manufacturer can price the same product. Leave two out, and you are comparing five different fixtures that happen to share a name.

Drawings help, but a dimensioned sketch plus product photos covers most of it — we convert briefs into production drawings as part of engineering. The one thing that cannot be retrofitted is the install date: production and sea freight are planned backwards from it, so share it even if it is provisional.

Guide · Materials

Steel, aluminium or acrylic? Choosing the right material for the job

Match the material to the failure you fear. If the fixture might sag, overload or be knocked daily — that is steel's job, powder-coated in your brand colour. If installers will carry it up stairs every week, aluminium earns its premium in weight saved. Acrylic is not a structure; it is a presentation surface — risers, trays and covers where clarity makes the product the hero. Most premium fixtures use all three, each where it is strongest. See our materials guide for the detail.

Guide · Files

Preparing drawings for quotation: PDF, STEP, DXF — what actually matters

STEP files let us verify geometry precisely; DXF drives cutting directly; a well-dimensioned PDF is perfectly quotable. What matters more than the format: overall dimensions, material callouts, finish specification, and quantities. Photographs (JPG/PNG) are enough for a feasibility answer — we will tell you what else is needed rather than guess. Our RFQ form accepts all of these formats.

Guide · Rollouts

Planning a multi-store rollout: the five decisions to lock early

Successful rollouts are decided before production starts: (1) the golden sample — one approved unit every batch is judged against; (2) the kit list — exactly what one store receives, including fixings and instructions; (3) labelling — store codes on every carton, matched to your list; (4) phasing — quantities and dates aligned to your installers, not to production convenience; (5) spares — a small allowance for damage and late store changes. Our rollout page explains how each is handled in production.