Line sheet definition
A line sheet is a sales document for wholesale. It lists the products in a collection or season with the information a buyer needs to decide and to write an order: what it is, what it costs them, what it should sell for, which options exist and how many they must buy.
It is usually a PDF of a few pages, though more brands now send it as a link to an online catalog. It is common in fashion, accessories, jewelry, home goods, beauty and food and drink, basically any category where independent stores buy from brands.
What is on a line sheet
A typical line sheet example has a cover with the brand and season, product pages in a grid, and a final terms page.
- Brand name, logo, season and contact details.
- Product photo, ideally on a plain background.
- Style name and SKU or style number.
- Wholesale price and MSRP.
- Colors, sizes or size runs, materials where relevant.
- Minimum per style and case pack, if any.
- Opening and reorder minimums, ship window, payment terms and how to order.
Line sheet vs lookbook vs catalog vs price list
These words get used loosely, but buyers expect different things from each one.
- Lookbook: styled, editorial images that show the mood of the collection. Few or no prices. Its job is to inspire.
- Line sheet: every product with SKU, wholesale price, MSRP, options and minimums. Its job is to make ordering easy.
- Catalog: a broader product presentation, often covering the full range rather than one season. Online, a catalog can also take the order.
- Price list: a table of SKUs and prices without much product presentation, often per customer or per tier.
When buyers ask for a line sheet
Buyers ask for a line sheet when they are interested enough to consider an order: after a trade show visit, after a cold email they liked, after finding you on Instagram, or before a market week appointment. Existing accounts also ask for the new season’s sheet so they can plan reorders.
Have it ready before you pitch. "I will send it next week" loses momentum, and a buyer comparing several brands will order from the one whose information is complete.
How to send a line sheet
The classic way is a PDF attached to an email. Keep the file small enough to open on a phone, name it clearly (brand, season, year) and put the key terms in the email body too, because buyers skim.
A link to an online catalog is the other option. It opens on any device, it always shows current prices and stock, and buyers can build the order right there. With LINK, the same link works by email, SMS, Instagram DM, WhatsApp or a QR code on your trade show table, and buyers need no app or account. Many brands send both: the PDF for the buyer’s files, the link for ordering.
Common line sheet mistakes
Most line sheet problems show up later as follow-up emails or wrong orders.
- No SKU, so orders arrive as "the blue one on page 3".
- Missing MSRP, which makes buyers calculate their margin themselves.
- Minimums and terms hidden or left out entirely.
- Inconsistent photos that make products hard to compare.
- Sending an old version after prices changed.
- Files too large to open on a phone.
From line sheet to orders
The line sheet starts the conversation; the order is what you are after. With a PDF, the buyer still has to write the order somewhere else (an email, an order form or a spreadsheet) and you retype it. That is fine at low volume and slow at high volume.
A live catalog closes that gap. In LINK, buyers see their own price list, minimums and case multiples are enforced in the cart, stock is current, and the order arrives in your dashboard with buyer details and totals. You pay a flat subscription with no commission on orders, LINK never touches the payment, and you can try it free for 30 days without a credit card. To make your first PDF, use our free line sheet generator.