**To send drawings for custom teak furniture, export your design as a dimensioned PDF plus an editable CAD file (DWG, DXF, SKP or STEP), add reference photos, put target dimensions in millimetres, and note the teak grade and finish. Share the pack by WhatsApp, email, or a shared Drive link — one folder per item keeps every quote accurate.**
Getting a custom teak project right starts long before the first plank is cut. The drawing pack you send decides how fast you get a quote, how close the first sample lands, and whether the finished container matches what was in your head. Here is the practical, exporter’s-eye view of what to send, in which format, and what happens after you hit “send.”
What file formats should you send for a custom teak project?
A dimensioned PDF is the anchor of any set of custom teak furniture drawings, because it prints cleanly on the workshop floor and can be marked up by hand. Pair it with an editable CAD file so the exporter’s drafter can pull exact measurements instead of scaling off a picture.
| Format | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PDF (dimensioned) | Approval sheets, floor printing | Universal; keep it 1:1 or state the scale |
| DWG / DXF | 2D shop drawings, joinery detail | Editable in AutoCAD; preserves exact lines |
| SKP (SketchUp) | 3D massing, quick concept | Fast way to show proportion |
| STEP / IGES | 3D solids, hardware, CNC parts | Cross-software; best for machined detail |
| OBJ / FBX / 3DS | Renders and visual reference | For the look, not for cutting |
| JPG / PNG / hand sketch | Intent and reference | Always pair with real dimensions |
If you only have a hand sketch, send it anyway — just add real target dimensions. Jepara workshops build shop drawings from sketches every week, but they cannot guess your intended width, seat height, or plank thickness.
What should the drawing pack actually contain?
A quotable pack is more than one file. The more of the checklist below you include, the fewer rounds of email before production starts.
- Overall dimensions in millimetres: width, depth, height, plus seat or table-top height
- Material and grade: solid teak, grade A heartwood or grade B, and indoor or outdoor use
- Joinery preference: mortise-and-tenon, dowel, floating tenon, or knock-down fittings for flat-pack shipping
- Finish: natural oil, matte lacquer, whitewash, or left raw to weather grey outdoors
- Quantity per item and the target to fill a container (MOQ is usually a mixed container that cubes out)
- Reference photos or links for the look and any inspiration piece
- Destination market — flag the EU early, because it changes the paperwork
Flagging the destination matters. Exporting teak from Indonesia requires SVLK, the national timber-legality system that has been mandatory for timber-industry operators since January 2013, and EU-bound wooden furniture needs a V-Legal Document. Wooden furniture also sits within the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), whose full requirements phase in around end-2026, making geolocation and due-diligence data a live 2027 concern for buyers. None of this changes your drawing — but it tells the exporter which documents to prepare alongside it. Acceptance always rests with the authorities, so no one can promise customs or EUDR clearance in advance.
What happens after you send drawings?
Sending files kicks off a review-and-sample loop. Below is the typical sequence and the windows to expect — treat these as indicative, as of 2026 and subject to change with complexity and workshop load.
| Stage | What happens | Typical window |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing review + queries | Exporter checks feasibility, missing dimensions, wood movement | 1-3 working days |
| Quotation | Quote-based per-piece pricing built from your item list | 2-5 working days |
| 3D render / shop drawing | CAD shop drawing or render returned for sign-off | 3-7 working days |
| Sample / prototype | Physical piece built in your chosen grade and finish | 2-4 weeks |
| Finish swatches | Teak swatch panels prepared and shipped | 1-2 weeks |
| Production | Begins after deposit and written approval | Per PO, container-based |
The two slow steps are always the physical ones: the prototype and the finish swatches. They are also the two worth waiting for, because a screen render never shows how grade A heartwood takes an oil finish versus grade B.
How do 3D renders and shop drawings get signed off?
Once your drawing is understood, the exporter returns either a 2D shop drawing — for joinery-heavy pieces — or a 3D render for anything where proportion and silhouette carry the design. This is your checkpoint: confirm dimensions, joint style, and grain direction before any teak is cut. Approving the shop drawing in writing, even a quick “approved” typed onto the PDF, locks the spec and protects both sides if the sample later differs from expectation.
Keep this loop tight. Every unanswered query on a shop drawing stalls the whole timeline, so reply to the drafter’s questions in one consolidated message rather than in a slow trickle.
How do finish swatches and samples keep the final piece accurate?
Teak color shifts with oil, age, and sun, so a written “walnut brown” means very little on its own. Ask for physical finish swatch panels in the same grade you have ordered. For a first-time custom program, request a full sample piece rather than a swatch alone — it confirms construction, moisture behaviour, and finish together.
Kiln-dried teak (jati) from Jepara typically leaves the workshop at roughly 8-12% moisture content, which keeps joints tight during shipping and in dry importing climates. A good sample lets you verify that stability before you commit a whole container loaded FOB Semarang, Surabaya, or Jakarta.
What are the most common drawing mistakes to avoid?
- Sending a render with no dimensions — pretty, but impossible to cut from
- Mixing millimetres and inches on one sheet
- Leaving out the thickness of tops, legs, and aprons
- No note on indoor versus outdoor, which changes both joinery and finish
- Forgetting hardware specs for knock-down or extension pieces
Fix those five and your first sample will land far closer to final, saving a costly revision round on the prototype.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I only have a photo and no technical drawing?
You can still start. Send the clearest photos you have, plus the key dimensions you need — width, depth, and height in millimetres — and any reference for the joints or legs. Jepara workshops routinely reverse-engineer a shop drawing from a photo and your target sizes, then return a CAD drawing or 3D render for your approval before anything is cut.
Should I send drawings in metric or imperial units?
Send metric — millimetres — whenever you can, because Indonesian workshops cut in millimetres and kiln-dry teak to roughly 8-12% moisture at those tolerances. Imperial is accepted, but label every dimension with its unit and note the tolerance. Mixing units on a single sheet is the most common cause of a re-drawn sample, so keep one system throughout the whole pack.
How do I protect my design when I send custom furniture drawings?
Share files through a private link or direct email rather than a public post, mark drawings “confidential — for quotation only,” and ask for a short NDA or mutual confidentiality note before sending full CAD sources. Reputable exporters sign these routinely for private-label and OEM buyers, and doing so does not slow the quote down.