Approve the Real Thing, Not a Screen
A sample is the cheapest insurance in apparel manufacturing. Catching a fit or colour problem on one garment costs one garment — catching it after bulk costs the order and the season.
- 20
- pieces per design
- Minimum order
- 15–20
- working days
- Bulk lead time
- 7–10
- working days
- Sampling
- 4
- export markets
- Shipping to
What sampling actually is
A sample is a physical garment made before bulk production, so you can approve fabric, fit, colour and decoration on the real thing rather than on a screen mock-up. Everything about the bulk order is then measured against it.
This is the single most valuable step in the process and the one buyers most often try to skip to save a week. It is a false economy. A digital mock-up cannot tell you that a collar sits high, that a printed orange reads warmer on mesh than on interlock, or that your 3XL is tight across the shoulder. A sample tells you all three while it still costs one garment to fix.
We produce samples on the same line, in the same fabric, with the same decoration as the bulk will use. A sample made in a different fabric or by a different method is not a sample — it is a suggestion. Once you approve it, it becomes the physical standard our QC team measures every piece of your order against.
Equipment we run
- Dedicated sample room
- Same production line, fabric and decoration as bulk
- Approved samples retained as the QC measurement standard
How It Works
Every stage below happens under our own roof, which is what keeps a reorder matching the original.
1Pattern & first cut
Your pattern is cut in the actual production fabric. If we are developing the pattern from a description or a sample of your own, this is where it takes physical form.
2Sew the sample
Assembled on the production line by the operators who will run the bulk, using the same stitch types and seam construction.
3Decorate & measure
Decoration is applied by the same method as bulk, then the garment is measured against the spec and photographed from every angle.
4Your approval
You receive the sample and the measurement sheet. Nothing goes to bulk until you sign it off, and your comments are actioned into a revised sample if needed.
Where It Works, and Where It Doesn't
Every method has real limits. Knowing them before you commit is worth more than a supplier telling you everything is possible.
Best for
- Any first order with a new supplier — including us
- Verifying fit before committing a whole squad or season
- Confirming a colour match on the actual fabric
- Checking decoration placement and scale in the flesh
- Brands who need a salesman sample to sell from before bulk
- Size sets, where grading across the full run needs proving
Not suited to
- Orders where the deadline genuinely cannot absorb 7–10 days
- Exact repeats of a design we have already produced for you
- Buyers wanting a free sample before any commercial intent
- Replacing a tech pack — a sample confirms a spec, it does not create one
Full Specification
| Property | Specification |
|---|---|
| Fit sample | Checks pattern and fit. May use available fabric and colours. |
| Pre-production sample (PPS) | Final fabric, colour and decoration. The approval standard. |
| Size set | One garment per size, to verify grading across the run. |
| Salesman sample | Sellable-quality piece for brands taking pre-orders. |
| Lead time | 7–10 working days from artwork approval |
| Cost | Charged at cost, credited against the bulk order |
| Revisions | Comments actioned into a revised sample before bulk |
| Retention | Approved sample kept as the QC measurement standard |
What to Send Us
To produce a meaningful sample we need the same information the bulk order will need. If you do not have it all, tell us what you do have — most clubs start with a photo and a colour.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artwork | Vector files for print or embroidery elements |
| Colours | Pantone references, or a physical garment to match |
| Sizes | The size you want sampled — usually a mid-size like M or L |
| Fit reference | A garment you already like the fit of, if you have one |
| Fabric | Your choice, or tell us the use and we will recommend |
| Quantity intent | Rough bulk quantity, so we sample the right construction |
Not sure whether your files will work? Send them over and we will tell you before you commit — see the full artwork guidelines.
Choosing a method
Sampling Compared
The four sample types answer different questions. Ordering the wrong one wastes a cycle, so it is worth being clear about which you actually need.
- Fit sample vs PPS
- A fit sample answers "does this pattern fit?" and can be made in whatever fabric is to hand. A pre-production sample answers "is this exactly what I am buying?" and must be in the final fabric, colour and decoration. Most orders need the PPS; complex new patterns need both.
- PPS vs size set
- A PPS proves one size. A size set proves the grading across every size you are ordering. If your squad spans XS to 3XL, the PPS will not tell you whether the 3XL works — only a size set does.
- Sample vs digital mock-up
- A mock-up is free and instant and shows you the design. It cannot show you fit, drape, hand feel, or how a colour actually renders on your chosen fabric. Use mock-ups to agree the design, samples to agree the garment.
- Sampling vs going straight to bulk
- Straight to bulk saves 7–10 days and risks the entire order. We will produce without a sample if you insist and the design is simple, but on a first order or a new pattern we will tell you plainly that it is a bad trade.
Up Close
Signed off, then retained
Size set proves the grading
Measured, not eyeballed
Where We Use It
This method is part of the range we build for every sport below.
Sampling FAQs
How long does a sample take?
7–10 working days from artwork approval. That is the full cycle: pattern, cut, sew, decorate, measure and photograph. Rush is sometimes possible but we would rather tell you honestly than promise four days and miss.
Do samples cost money?
Yes, charged at cost — a sample consumes the same fabric, machine time and decoration setup as a production piece, without the volume. The cost is credited against your bulk order, so if you proceed it effectively costs nothing.
What is the difference between a fit sample and a pre-production sample?
A fit sample answers whether the pattern fits and may be made in whatever fabric is available. A pre-production sample is in your final fabric, colour and decoration — it is what you approve and what we then measure the bulk against.
Do I need a size set as well?
If your order spans a wide size range, yes. A pre-production sample proves one size. A size set proves the grading holds at the extremes, which is where fit problems actually appear — a 3XL is not a scaled-up small.
Can I skip sampling to save time?
You can, and for an exact repeat of something we have already made for you it is perfectly sensible. On a first order or a new pattern we will advise against it. Catching a problem on one garment costs one garment; catching it after bulk costs the order and usually the season.
What happens to the sample after I approve it?
We keep it. The approved sample becomes the physical standard our QC team measures production against — so "matches the sample" is a checkable statement rather than an opinion.
What if I do not like the sample?
Tell us what is wrong and we revise it. That is the entire point of the step. Comments on fit, colour, decoration placement or fabric are actioned into a second sample before anything goes to bulk.
Can you make a salesman sample so I can take pre-orders?
Yes. A salesman sample is finished to sellable quality so a brand can show it to buyers or run pre-orders before committing to production. Tell us that is the purpose and we finish it accordingly.
Need sampling on your next order?
Send us your artwork and quantities. We will confirm whether this is the right method for your garment — and tell you if it isn't.