From sample to production: t-shirt sample types and their timeline

Sampling is the cheapest stage at which a mistake can be fixed. A mistake caught in a sample costs days; the same mistake caught after shipment costs the whole order. And yet the first thing new importers compress is exactly this stage, to save a fortnight.

The fabric swatch

Small pieces of the proposed fabric in its weights and colours. They ship by air in three to seven days and cost very little. This is where weight, hand feel and colour depth are settled before anything is made. Ask for more than one weight so you can compare by hand, because the difference between 160 and 180 grams does not show in a description, only in the touch. Keep the approved swatch signed and dated; it is your reference in any later dispute.

The first sample

A complete garment sewn to your specification, possibly in a similar rather than identical fabric. Its purpose is to prove the factory understood the design, the fit and the measurements. It normally takes seven to ten days. Expect revisions at this stage: they are normal, and any serious factory budgets one or two rounds for them.

The pre-production sample

This is the decisive one: made in the final fabric, the final colours, the final labels and the final print method. It takes a further five to ten days. Cutting must not begin before it is approved. Sign it with the date and keep one copy yourself and one at the factory, because it is the only practical and legal reference if the goods differ from what you expected. Ask for it in three sizes rather than one, so you can check the size progression.

The shipment sample

A piece pulled at random from the finished production before the goods leave. Its purpose is to confirm that what was produced matches what was approved. It goes by air and arrives weeks ahead of the cargo, and it is your last chance to stop the shipment if something material has drifted.

The full timeline

Fabric swatch 3 to 7 days, first sample 7 to 10 days, a revision round 5 to 7 days, pre-production sample 5 to 10 days, then production 25 to 40 days. That is 45 to 74 days before shipping. Anyone planning for a specific selling season should count backwards from the date the goods must be on sale, not forwards from the date they place the order.

Who pays for samples?

The usual arrangement is that the importer pays for the sample and its air freight, and the factory deducts it from the order if the order goes ahead. That is a fair structure: it discourages frivolous sample requests and protects the factory from unpaid work. Expect a sample to cost several times the production unit price, because it is made individually, off the line.

Common sampling mistakes

Approving a sample from photographs alone without receiving the piece; accepting only one size; skipping the wash test before approval; failing to sign and date the sample; and accepting a verbal change without updating the written specification. Each of these looks like saved time and ends as a larger cost.

Frequently asked questions

Can I skip the first sample? You can if you are repeating a product already made to the same specification. It is not advisable on a first order with a new factory.

How many revision rounds are normal? Two. Beyond three, the problem is usually the clarity of the specification rather than the factory.

Should I wash the sample before approving it? Yes, at least once, to measure shrinkage and check colour and print fastness.

We manage the full sampling cycle on your behalf and send you the pieces to approve yourself before production begins.