When should I approve fabric, color, printing, and trims?
Close all four approvals before cutting starts, in a fixed order: fabric quality first (quality code, GSM, composition), then colour (lab dip or bulk swatch under D65), then decoration (print or embroidery standard on the actual fabric), then trims (zippers, cords, labels). At VANRD this is the pre-production approval gate — bulk timing starts from that approval, not from the PO date.
Why the order matters
Fabric choice changes how colour reads and how decoration behaves. Approving a print before the fabric is fixed means re-approving it later. Approving a lab dip before the fabric quality is fixed means the dip may not match the bulk base at all.
Once cutting begins, a colour change is not an edit — it is a re-cut or a re-dye, and both cost more than the delay would have.
| Order | Approval | What you are signing off |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fabric quality | Quality code, GSM, composition, shrinkage |
| 2 | Colour | Lab dip or bulk swatch under D65 |
| 3 | Decoration | Print or embroidery standard on production fabric |
| 4 | Trims | Zipper, cord, labels, packaging sample |
| 5 | Pre-production sample | Bulk version confirmed against the approved sample |
What “approval” should mean in writing
An approval is a dated decision against a physical standard, recorded in writing. “Looks good” in a chat message is not an approval, and it will not settle a dispute three weeks later.
Keep the approved standard sealed, physically or photographically, with the shade reference noted.
Field example
A brand approved the print first and changed the fabric a week later. The print, which read correctly on loopback, sank into the brushed surface of the new fleece and lost contrast. The decoration had to be re-approved and the bulk start moved by eleven days.
Numbers that matter
- Sequence: fabric quality → colour → decoration → trims → pre-production sample
- Bulk lead time of 25–35 days starts from pre-production approval
- Approvals must be dated and tied to a physical standard
- A change after cutting is a re-cut or re-dye, not an edit
- Service Process
- Fabrics & Techniques
- Sweater & Knitwear Manufacturer
- OEM/ODM Apparel Manufacturing by Brand Type
- Custom Headwear Manufacturer
- Streetwear Manufacturer
- Custom Clothing Quality Control
- Tracksuit Manufacturer
- T-Shirt & Jersey Manufacturer
- Pants & Bottoms Manufacturer
- Hoodie & Sweatshirt Manufacturer
- Jacket Manufacturer
