THE SHORT ANSWER
Start here
DECISIONS TO MAKE FIRST
Decide these before you shortlist providers.
- 01
Where will the merchandise be sold: shows, online, retail or a combination?
- 02
Which products, quantities, variants and quality level are realistic for the budget?
- 03
Who owns and prepares production-ready artwork?
- 04
Who receives, stores, sells and ships the finished stock?
01 / PRACTICAL STEP
Define the product before requesting prices
A cheap unit price is meaningless when the garment, print, quantity and included work differ.
Sales context
Estimate whether the stock is for one show, a tour, pre-orders, an online store or long-term fulfilment. This changes quantity and delivery decisions.
Product specification
List product, material, colour, construction, sizes or variants, decoration positions, finish, packaging and any required quality or sourcing criteria.
Quantity assumption
Build a working size or variant breakdown from evidence you actually have. Keep uncertain demand visible and ask about minimums and economical reorder quantities.
Target cost
Separate production, samples, screens or setup, labels, packaging, freight, taxes, storage and fulfilment. Do not compare only the printed unit line.
02 / PRACTICAL STEP
Prepare artwork for the production method
The design and the manufacturing file are related but not always the same deliverable.
Design ownership
Confirm who owns or may use the artwork, type, logos and photographs. Record the supplier’s permission to display finished work if that matters.
Production file
Ask the selected manufacturer for current templates, colour, line, bleed, scale, separation and file requirements before final export.
Placement
Use the supplier’s printable areas and agree how placement and size are measured. A small digital mock-up is not a production measurement.
Version control
Keep one approved production file per product and colourway, with a proof that clearly identifies the matching order.
03 / PRACTICAL STEP
Make samples and proofs real decision gates
Approval should test the characteristics that matter before the complete quantity is produced.
Blank or base product
Where relevant, assess fit, sizing, material, colour and construction before approving decoration on the full order.
Proof type
Clarify whether approval is a digital layout, colour reference, print strike, physical sample or complete pre-production item.
Tolerance
Ask the supplier to state normal production variation, defect handling, shortages, overruns and what evidence is required for a claim.
Approval record
Name the approver and keep the approved proof with the order. A later preference change is not the same as a production defect.
04 / PRACTICAL STEP
Plan what happens after production
Finished boxes are not the end of the project if nobody can receive, count, store or sell them.
Labelling and product information
Check the current rules for the product and every market where it will be offered. EU textile products have fibre-composition labelling requirements, with language obligations depending on where they are sold.
Delivery
Confirm packed dimensions, shipment terms, destination access, appointment needs, customs responsibility where relevant and who checks the delivery.
Stock control
Record received quantities and variants, discrepancies, damaged items and available stock before selling.
Fulfilment and tour sales
Decide storage, pick-and-pack, postage, returns, show allocations, nightly settlement and restocking as separate operational needs.
WORKING CHECKLIST
Is the brief ready?
Use this list before requesting a quote. The chosen provider's current specification and professional advice still take priority.
Sales route and realistic quantity assumptions are documented.
Product, material, colour, variants and decoration are specified.
Setup, sample, packaging, freight, storage and fulfilment costs are visible.
Artwork rights and production-file responsibility are clear.
The supplier’s current template and file rules are being used.
The exact proof or sample approval gate is agreed.
Labelling and market-language obligations are assigned for checking.
Delivery, stock count, defects, reorders and fulfilment have owners.
ASK THE PROVIDER
Questions worth asking every shortlisted provider.
- 01
Which product and order assumptions does this quotation use?
- 02
What setup, sample, label, packaging and delivery costs are excluded?
- 03
What exactly will we approve before full production?
- 04
How are production variation, defects and shortages handled?
- 05
Who receives and operates the stock after delivery?
CONTINUE IN FORGE
Find the services named in this guide.
SOURCES AND FURTHER READING
Sources behind this guide
External requirements can change. Open the current source before relying on a technical, platform or legal detail.