Manufacturer · Fashion & Home Accessories
A sample is a specimen of the accessory that the brand receives and approves before serial production starts. With garment accessories there are three main types: a standard sample from stock (to choose the style), a custom sample (with your logo, colour or size) and a pre-production sample from the actual production process. Something different is approved at each stage – style, colour, logo, function – and every written approval becomes the reference for accepting the run. A well-prepared sample saves repeat rounds and complaints.
Why the sample is the cheapest insurance
A mistake found on a sample costs as much as one sample. The same mistake found in finished garments – the wrong zip shade, illegible label text, a button that will not go through the buttonhole – costs a whole batch. That is why the sample is not a formality but a risk management tool in garment production.
Stage 1: standard sample
A standard sample is an article from stock or from the catalogue. The aim is to choose the style: shape, size, material, weight, feel, surface appearance.
- What is checked: the size relative to the buttonhole or seam, the weight relative to the fabric, the overall look next to the fabric.
- What is approved: style and size, possibly a standard colour.
- Tip: request two or three adjacent sizes or variants at once so you do not need a second round.
Stage 2: custom sample
When the accessory must carry your logo, match the colour of the fabric or have a non-standard shape, a custom sample follows.
Accessories with a logo
For logo buttons, metal plates or zip pullers, a drawing or visualisation is approved first: the size and position of the logo, the engraving depth, raised or recessed. Then a physical sample is made. For cast and stamped accessories this is the moment when a mould is made, so the drawing must be approved carefully. See the options on the branding page and in the engraved buttons category.
Custom labels
With woven and printed labels, a digital visualisation is approved first, followed by a sample from the loom or the printing machine. You check the legibility of the smallest text, the colours of the yarns or ink, the softness of the edge and the fold. A woven label looks different from the screen – fine lines get thicker and gradients are replaced by separate colours. You will find more about the technology under woven labels.
Colour matched to sample
When zip tapes, buttons or elastics are dyed to match the fabric, a colour trial (lab dip) is made. It is approved under standard light, next to the original fabric. Good practice is to send a physical fabric swatch, not just a Pantone code, because fabric and accessory reflect light differently.
Stage 3: pre-production sample
The pre-production sample is made with the materials, machines and process that will be used for the run. It confirms that the approved custom sample can be repeated at scale.
- What is checked: match with the approved sample, colour repeatability, quality of the finish, function (slider movement, snap click, attachment strength).
- What is approved: the final specification for the run.
- Reference standard: keep one signed specimen yourself and one with the manufacturer – this is the reference at goods-in.
How the sample is assessed in the factory
Approval should not come from the designer alone. Ask the production technician or the senior machinist to try the sample on the machine that will run the production. Does the button pass through the buttonhole without effort and stay stable after sewing on a button machine? Does the zip sew in with the available foot without waving the seam? Is the label soft at the neck and does it not crease when folded? Can the metal accessories be attached with the available press and die? These practical checks take a few minutes but reveal problems that cannot be seen at the desk.
Table: what you approve at each stage
| Stage | Approved | Typical mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Standard sample | Style, size, material | Choosing from a photo without a buttonhole test |
| Custom sample | Logo, colour, shape | Approval on screen instead of on a physical specimen |
| Pre-production sample | Final specification | Skipping the stage when in a hurry |
How to avoid repeat rounds
- Send a complete specification. Size, material, colour, logo in vector format, position, quantity.
- Send the fabric. A physical fabric swatch is more accurate than any colour code.
- Test under real conditions. Sew the sample into a trial garment, wash and iron it.
- Consolidate comments. One list with all remarks from design, production and sales instead of a series of emails.
- Approve in writing. A clear “approved” or “not approved because…” with a specific reason.
- Do not change the fabric after approval. A new fabric means a new colour trial.
Samples for the whole collection
When a collection has zips, buttons, labels and ribbons, it is most efficient to coordinate the samples together – against the same fabric and under the same light. This way the colour of the zip, the button and the thread is approved in one go, and the labels in a consistent style. A manufacturer covering different groups of garment accessories can prepare these samples in one package.
What to keep after approval
- A signed reference specimen of every approved sample.
- The final specification – with code, size, colour and finish.
- The colour trial next to the fabric swatch.
- The certificates for the article, for example OEKO-TEX®.
For a repeat order, these documents allow a large part of the process to be skipped.
Samples from Polkom
Polkom is a Bulgarian manufacturer of accessories for fashion, furniture, footwear and bags, based in Sofia, with over 30 years of experience. We quickly send standard samples from stock and make custom samples – buttons with a logo, zips in the fabric colour, woven and printed labels and metal accessories. Browse the accessories category and request a sample via the inquiry form.
