A pre-production (PP) sample is the last sample made before bulk cutting begins, and it is produced in the actual production fabric, trims, labels and packing. Once you approve it, both sides seal it, usually with a signed tag, and it becomes the single standard against which the whole production run is checked. Everything before the PP sample is development; everything after it is execution.
Because of that role, the PP sample is the one sample a buyer should never skip and never approve casually. A fault accepted at this stage is accepted for every garment in the order.
What makes a PP sample different
Earlier samples are allowed to use substitute fabric, available trims or hand-written labels. The PP sample is not. The fabric must come from the bulk lot or an approved lab dip, the buttons, zips and threads must be the bulk components, the labels must be the printed production labels, and the garment must be washed, pressed, folded and packed exactly as it will ship.
It is also made on or near the production line rather than in the sampling room where possible, so that it reflects the workmanship the factory will actually deliver. Some buyers ask for the PP sample in each colourway and in more than one size for this reason.
How to review and seal it
- Measure every point against the final specification and record the results.
- Check fabric hand, weight, shade and any wash or finish against the approved lab dip or fabric swatch.
- Compare every trim and label with the approved trim card and artwork, including placement and stitching.
- Confirm construction, stitch density and any special operations match the tech pack and the approved fit sample.
- Check folding, polybag, hangtag and carton marking against the packing instructions.
- Write any approved deviations on the comment sheet, so that production is judged against the sample plus the comments and not against the original spec alone.
- Sign and date the seal tag, keep one sealed piece with the factory and one with the buyer or their agent, and send any additional piece to the lab if testing is required.
Using the seal during production
The sealed sample is what the inline inspector carries down the line and what the final inspector measures against before the order ships. If the factory needs to change anything after sealing, for example because a trim is delayed, the change should be approved in writing and the seal comments updated. Otherwise the top of production sample is compared with the PP sample, and any difference is a defect.
Keep the sealed sample after shipment. For a uniform or basic that reorders year after year, it is the quickest way to check that a repeat delivery matches the first.
How we help
We check the PP sample at the factory against your spec, seal it with you and keep a counter-sample in our office so that there is always a reference close to the line. Where tests are needed we send a sealed piece to an NABL-accredited lab. We then carry out inline and final inspection against the seal, supervise loading, and send a weekly update. A free 20-minute sourcing review is the simplest way to begin.