Pre-production samples and approvals

A pre-production sample is the last chance to catch a problem before bulk runs

Production runs move fast once they start. Cutting, screen printing, embroidery, sublimation, pad printing, full bleed heat transfer: every technique has a different rhythm, and every technique is more expensive to fix after the bulk run begins than before. The pre-production sample exists exactly so the client and the supplier agree on what is about to be made, while making it still costs very little.

The standard flow is the same for embroidered apparel, printed T-shirts, ceramic mugs, branded backpacks and the rest of the catalog. Once the quote is accepted and the deposit clears, our studio prepares a digital mockup at no charge for orders above roughly MXN 30,000. The mockup shows the blank product in the chosen color, the artwork at the correct scale, the Pantone references for any spot color, the stitch or print area in millimeters, and the placement coordinates relative to seams or measurement landmarks. The mockup is sent as a layered PDF and a PNG, so the client can drop it into a presentation for sign-off without redrawing it.

Once the digital mockup is signed off, we move to the physical pre-production sample. For embroidered pieces the sample is a small swatch on the actual base fabric, with the logo sewn at the agreed thread colors, typically four to six thread colors per design. For printed apparel the sample is the same blank we will run in production, printed once with the production screens, with the same inks, the same cure temperature and the same press cycle. For drinkware, ceramics and hard goods the sample is a single finished unit pulled from the line after the first article inspection, not a hand-made approximation.

The pre-production sample carries a fee that depends on the technique and the base product. For most apparel embroidery and screen printing the sample runs between MXN 450 and MXN 1,200 per piece, including courier. For complex pieces such as dye-sublimated full-bottle drinkware or custom molds for plastic or silicone, the sample cost includes a portion of the mold amortization and runs higher. The sample fee is credited back against the invoice when the production order proceeds within the agreed window, usually ninety days. If the client decides not to proceed, the sample fee stays with us as compensation for the setup work.

The turnaround for a pre-production sample depends on the technique and on whether the base blank is in stock at our warehouse in Guadalajara or in Mexico City. Stock blanks ship the sample in five to seven business days. Special blanks pulled from the supplier on request add another ten to fifteen business days. Pantone color matching for screen printing takes an extra three business days because we mix the ink, lay down a drawdown, photograph it under D65 light and compare it to the Pantone chip. Embroidery thread colors are matched against Madeira and Coats palettes directly, so they do not need a separate drawdown step.

Revision rounds after the first sample are billed at a small fee per round, usually between MXN 200 and MXN 600 depending on what changes. A revision that only changes thread color is cheap. A revision that changes placement, scales the logo, switches from embroidery to printed appliqué, or modifies the base blank costs more because it touches screens, digitizing, or sourcing. Most well-prepared orders need one sample and zero or one revision; orders with weak artwork or unclear briefs routinely need two or three revisions and the cost adds up.

The approval of the pre-production sample is the green light that triggers the bulk run. We send the sample by courier with a pre-printed approval form, or by email with a marked-up photo if the client prefers a remote sign-off. The approval must come from the contact registered with the order file, not from anyone else, and must reference the sample batch number so the audit trail stays clean. Once approved, the production schedule is locked, the deposit is committed, and resampling after that point is treated as a modification, not a revision.