Boorim Textile SolutionsTextile sourcing uses several sample stages. Each sample answers a different question. A lab dip checks colour direction. A development sample checks construction or appearance. Bulk fabric shows actual production. A shipment sample confirms what is being sent.
Confusing these stages can create approval problems. A small lab dip is not proof that bulk fabric will match every performance requirement. A shipment sample is not the time to redesign the fabric.
Knowledge pill: Textile samples are decision checkpoints. Lab dips guide colour approval, bulk fabric proves production result, and shipment samples help confirm what is leaving the supplier.
What is a lab dip?
A lab dip is a small colour sample dyed in a laboratory or sample room. It is made to show how a colour may look on a specific fabric or material.
Lab dips are mainly used to approve:
- Colour tone
- Shade direction
- Lightness or darkness
- Colour matching against Pantone, buyer standard, or physical swatch
Lab dips are usually small. They may not show full production hand feel, shrinkage, roll-to-roll consistency, or final finishing behaviour. They are a colour approval tool, not a complete bulk approval.
What is a strike-off?
A strike-off is a sample used to approve print, pattern, coating, embossing, or surface application. It helps confirm the appearance and placement of a design or finish before bulk production.
Strike-offs may be used for:
- Printed fabric
- Coated fabric
- Embossed film or laminated fabric
- Patterned surface effects
- Logo or graphic placement
Like lab dips, strike-offs are small-stage approvals. Bulk production can still vary if machinery, fabric base, coating weight, or finishing conditions change.
What is a pre-production sample?
A pre-production sample is made before bulk production to confirm that materials, colour, construction, finish, and process direction are ready.
It may be a small fabric length, garment sample, roll sample, or technical material sample. It is closer to bulk than a lab dip because it should use the intended materials and production route as much as possible.
Pre-production samples help confirm:
- Final colour direction
- Fabric construction
- GSM, width, thickness, or hand feel
- Finish or coating appearance
- Test performance direction
- Packaging or labeling if needed
What is bulk fabric?
Bulk fabric is the actual production fabric made for the order. This is the material that will be shipped, cut, sewn, converted, or used in manufacturing.
Bulk fabric should be checked against the approved specification:
- Colour and shade lot
- GSM and width
- Composition
- Construction
- Shrinkage
- Colour fastness
- Surface defects
- Coating, lamination, or finish performance
- Roll length, packing, and labeling
Bulk fabric may have normal tolerance. The key is agreeing the tolerance before production.
What is a shipment sample?
A shipment sample is taken from the completed goods before or during shipment. It helps the buyer confirm what is being dispatched.
Shipment samples are useful for:
- Checking that bulk fabric matches the approved sample direction
- Keeping a reference for future claims or reorders
- Reviewing shade, hand feel, and surface appearance
- Supporting internal records
A shipment sample should not be used for major changes. If a problem is found at shipment sample stage, the discussion becomes quality control or claim handling, not development.
How the stages compare
| Sample type | Main purpose | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Lab dip | Colour approval | Does not prove full bulk performance |
| Strike-off | Print, coating, pattern, or surface approval | May not show full production consistency |
| Pre-production sample | Final confirmation before bulk | Still may be smaller than full bulk scale |
| Bulk fabric | Actual production result | Needs inspection and agreed tolerance |
| Shipment sample | Reference from finished shipment | Too late for normal development changes |
Good approval habits
Use clear approval language:
- “Approved for colour only”
- “Approved for construction”
- “Approved for bulk production”
- “Approved with comments”
- “Rejected; revise shade darker”
Keep one approved standard sample. Mark it with date, colour code, fabric code, supplier, and approval status. Without a controlled standard, later comparison becomes subjective.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes include:
- Approving a lab dip as if it guarantees bulk performance
- Changing colour after bulk production starts
- Comparing bulk against the wrong reference sample
- Forgetting that different light sources change colour perception
- Not keeping retained samples
- Waiting until shipment sample stage to raise development questions
Fast recall
A lab dip checks colour, a strike-off checks print or surface effect, a pre-production sample confirms readiness, bulk fabric is the actual order, and a shipment sample records what is being sent. Each sample has a different job.