How to Approve a Production Sample Without Regrets

Approving a sample is effectively signing off on your entire production run. Whatever you accept now is the standard the factory will be held to. A few extra minutes of review here can save weeks of rework later.

Review against the spec, not your memory

Lay the sample next to your original order: materials, colors, dimensions, logo placement, and packaging. Check each item one by one. It's easy to approve something that looks good but isn't what you asked for.

A practical checklist

• Color: compare under daylight, not just office lighting. Screens lie.
• Dimensions: measure. Small differences add up across sizes.
• Branding: check logo size, position, sharpness, and thread or ink color.
• Materials and feel: weight, stitching, finish, and durability.
• Packaging: labels, inserts, barcodes, and how the product sits in the box.
• Use it: wear it, wash it, fill it, drop it. Treat it like a customer would.

Be specific when asking for changes

"Make it darker" is hard to act on. "Match Pantone 19-4052 and move the logo 2 cm higher" is not. Include photos with annotations and measurements whenever you can.

In Merchin, you can review sample photos, request physical samples, and request changes on the order itself, so every revision is documented before production begins.