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Design
TECH PACK FORMAT
Tech packs must be provided the factories as print-ready PDF files including a design detail page, fabric and trims, print art, BOM, labelling, packaging, and CAD drawings with specks and grading rules.
NEED HELP TO CREATE YOUR TECH PACKS?
Our Design team has extensive knowledge to produce high-quality tech packs providing instructions that is clear for any off-shore production team to follow. Please go to our DESIGN page to book this in.
CREATE YOUR OWN TECH PACKS
If you are able to complete tech packs up to industry standards but need a good template, a user-friendly version can be purchased on our Shop.
- Print Method: E.g. silk screen print, digital print, rubber, panel, rotary, placement etc.
- Print size, scale and direction.
- Pantone colours
- Seamless repeat artwork
- If your artwork is not setup to the above standard, your project manager may need to quote you to update or amend your artwork.
CHINA – FABRIC IMPORT FAQ FOR SWIM & ACTIVE
COMMON HICCUPS TO AVOID WHEN SOURCING FABRICS OR TRIMS.
WHAT IS IT?
They are a “test swatch” of either custom-dyed colours (Lab dip) or prints (Strike off) onto the material for pre-approval before sample metres or bulk material is purchased. You must choose Pantone TPX or TPG dye and print colours unless your print method is digital.
This service is only offered to existing customers or new customers intending to produce with our factories. The request for lab dip’s and strike off’s must be placed along with tech packs and tentative order QTY.
Some of the factories have dye and printing in-house facilities, but most commonly this is outsourced.
GENERAL LEAD TIMES
(not including shipping time)
LABDIP’S & PRINT STRIKE OFF: 10 -15 days
BULK FABRIC DYE: 20-35days (pending dye method)
BULK FABRIC PRINTED: 30-40days (pending print method)
MANUAL DYE
Manual dye or manual print method (eg: screen print) is a process used for small MOQ and common in Bail and India (not China). This method is more unpredictable with accuracy and timelines than machine dye or machine print such as digital or rotary print. This is not only because it is done by hand, but also whether will impact how the colour develop.
Once your strike-off is approved, there is generally a 5% tolerance between sample and bulk accepted.
**If you require the same colour dyed across multiple fabrics types, please be aware of the following (in particular for the hand-dye process):
- There will be a tonal difference between fabric types as they will absorb colour differently, especially if the dye method is manual.
- For a faster and more cost-effective process, please request lab dip on one fabric type first, once the correct one has been approved, you can request the remaining fabric types to be matched according to the approved lab-dip.
HOW TO SECURE YOUR MATERIAL WILL BE AVAILABLE WHEN YOU ARE READY FOR BULK ORDER
We can calculate how much you will need by your tech packs and tentative order, and then either put down a 35% holding deposit for “estimated quantity”, or buy the rolls for you to store in the factory to ensure fabrics don’t sell out and delay your production by up to 2-3 months whilst the mill is re-producing.
This is particularly recommended if you use fabrics that are either:
- Expensive (supplier doesn’t keep much stock due to cost)
- Not “standard” stock
- Material that is complicated in production, such as – Silks, organic cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo etc.