Most first enquiries are incomplete in the same few places, and the gaps only become expensive after the sample arrives. Tick these off before you send, and again before you pay.
How to use this page. Section A is what to put in your first message. Section B is what to confirm in the factory's reply. Section C covers what happens after the sample. Tick items as you go — your progress is saved in this browser. Use the print button to keep a paper copy beside the physical sample.
The expensive omissions are consistent. Buyers send a reference image without stating the yarn direction, so the factory samples in the wrong hand-feel. They ask for "the MOQ" as one number, then discover the minimum applies per colour. They accept a sample fee as a lump sum and only later learn that grading and a second sample are charged on top. And they leave pattern ownership unsettled until it matters.
None of these require a formal Tech Pack to avoid. They require the enquiry to separate what you have decided from what you want help deciding — and the reply to put a number and a boundary against each part.
FAQ
Checklist questions
What should I include in a first knitwear sample request?
Include the garment description and key construction details, the yarn direction and any acceptable alternative, the number of colourways, the first sample size with any measurements still to be confirmed, the quantity scenarios you want priced, and a clear statement that the request is for feasibility and quotation rather than an order.
What should I confirm before paying a sample fee?
Confirm the itemised breakdown of the sample fee, the cost of a further sample, whether grading is charged separately, the lead time for materials and for the prototype, and whether the paid pattern and knitting program transfer to you on payment.
Do I need a Tech Pack to request a sample?
No. A reference image plus a structured description is enough to begin. What matters is separating the details you have decided from the ones you want the factory to help develop, so a preliminary suggestion is not mistaken for a final specification.
