How long does a digital mock-up take?

24–72 hours for a straightforward jersey and short in a single colourway. Complex placement prints, multiple colourways or engineered panel layouts push it to 4–6 working days. Digital mock-ups do not need fabric or production capacity, so they are the fastest and cheapest iteration loop.

What is a PP sample and how long does it take?

A pre-production (PP) sample is a physical, production-representative garment made from the approved digital mock-up. It uses the correct fabric, correct decoration and correct construction — the same conditions bulk will run under. Lead time is 10–14 working days from digital sign-off, plus courier transit.

Do I need a size-set before bulk?

For a first-time programme with unfamiliar fit, yes. A size-set is one piece per size in one colourway, so fit can be validated across the full grading range before committing fabric for bulk. For repeat programmes with the same block, size-set is usually skipped.

How many revision loops should I expect?

Two is normal — first PP sample and a corrected second PP. A well-scoped tech pack often approves on the first PP. Beyond three revisions is a signal that the brief itself needs to be redrafted rather than pushing another sample round.

OEM · Sportswear Encyclopedia

Sportswear Sampling Timeline

Sampling is the slowest, most information-dense part of any custom sportswear programme. Compressing it starts with knowing exactly what each stage is meant to prove — and then not asking the sample to prove more than that.

Digital mock

1–3 days

Artwork approval

PP sample

10–14 days

Production-representative

Size-set

10–14 days

One per size

Total to bulk

4–5 weeks

Two clean loops

Stage 1 — digital mock-up (Day 1–3)

The design team receives artwork (vector) plus tech-pack spec (fabric, colourway, decoration, trims) and produces a 3D or flat rendering that shows the garment as it will look in production. This stage validates artwork placement, colour approval to Pantone TCX/TPG and decoration mapping. No fabric is consumed, so revisions are cheap.

Deliverable — high-resolution front / back / side view PNGs plus placement-print PDF.
Cost — usually free when part of a serious brief.
Revisions — one to two rounds is normal; three or more means the brief needs revisiting.

Stage 2 — PP sample (Day 4–17)

Once digital is approved, the sample room cuts and sews a production-representative garment. Fabric, decoration, seams, labels and trims match bulk spec exactly. The buyer receives one to three pieces (usually size M) for fit, hand-feel and construction sign-off.

Day	Activity
4	Sublimation paper printed, fabric booked from stock
5–6	Heat transfer / print, cutting of panels
7–10	Sample-room stitching, labels attached
11–12	Finishing, QC, photography for approval sheet
13–17	DHL / FedEx courier transit (3–5 working days)

Stage 3 — size-set (Day 18–31, optional)

The size-set proves that the graded pattern behaves correctly across the full size range. Skip it only when the block is already validated from a prior programme. For any new fit block, treat the size-set as non-negotiable — fixing a graded fit issue in bulk is 20–50x more expensive than fixing it here.

Approval loops — how to keep sampling under 5 weeks

Consolidate feedback — one written comment sheet per revision, not drip-fed emails.
Approve digitally before physical — colour and artwork changes discovered on the PP sample restart the clock.
Measure the sample against the tech pack, not against imagination — a 1 cm chest deviation may already be within tolerance.
Ship samples DHL / FedEx, not economy — the freight difference is trivial compared to a lost week.

Start your sample loop

Send your artwork and tech pack — we'll return a digital mock-up within three working days and a PP sample within two weeks of your sign-off.

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