Sample rounds explained: proto, fit, SMS and PP, and who pays

For a brand, the sample is the moment an idea becomes a product. For the workshop, it is an investment of time and fabric that only pays back if an order follows. That is why sample rounds need to be treated as a process with clear stages, timings and costs. Below are the usual stages in knitwear and a few practical rules for not working at a loss.

The usual sample stages

Names vary from client to client, but the logic is almost always the same:

1. Proto (first sample): checks the idea, construction and proportions. It can be made in a similar fabric, not necessarily the final one.
2. Fit sample: sewn in the base size, in the final or a very similar fabric, and fitted on a model. There may be one round or several.
3. SMS (salesman sample): samples for presentations, catalogues, photography or selling to stores. Made in final colours and fabrics, sometimes several pieces per colour.
4. PP (pre-production sample): the final sample, made in production fabric, colours, trims and print. Once it is approved, production can start.
5. TOP (top of production): pieces taken from the first garments off the line and sent to the client for confirmation.

A small brand does not need every stage. Proto and fit are often combined and SMS is skipped. What matters is that a PP always exists.

How many rounds are normal

For a new product of medium complexity, such as a hoodie or a tracksuit set, two or three rounds before PP are common. For a basic tee, one fit sample and a PP are often enough. If a client reaches a fifth fit round, the problem is usually not the sample but that the product was never clearly defined in the first place.

Agree at the outset how many rounds are included in the price and what each extra round costs. Number and date every round and keep the comments in writing.

Who pays for samples

There is no universal rule, but common practice is:

• development samples (proto, fit) are invoiced to the client, sometimes credited against the order if it is confirmed above a certain quantity;
• SMS are invoiced in full, because the client uses them commercially;
• the PP is usually included in the cost of the order;
• fabric bought only for sampling is invoiced separately.

With new clients, especially young brands, it is reasonable to ask for sample payment up front. Explain what the price covers: pattern, cutting, sewing, possibly printing, transport.

A sample budget example

Let's assume you are developing a french terry hoodie for a new brand. You plan, for example, one proto, two fit rounds and a PP: four pieces. Each hoodie uses, say, 0.65 kg of fabric including waste, so you need roughly 3 kg of fabric plus rib and trims. Add the pattern maker's and sample machinist's time, which for samples is several times the bulk production time.

For samples like these it pays to work in the final fabric from the start. For example, a spring hoodie for a womenswear collection can be developed in our pink 210 g french terry, which you can buy from stock in just the quantity sampling needs, without ordering a full lot. That way the fit sample reflects exactly how the production fabric drapes and shrinks.

Realistic sampling times

One sample round usually takes anything from a few days to two weeks, depending on complexity, fabric availability and how busy the workshop is. Add transport time and the client's response time. Communicate these timings at the start, so you are not squeezed later when the client has been slow with comments.

How to document each round

For every sample keep:

• the round number and date;
• the tech pack and pattern revision used;
• the fabric and lot;
• actual measurements at every point;
• the client's comments and the corrections made.

This information helps in production and protects you if questions arise at delivery.

For samples in the final fabric you can buy from our Afumați stock with no minimum, and for special shades you can request a lab dip and a made-to-order quote, from 150 kg per colour.