Workwear Factory Quality Control, Checked Against Your Approved Sample

01Quality system

Uniform Quality Control System: Seven Gates From Approved Sample to Release

Every check is made against one reference: the sample you approved and its signed build spec sheet. How deviations escalate is on our about page.

Your build

Standard Hi-vis FR Named

The gates stay the same; the checks inside them change.

An approved sample work shirt on a hanger with a plain navy swing tag

Reference · your approved sample + signed build spec sheet

01
Fabric and trims in
Incoming inspectors
Rolls graded, trims checked, shade read before cutting. Gate 01
Hi-visTape lot logged with the mill's test report
FRFR trims checked against the signed FR BOM, stored apart
02
Pattern approval
Pattern room lead
Pattern and grading approved against your sample before any cutting.
03
Cut panels
Cutting-room QC
Panels checked before they reach a sewing line. Inline point 1
04
Line check
Line QC
First piece signed on every line, machine and press, then roving rounds. Inline point 2
Hi-visTape position and bonding on every round
FRLine-clearance check signed before the order starts
05
End of line
End-of-line checkers
Every garment checked before pressing and packing. Inline point 3
NamedEach name against your signed spelling proof
06
Final inspection
Final inspectors
Packed order sampled and inspected; the QC manager signs the release against the report. Gate 06
Hi-visA missing or covered band is a critical defect
FRA non-FR component is a critical defect
NamedPer-person packs checked against the staff list
07
Records and report
QC manager
Records filed with your program; the report reaches you before goods leave. Gate 07

Hold · repair · back through gate 05

Show a held piece Tests alongside the gates: fabric tests · garment and decoration tests Send your supplier quality questionnaire

02QC team

Seven QC Roles, Each Working at Its Own Station

Release desk

QC manager

Sets the inspection standard at sample approval
Decides on every deviation
Signs the final release against the written report

An incoming inspector running a fabric roll over a lit inspection frame

Fabric store

Incoming inspectors

Rolls on a lit frame, width and gsm, and every trim lot against the order.

Colour lab

Colour lab technician

Reads each fabric batch against the retained lab dip before it is released to cutting.

Cutting room

Cutting-room QC

Checks panels and bundles before they leave for the sewing lines.

Sewing lines

Line QC

One per sewing line. Signs the first piece, then roves that line.

End of line

End-of-line checkers

Handle every finished garment and take the daily measurements.

A final inspector drawing garments from a sealed carton

Final inspection room

Final inspectors

Draw the sample from the packed order and inspect it against the approved sample.

Your program's role holders are named on the contact sheet sent with the sample plan, as set out on our about page.

03Incoming fabric

Incoming Fabric: 4-Point Grading on at Least 10% of Each Dye Lot

Fabric is inspected before it is accepted into the fabric store, so a faulty roll is stopped before it is cut into panels.

A fabric roll running over a lit inspection frame while an inspector marks a fault with a small sticker

1 pointFault up to 3 in

2 pointsOver 3 to 6 in

3 pointsOver 6 to 9 in

4 pointsOver 9 in

Accept

Reject · lot inspection extended

040 points per 100 yd²80

Grading: Every visible fault scored to the 4-point system (ASTM D5430), totalled per 100 yd².
Sampling: At least 10% of the rolls in every dye lot; each one checked for usable width and gsm against your order.
Rejects: A roll over the limit goes back to the mill or is replaced, and more rolls of that lot are inspected.
Shade before cutting: Each batch read against your retained lab dip under D65. Outside tolerance it is held, re-dyed or replaced, and you are told before cutting if the date moves. Colour lab
Lot records: Hi-vis and FR fabric and tape lots are logged with the mill's test report.
Trims: Item, colour and quantity per lot. FR trims are checked against the signed FR BOM and kept in a separate tagged store. FR clothing

The incoming inspector signs the roll sheet for each lot; the colour lab technician signs the shade reading.

Fabric and component tests run before cutting
Test	Method and pass level	Applies to	Full method
Re-order shade	Spectrophotometer against your retained lab dip, ΔE ≤ 1.0, read before cutting	Every colour	Colour lab
Cross-fabric colour match	ΔE2000 ≤ 2.0 to the Pantone target, viewed under D65 and illuminant A	Hotel and whole-shop mechanic programs	Hotel uniforms
Hypochlorite fastness	ISO 105-N01, grade 4 or better, at lab-dip stage	Scrubs, coloured chef coats, housekeeping	Scrubs
Peroxide fastness	ISO 105-N02, grade 4 or better, at lab-dip stage	Salon aprons	Aprons
Shrinkage after laundering	ISO 5077, 3% or less	Scrubs, chef coats, mechanic garments, housekeeping	Scrubs
Oily stain release	AATCC TM130, grade 3.5 new and 3.0 after ISO 15797 × 25	Mechanic garments with soil-release finish	Mechanic uniforms
Abrasion	Martindale ISO 12947-2: 40,000 rubs rigid twill, 30,000 stretch, 80,000 knee overlay	Work pants	Work pants
Seam strength	ISO 13935-2, crotch seam 250 N or more	Work pants	Work pants
Stretch and growth	ASTM D3107, growth 5% or less	Stretch work pants	Work pants
Water-resistant coating	ISO 811, 1,000 mm new and 600 mm after ISO 6330 × 25	Coated salon and prep aprons	Aprons
FR component check	Every thread, trim and label checked against its FR report or supplier declaration, on the signed FR BOM	FR shirts, pants, coveralls, FR hi-vis	FR clothing
Hi-vis and FR fabric and tape	The mill's test report for each lot, recorded against the order	Hi-vis and FR builds	Safety vests
Fabric roll inspection	4-point grading, width and gsm, to the limit above	Every fabric	Incoming fabric

Cutting-room QC laying cut panels on the approved pattern beside an automatic multi-ply cutting table

05Inline QC point 1

Inline QC Point 1: Cut Panels Checked Before Sewing

Panels are cut from your style's CAD marker file on our 2 automatic multi-ply cutting tables, and the same file cuts every re-order.

A cut panel edge lined up against the paper pattern

Shape against the pattern

Panels from the top, middle and bottom of each lay go on the approved pattern. A shifted lay stops and is re-checked against the file.

A stack of cut panels tied with a bundle ticket

One dye lot per bundle

Right panel count, one dye lot, a ticket with style, size, colour and dye lot that follows it to your carton.

A weaving fault circled in chalk on a cut panel

Faults and marks

Notches and drill marks in place. A panel with a fault, stain or shading is pulled and recut from the same dye lot.

Recorded: a signed cut-panel check sheet for each lay. Panels embroidered before assembly are checked at point 2.

06Inline QC point 2

Inline QC Point 2: Signed First Piece, Roving Checks Every 2 Hours

The first finished shirt off a line, on a hanger with a plain navy tag

On every sewing line, embroidery machine and heat press, against the approved sample and build spec sheet
On hi-vis, a new size gets a new first piece

Line QC roves each sewing line every 2 hours and pulls 5 pieces from each operation.

Round 12 h2 h2 h2 h2 h

One line QC per line: the person who signed the first piece roves that line through the run.

Stitch type, density and seam allowance
Bartacks and seam-strength points
Collars, plackets and pockets
Zippers, snaps and buttons
Reflective tape position and bonding on hi-vis
Logo position and finish
Labels in place and correct

Line QC pulling a piece from a sewing operator to check it against the approved sample

One faulty piece

The operator corrects the operation, and the next round re-checks it.

A repeat or set-up fault

The line stops and goes to the QC manager within the same shift; a hi-vis press gets a new first piece.

Spec or ship date affected

You are told, as set out under held goods.

Before an FR order, line QC signs the line-clearance check. FR clothingAsk for the QC plan for your program

07Inline QC point 3

Inline QC Point 3: Every Garment Checked Before Pressing and Packing

End-of-line checkers handle 100% of pieces after sewing and decoration, visually and by function.

01

Seams

No open seams, skipped stitches or puckering.

02

Closures

Zippers run, snaps and buttons hold, breakaway points open and re-close.

03

Decoration

Logo present and in position; no broken stitches, cracking or lifted edges.

04

Names

Each name against the spelling proof you signed. A mismatch is a defect.

05

Labels

Size label matches; care, compliance and own-brand labels in place.

06

Finish

Loose threads trimmed, no stains or marks.

Measured daily: 3 pieces per style, colour and size, to the tolerance for that garment (garment tests). A size out of tolerance is traced back by line QC before it continues. Pack-by-person: checked garments matched to the staff list before packing. A failed piece gets a hold tag and goes back for repair or remake (held goods).

An end-of-line checker running the zipper of a hi-vis jacket, a stack of garments waiting beside her

Nothing is packed until a checker has handled it; nothing ships until the QC manager signs.

One reference · seven gates

08AQL sample sizes

AQL Sample Sizes: ISO 2859-1, General Inspection Level II

Garment inspection to AQL follows ISO 2859-1 / ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, single sampling, normal inspection. Each style and colour on your order is one lot.

Your lot: pieces per style and colour

Find your lot size in the table.

AQL sample sizes and accept / reject numbers by lot size, General Inspection Level II
Lot size (pieces)	281–500	501–1,200	1,201–3,200	3,201–10,000	10,001–35,000
Sample size	50	80	125	200	315
Major: accept / reject	3 / 4	5 / 6	7 / 8	10 / 11	14 / 15
Minor: accept / reject	5 / 6	7 / 8	10 / 11	14 / 15	21 / 22
Critical	None accepted at any lot size

A final inspector drawing pieces at random from several opened cartons of one lot

Pieces are drawn at random from across the packed lot, not from the top carton. Defect classes and what is checked on each piece: final inspection.

09Final inspection

Final Inspection: Zero Critical, AQL 2.5 Major, AQL 4.0 Minor

Every order is released on a final inspection in the final inspection room, signed by the QC manager. Pieces are drawn at random across the packed lot to the sampling plan.

Critical0accepted

A non-FR component on an FR build, a missing or covered reflective band, a missing compliance label.

Major2.5AQL

An open seam, a failed closure, a size out of tolerance, a logo out of position, wrong thread or ink, broken stitches or lifted decoration, a name unlike the proof, a wrong label.

Minor4.0AQL

An untrimmed thread end, a small mark that cleans off.

A final inspector measuring a work jacket on a long table, the approved sample hanging beside her

Checked on every sampled piece

ShadeAgainst the approved sample and retained lab dip
MeasurementsTo the size spec and tolerance
WorkmanshipSeams, bartacks, pockets, collars
FunctionZippers, snaps, buttons, breakaways, hoods
DecorationAgainst the logo set-up record
NamesAgainst the signed spelling proof
LabelsBrand, size, care and compliance
PackingPolybag, size sticker, per-person packs
CartonsCount, PO, style, colour, dye lot

When a lot fails

Not released: sorted piece by piece, defects repaired or replaced, re-inspected to the same plan. One critical defect rejects the lot.

The release

The QC manager reviews the report and signs. Industrially laundered programs also need the passed pre-production wash tests. Nothing ships before that signature.

The report

Lot and sample size, accept and reject numbers, defects by class, measurements, photos and signature, sent before goods leave.

Need a tighter AQL? Tell us at quote stage.Ask for a sample final inspection report

10Held goods

Nonconforming Product: Hold Tag, Quarantine, Then Repair or Remake

Any garment, panel or lot that fails a check is physically separated, so it cannot be packed by mistake.

Hold

Tagged where it was found: cutting room, sewing line, end of line or final inspection.

01 02

Quarantine

A marked area kept apart from checked goods until a decision is made.

03

Decide

Line QC decides single pieces with a clear repair. Lots, repeats and anything touching the spec go to the QC manager within the same shift.

Tagged garments on a rack inside a taped-off quarantine area

04 · Repair

An operator re-sewing an open seam on a held garment

Only faults that can be corrected without weakening the garment: a seam re-sewn, a closure replaced, threads trimmed. Every repaired piece goes back through the end-of-line check before it can be packed.

04 · Remake

New panels cut from the same dye lot for a remade garment

New cut panels from the same dye lot, through the same checks. Three faults are never repaired:

Hi-vis tape off position or poorly bonded

Heat-applied tape is never peeled and re-pressed: a second press weakens the bond and marks the fluorescent fabric.

A non-FR component on an FR build

The piece is remade from a new cut panel and the lot is checked back.

A logo that will not come out cleanly

Where removal would leave needle holes or marks, the panel is remade.

Your ship date. If a hold affects the spec or the date, your account manager tells you within 24 hours, with what happened and the new date.

Insignia. Rejected security insignia are cut through and logged. Security uniforms

After delivery. Reporting window, response times and remake terms: if a batch is off.

Send Your Supplier Quality Questionnaire

Or your QA manual. It comes back completed within 3 business days, with the QC plan for your program.

Send Your Questionnaire

What comes back

Completed questionnaire
QC plan for your program
Document list for your builds

11Reflective tape

Reflective Tape Wash Test: 50 Industrial Washes on Your Own Fabric

50 is also the maximum wash count on the compliance label of our hi-vis garments. Test pieces are your build: the tape pressed onto your program's own background fabric with the press settings fixed on your first piece.

A test-room washing machine with a stack of fabric pieces carrying reflective tape beside it

Industrial laundering

ISO 15797 × 50

Domestic or commercial

ISO 6330 × 50

Macro of the corner of a silver reflective tape segment bonded flat

After 50 cycles

No edge lift

Edges and corners of every segment stay bonded flat.

A full run of segmented reflective tape across a fluorescent vest

After 50 cycles

No segment loss

No segment comes away from the fabric.

Close view of the reflective face of the tape, unbroken

After 50 cycles

No cracking

Nothing cracks across the reflective face.

When it runs. On your sample, results sent with it. Industrially laundered programs repeat it on pre-production pieces and bulk leaves only after a pass, inside the 25–35-day bulk window. When it fails. Press settings are adjusted and retested; if it still fails, the tape or method changes, and you hear first.

Tested here

How the tape stays bonded after 50 washes on your fabric and settings.

From the tape mill

Retroreflective performance after washing, taken from the mill's test report for the tape lot on your order. We do not measure retroreflection in-house and make no claim of our own on it.

You receive before and after photos, the test record sheet and the mill report; third-party garment testing is arranged per order on request. Position tolerance and press set-up: custom safety vests.

12Garment tests

Garment, Decoration and Build Tests on Samples and Bulk

Run on samples, pre-production pieces or bulk.

An apron strap clamped in a pull tester while a technician adjusts the grip

Show tests for

AllHi-visFRScrubsChef coatsApronsWork pantsCoverallsJacketsMechanicHotelPrivate label

Put these tests in my QC plan

Garment, decoration and build tests
Test	Method and pass level	Applies to	Full method
Decoration wash test	ISO 6330 × 50 domestic or ISO 15797 × 50 industrial; no broken stitches, puckering, cracking or edge lift; ISO 105-C06 grade 4 or better	Every new logo and fabric	Work shirts
Reflective tape wash test	Bond after washing on your own fabric, as set out above	Hi-vis vests, shirts, jackets, coveralls, pants	Tape test
Fluid drip test	Engine oil, grease, DOT 4 brake fluid and parts-cleaner solvent, 1 h dwell, then one industrial wash; no lift, cracking or bleed, grey scale 4 or better	Mechanic uniforms	Mechanic uniforms
Movement test	Squat, kneel, reach and climb in the base and largest size, signed by the pattern room lead	Coveralls, work pants	Coveralls Work pants
Strap and hardware pull test	Strap joins 150 N held 10 s; grommets, rivets, buttons and snaps 100 N; every sample piece and 3 pieces per bulk lot	Aprons, chef coats	Aprons Chef coats
Logo-area check	Background area left after the logo, calculated on the smallest size on the order against the standard's minimum	Hi-vis vests	Safety vests
Tape position	±5 mm against the build spec sheet, on every size	Hi-vis builds	Safety vests
FR line clearance	Line QC signs that no non-FR thread or trim is left on the line before an FR order starts	FR builds	FR clothing
Softshell peel check	Low-temperature transfer pressed at 130–140 °C, checked for edge lift after cooling	Softshell jackets	Work jackets
Decoration first piece and position	First piece off every machine and press checked by line QC; ±5 mm against the logo set-up record	Every decorated garment	Embroidery and printing
Measurement tolerance	±1 cm on coverall and pant length points, ±1.5 cm chest, ±0.5 cm pant rise	Coveralls, work pants, work jackets	Coveralls Work pants Work jackets
Label check	Label text, position and size label against the garment, inside the final inspection	Private label programs	Private label
Name accuracy	Every name checked at end of line against the signed spelling proof	Named and pack-by-person programs	Work shirts
Third-party garment testing	Arranged per order on request	Hi-vis and FR builds, or any program that asks	Your inspection

13QC records

QC Records Kept 3 Years After Your Last Delivery

Every check on this page leaves a signed record, kept with your program while it is active and for 3 years after its last delivery.

A questioned deliveryThe carton label leads to the dye lot, the lay, the line and that day's records.
A re-orderThe previous order's final inspection report is the comparison for the new one.
Your accessAsk for any record on your own orders, at any time while it is kept.

Signed inspection sheets filed in a program binder beside a hanging approved sample

Program-level records and who holds each: about our factory.

3years after your last delivery

Roll inspection sheets, shade readings, trim lot checks, FR trim records, mill test reports

Cut-panel check sheets for every lay

First-piece approvals, roving check sheets, line-clearance records

End-of-line check sheets and daily measurement records

Decoration and tape wash tests with photos; movement and pull tests

Hold tags, repair and remake decisions, the signed final inspection report

14Document pack

QC Document Pack: The Reports That Come With Each Order

What you receive depends on the build. The final inspection report comes with every order.

A document pack in a clear sleeve lying on a labelled carton

Every order
Final inspection report
With photos and the QC manager's signature, before the goods leave.
Decorated
Decoration wash test record
Before and after photos and the test sheet for each logo and fabric.
Hi-vis
Reflective tape wash test record
Photos, test sheet and the tape mill's report.
Hi-vis · FR
Mill test reports
For every fabric and tape lot on the order.
Hi-vis · FR
Signed build spec sheet
Per style, with the per-size area table on hi-vis vests.
FR
FR document pack
Signed FR BOM, line-clearance record and component reports. FR clothing
As needed
Product test records
Movement, pull or fluid drip tests where the garment calls for them.
Every order
Carton list
PO, style, colour and dye lot; employee name, size and site for pack-by-person orders.
On request
Third-party garment test report
When arranged for your order.

amfori BSCI audit summary and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 fabric certificates on request; which approval each answers is on our home page.Send your approval checklist

A buyer's QA inspector and our final inspector checking a garment side by side, with the approved sample and size chart on the table

A third-party inspector measuring a polo with a tape measure

A laptop camera pointed at the final inspection table

Live video
You pick the cartons

15Your inspection

Buyer and Third-Party Inspection at Our Final Inspection Table

Your QA or your agency
Welcome at the final inspection of your order. We notify the date 3 business days ahead, and your inspector works beside ours with the approved sample, build spec and measurement spec on the table.
Live video
If you cannot send anyone, the final inspection runs on a live call. You choose which cartons are opened and which pieces are measured.
The report either way
Sent before the goods leave, whether or not you attend.
Your own level
A stricter AQL or extra checks: tell us at quote stage, and both inspectors work to that plan.

Third-party garment testing is arranged per order on request and built into the sample plan.Factory visits and video walk-throughs before you order: about our factory.

Book your inspector for final inspection

Workwear Factory Quality Control, Checked Against Your Approved Sample

Uniform Quality Control System: Seven Gates From Approved Sample to Release

Fabric and trims in

Pattern approval

Cut panels

Line check

End of line

Final inspection

Records and report

Seven QC Roles, Each Working at Its Own Station

QC manager

Incoming inspectors

Colour lab technician

Cutting-room QC

Line QC

End-of-line checkers

Final inspectors

Incoming Fabric: 4-Point Grading on at Least 10% of Each Dye Lot

Fabric and Component Tests Run Before Cutting

Inline QC Point 1: Cut Panels Checked Before Sewing

Shape against the pattern

One dye lot per bundle

Faults and marks

Inline QC Point 2: Signed First Piece, Roving Checks Every 2 Hours

One faulty piece

A repeat or set-up fault

Spec or ship date affected

Inline QC Point 3: Every Garment Checked Before Pressing and Packing

Seams

Closures

Decoration

Names

Labels

Finish

AQL Sample Sizes: ISO 2859-1, General Inspection Level II

Final Inspection: Zero Critical, AQL 2.5 Major, AQL 4.0 Minor

Checked on every sampled piece

When a lot fails

The release

The report

Nonconforming Product: Hold Tag, Quarantine, Then Repair or Remake

Hold

Quarantine

Decide

04 · Repair

04 · Remake

Send Your Supplier Quality Questionnaire

Reflective Tape Wash Test: 50 Industrial Washes on Your Own Fabric

No edge lift

No segment loss

No cracking

Garment, Decoration and Build Tests on Samples and Bulk

QC Records Kept 3 Years After Your Last Delivery

QC Document Pack: The Reports That Come With Each Order

Final inspection report

Decoration wash test record

Reflective tape wash test record

Mill test reports

Signed build spec sheet

FR document pack

Product test records

Carton list

Third-party garment test report

Buyer and Third-Party Inspection at Our Final Inspection Table

Your QA or your agency

Live video

The report either way

Your own level

Start Your Uniform Program With a QC Plan