Approve textile print patterns before cutting
Approve a printed sample on the production fabric, then approve sewn garments showing the agreed repeat, colour registration and seam placement across sizes. Give cutting its own written release tied to the fabric batch and pattern revision. Cambridge China Bridge can coordinate these checks with its staff in China.
Separate print approval from cutting approval
Ask for a print trial on the intended production fabric using the proposed printing and finishing process. Make it large enough to show the complete repeating pattern and its joins. A colour swatch cannot show whether the pattern repeats correctly or where a motif will fall on a garment.
Record whether you are approving colour, repeat dimensions, print execution or garment placement. Keep bulk cutting on hold until the placement checks pass. Use our product specification guide for the wider specification; add a print approval sheet covering the checks below.
Measure the repeat on finished fabric
Mark matching reference points on the artwork and fabric. Measure the distance between them along the fabric and across its width, with the fabric laid flat without stretching. Record the repeat arrangement, motif direction, usable printed width and measurement units. Agree permitted variation with the factory rather than relying on a screen preview.
Check successive repeats and compare the centre with areas near the selvedges. Look for accumulated drift, slanting rows and curved pattern lines. Recheck after the intended finishing process and agreed washing trial. If dimensions change, revise the cutting layout or print setup and submit the affected work for approval.
Check colour registration separately
Colour registration means the colour layers land in their intended positions relative to each other. Examine outlines, fine details and overlapping colours for displaced edges, unwanted gaps or halos. Check these features across the printed width and along the fabric, using the approved artwork and physical print sample.
Agree acceptable and unacceptable examples, with close photographs and a measurement method for any permitted displacement. Record shade approval separately: a print can have the right colours but misplaced layers. For controlling the underlying artwork revision, see approving factory print artwork.
Approve motif placement at sewn seams
Ask for garment pattern pieces overlaid on the print at actual scale. Mark grain direction, cutting edges, stitching lines, seam allowances and visible match points. Judge continuity at the stitching line, allowing for fabric hidden inside the seam, rather than matching the raw cutting edges.
Name the joins that matter, such as the front opening, pocket against body or waist seam. State where matching is required and where variation is acceptable. Check a sewn sample with closures fastened. Curved seams and darts may interrupt motifs; agree the resulting appearance rather than asking the cutter to distort the grain to force a match.
Review every size and release the named batch
Ask for placement drawings for every ordered size and sewn samples of the smallest, largest and any size where placement changes. Define motif position from named garment reference points. Decide whether motif scale stays fixed or changes with size. Check that grading does not move a focal motif into a seam, pocket, dart or hem.
Approve the cutting layout and its fabric-use implications before release. Tie written approval to the artwork revision, graded garment patterns, approved samples and identified fabric batch. Require a fresh approval for changes affecting these checks. Have the factory compare bulk fabric with the approved references before cutting; our bulk production and sample guide covers the wider controls.
Frequently asked questions
Is a print sample enough to approve cutting?
It can approve the fabric print, but garment placement needs pattern overlays and sewn samples. Release bulk cutting only when repeat, seams and size placement meet the agreed specification.
How do I measure a textile pattern repeat?
Measure between matching motif reference points along and across flat, unstretched finished fabric. Record units and permitted variation, then check successive repeats and different positions across the width.
Must printed patterns match at every seam?
Specify the visible joins that must match and approve examples of acceptable interruptions elsewhere. Check sewn stitching lines; curved seams, darts and construction can limit continuity.
Should print placement stay the same across sizes?
Agree whether motif scale stays fixed or changes, then define placement from garment reference points for each size. Review every size drawing and sew samples where grading changes the appearance.