Production checklist

Final quality-control checklist

QC at the end of a run is your last chance to choose which mistakes the customer sees. The pass is structured — against the order, against the approved proof, and across the run — because each catches a different class of fault. Inspect against documents, not memory.

Against the order

Counts verified per product, colour, and size against the order's size breakdown
Counting the pile isn't enough — 50 correct totals can hide two missing Larges and two extra Smalls. Count the matrix, not the sum.
Product, brand, and garment colour match what was ordered
A substituted garment (even an equivalent) is the customer's call to accept, and they can only make it before delivery disappoints someone.
Every decorated position present on every unit for multi-position jobs
On front+back+sleeve jobs, a unit that skipped one station looks finished in a pile. Positions get missed exactly because the piece looks done.

Against the approved proof

Decoration matches the signed-off proof — artwork version, colours, size, orientation
The proof is the contract. Checking against "what looks right" re-introduces the ambiguity the proof existed to remove.
Placement measured on sample units, not eyeballed
Placement drift is gradual and invisible without a tape — measured spot checks catch a jig that moved mid-run.
Colour checked in decent light against the reference
Under warm workshop lighting, a wrong navy passes. Daylight or a consistent light source is the cheapest colour-management tool there is.

Across the run

Spot checks spread through the run (first, middle, last), scaled up for large runs
Faults cluster — a head clog, a temperature drop, a shifted jig all start partway through. Checking only the top of the pile checks only the end of the run.
Decoration durability sanity check on a sample (stretch, rub, or thread trim as appropriate to the process)
A transfer that peels at a corner or embroidery with loose trims fails at the customer within days — a ten-second physical check catches it now.
Goods clean: no lint, powder residue, hoop marks, or press shine; garments free of holes and seam faults
The decoration can be perfect on a garment that was flawed from the box — the customer returns the unit either way, and it reads as your miss.
Rejects quarantined, counted, and logged with the fault and stage
Rejects left near finished goods get packed by accident, and unlogged rejects hide the pattern that would fix the root cause. The log also feeds your real waste percentage for pricing.

Related resources

Checklist

DTF production checklist

A start-to-finish run sheet for DTF transfer production: printer condition, RIP setup, powder and cure, press parameters, and post-press checks — the routine that keeps transfers washable and colours consistent.

Open checklist

Checklist

Packing & dispatch checklist

From QC-passed goods to a tracked parcel the customer can't mis-receive: pack verification, labelling, documentation, carrier handoff, and the record-keeping that settles disputes in your favour.

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Checklist

Artwork preflight checklist

The file checks to run on every piece of customer artwork before it reaches a RIP, press, or embroidery machine: format, resolution, colour, size, fonts, and transparency — the faults that cause most reprints.

Open checklist

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Last reviewed 2026-07-17 · Maintained by the damantra team. This resource is editorial guidance based on established industry practice — it contains no manufacturer specifications. Spotted an error? Tell us.

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