Production checklist

New-order intake checklist

Most production disasters are intake failures that surfaced late. A wrong quantity, an ambiguous placement, a date the shop never agreed to — all cheap to fix at order time, expensive once garments are printed. Run this list before any custom job is confirmed into production.

Job specification

Product, brand, style code, and colour confirmed in writing for every line
"Black hoodie" covers a dozen products. A style code pins the exact garment, so substitutions become a customer decision, not a surprise.
Size breakdown totals match the order quantity
A 50-piece order with a size split that adds to 48 will be noticed by the customer on delivery, not before.
Decoration method, print size, and placement agreed per position
"Left chest" means different things across shops and customers. Dimensions and position in cm remove the argument later.
Ink/thread colours specified — Pantone or thread chart references for brand work
On-screen colour is not a specification. Brand customers will reject "close enough"; a referenced colour is your protection.
Quantity price breaks and any minimum order or setup charges stated on the quote
Unstated charges get absorbed by the shop. Stating them at intake is when the customer accepts them.

Artwork & approval

Artwork files received in a workable format (not a screenshot of a logo)
Chasing usable artwork is the single biggest cause of blown lead times. Set the standard before promising a date — see the artwork preflight checklist.
Proof/mock-up promised, and customer told production starts only after sign-off
A timestamped approval on the exact artwork is what turns "that's not what I asked for" into a reprint the customer pays for.
Reprint/replacement policy for customer-supplied garments agreed
If a supplied garment is ruined in decoration, whose loss is it? Decide before, not after.

Dates, delivery & payment

Production lead time quoted from artwork approval, not from order date
Otherwise slow customer approvals eat your production window and the missed deadline still reads as your fault.
Delivery or collection method, address, and any event deadline recorded
An order for a Saturday event that ships on Friday needs different handling from day one.
Deposit or payment terms agreed and taken where required
Custom goods have no resale value. A deposit filters out the orders that were never serious and funds the blanks.
Customer contact for questions during production confirmed
A one-hour answer on a placement question keeps the job moving; a three-day silence stalls the press.

Related resources

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

Calculator

Print job profit calculator

Work out the true cost, profit, and margin on any print or decoration job — materials, labour, setup time, and overhead included — and see the price you'd need to charge to hit a target margin.

Open calculator

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.

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.

Make the checklist the workflow

damantra's production board runs orders through these same stages — with artwork approvals, QC status, and dispatch tracking your whole team and your customers can see.

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