Kotis’ goal is to make your swag life easier and thrill your people. We want to ensure you’re incredibly happy with your fully custom swag, so we've created the guide below as a way of partnering with you to ensure nothing is missed while inspecting your pre-production sample. The purpose of a pre-production sample is so you can attest to the quality, brand integrity, size, material, and function, prior to full production.

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Pre-pro vs final product

In some cases pre-production samples may not be exact to the final products. Keep in mind Pre-pro samples are generally hand made by one person rather than following the full mass production process of bulk cutting (which is more consistent) and sewing at stations with quality control between each station. These things will be fixed on the mass production run.
Examples:

1) Material finishes or color (when there is material dyeing) may be close but not exact since the materials need to be made in bulk for final production. This would be disclosed at ordering. 

2) Labeling: In some cases inside neck labeling may be omitted since there are minimums required to make labels.

3) Fit: We may need to adjust the fit or technical specs in certain cases to improve the design.

 

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NOTE: Approve and/or provide feedback within 24 hours of arrival (preferably same day) to ensure the project timeline stays on track, production is scheduled at the time of pre-pro sample approval and can change based on factories capacity.

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What we do prior to shipping your pre-pro

1. Compare the sample to the approved Kotis art proof
2. Share photo's with sales and art team so we can receive their feedback
3. Check the sample for:
   • Material
   • Size
   • Color/s
   • Decoration methods
     • Type
     • Size
     • Placement
     • Quality
   • Finishing
     • Stitching quality
     • Pockets and other features align with PO and Art Proof
   • Quality of zippers/toggles, etc.
   • Sizing labels are correct in art and match garment sizing

Many items (Imported items in particular) are also reviewed by our technical design team to insure they are correct, garments are checked for fit and measurements, then a Fit Report is created for each apparel project (this allows us to address any fit concerns and adjust the pattern as needed). Hard goods are checked by our technical designer for all aspects and a tech report is provided with feedback (this allows us to fix any fit/finish/function concerns and adjust as needed).

If the item requires testing (Ex. a waterproof item), our import and tech team will test this and disclose any concerns, fixes or approvals of the testing. We also pre-ship test most orders and can have additional tests done on the mass production order to insure it is compliant with the requirements.

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How to best review & approve your pre-pro when received

For garments and other wearables

Check for:

• Material:  Is this the material you were expecting? Does the weight, feel, stretch, quality align with your expectations?
• Size:  How does it fit and more importantly, how does it FEEL?
• Color(s):  Do they match your company logo colors? Are brand colors represented accurately?
• Decoration methods
  • Type
  • Size
  • Placement
  • Quality:  Will this hold up to its intended use?
• Finishing
  • Stitching quality
  • Pockets and other features are what you expected?
• Quality of zippers/toggles, etc

For hard goods, bags or other items and accessories

Check for:

• Material:  Is this what you expected?  Does the weight, feel, stretch, quality align with your expectations?
• Color(s):  Do they match your company logo colors?  Are brand colors represented accurately?
• Decoration methods
  • Type
  • Size
  • Placement
  • Quality
  • Functionality:  Does it perform as expected? 

Here is an example of an art proof, round 1 pre-pro sample and the corrected round 2 pre-pro sample:

Proof: 

 

Round 1 pre-pro sample: 

The customer wanted to print closer to the edge.

 

Round 2 pre-pro:

 

Here is a comparison of the two:

Round 2                                                                                             Round 1

If you APPROVE your sample

Please advise your Creative Project Manager as soon as possible to help our team get your project into mass production as quickly as possible.  Once mass production has begun, we can update you on any delivery date changes if applicable.

If you REJECT your sample & require changes

It’s important to communicate any changes/updates that need to happen as soon as possible. Keep in mind, requiring a second pre-production sample will extend full production timeline. Your Creative Project Manager will work directly with our Kotis Import team to confirm the new timeline. Photos with markups and any specific measurements are always appreciated.

• Material is incorrect:
  • Please describe what you are looking for and include product links or a photo of an item if possible.
• Sizing:
  • If this a garment, do you have photos or product links of examples you liked?  List specifically what you do not like about the sizing (arm length, waist, etc).
• Color(s):
  • We do our best to match to your PMS colors.  Please be specific and offer examples.
• Decoration:
  • Describe what is incorrect or what you would like changed.  Do you want the logo larger or in a different location? Be as specific as possible.

PRICING NOTE: Pricing is subject to change if there are changes made during pre-pro sampling. 

TIMELINE NOTE: Subsequent rounds of pre-pro sampling adds time to the overall timeline (the same as quoted to you), as an example if pre-pro samples were quoted as 15 days then an additional 15 days for the sample + approval time would be added to the timeline.

We want you to be 100% satisfied with your project, so please do not hesitate to ask questions, and call out any concerns you have.