Pre-Production Inspection: What to Check Before Cutting Starts

Where PPI sits in the inspection cycle

Each visit answers a different question. The later the visit, the more of the order a finding has already touched (Tti Inspections):

Names differ between inspection bodies. QIMA folds its pre-production checks into an initial production check (IPC), run from before production begins up to 20% complete. Intertek describes its IPC as an inspection of raw materials and components before production starts. Whatever the name, write the timing into the booking: before cutting, with the bulk fabric and trims already in the factory.

What a pre-production inspection checks

At Tti Inspections, PPI covers pre-production sample approval, production line and QC readiness, and specification alignment (Tti Inspections). In practice that means comparing what is in the factory against what the buyer approved:

QIMA's published pre-production checks follow the same lines: raw material quantities and storage conditions, colours, style and construction, artwork, main, care and size labels and tags, product dimensions, and unit, inner and outer packing with shipping marks (QIMA). Intertek's IPC verifies that the factory has ordered the correct materials, components and accessories to the buyer's specification (Intertek).

Fabric is graded with the four-point system

ASTM D5430 covers the visual inspection and grading of fabric; the current version is D5430-26. Its four-point option scores each defect by length, and a single defect carries no more than 4 points (V-Trust):

Points per 100 square yards = total points × 36 × 100 ÷ (width in inches × length in yards). Worked example: a 100-yard roll, 60 inches wide, with 24 points scores 24 × 3,600 ÷ (60 × 100) = 14.4 points per 100 square yards.

The standard sets the method, not the pass mark. Buyers set their own limit; some factories accept up to 40 points per 100 square yards (V-Trust). ASTM warns that results can vary considerably between its point-assignment options, so buyer and supplier should agree the option as well as the limit (ASTM). PPI is the right time to grade: a roll over the limit can still be replaced, while a defect found after cutting is already inside a panel.

Test the bulk fabric before it is cut

Approval of a lab dip or a sample yardage does not prove the bulk lot behaves the same way. Shrinkage, weight and colour fastness are lot properties, and the PPI is the last point where a failed result changes the fabric, not the garments. Methods on the Tti Labs ISO/IEC 17025 scope (PNAC LAB-022) include:

The denim quality control guide covers shrinkage on denim in detail, and the lab testing guide covers how to plan a test programme for an export order.

Worked example: a shade problem caught before cutting

An order of 8,000 knitted polo shirts in four colours, 2,000 per colour. The buyer's minimum is grade 4 on the grey scale for change in colour (ISO 105-A02), on which 5 means no visible difference. At the PPI, the inspector compares each bulk lot with the approved lab dip and rates the navy lot 3-4.

• At the PPI: the navy fabric is held. The mill re-dyes or replaces it, and the other three colours are released for cutting. No navy panel has been cut.

• Found at DUPRO instead: part of the navy order is already cut and sewn. The made pieces need sorting, and the rest needs new fabric.

• Found at the final: all 2,000 navy shirts are made and packed in the wrong shade, and the lot either fails or ships with the fault.

This example is worked from the grey-scale grades, not from a real inspection result.

PPI, IPC and DUPRO compared

A PPI does not replace any later visit. The DUPRO guide covers the mid-run check, the AQL inspection guide covers sample sizes and limits, the pre-shipment inspection guide covers the final, and the container loading supervision guide covers the last check before the seal.

Checklist: what to send before a PPI

• Purchase order with quantities by style, colour and size, and the planned cutting date

• Approved pre-production sample, or photos of it, with the buyer's comments

• Spec sheet with measurement points and tolerances

• Fabric specification: construction, width, weight, the four-point option and the points limit

• Approved lab dips or shade references, with the accepted grey-scale grade

• Trims card and bill of materials

• Artwork, label and tag files

• Test requirements for the bulk fabric, with the methods and limits

• Packing instructions and shipping marks

• Factory address and every unit approved to work on the order

Checklist: what the PPI report should carry

• Fabric and trims in the factory against the quantities required

• Rolls inspected, points per 100 square yards for each, and rolls over the limit

• Shade grades for each bulk lot against the approved reference

• Pre-production sample status and any open comments

• Deviations from the specification, artwork or labels

• Line, machine and QC readiness

• Photographs of each finding

• Corrective actions agreed, with dates, and a clear go or hold for cutting

How Tti Inspections runs a PPI

Tti Inspections Pvt Ltd is accredited to ISO/IEC 17020:2012 under PNAC IB-006, valid until 12 Sep 2027 and listed on the PNAC active register. The accredited textile scope names ASTM D5430 for fabrics, ISO 2859-5 for garments and ANSI Z1.4-2008. The cycle runs sample picking, pre-production inspection, initial production inspection, DUPRO, pre-final inspection, final random inspection, full check and loading supervision (Tti Inspections).

Booking is within 24 hours, and the report follows within the next 24 hours after the inspection is complete. Where the PPI needs lab evidence on the bulk fabric, Tti Labs testing under ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation LAB-022 can test it before cutting.

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