Custom bag sample approval checklist

Approve a defined product, not just a good-looking sample

Before approving a custom bag sample for production, match the physical bag to a dated specification, record what you checked and close any unresolved changes. The approval should identify the sample, the documents it follows, the features accepted and the next step authorised. A short “looks good” message leaves those decisions open.

Use this guide to organise sample review for a canvas, knit or other custom bag. It provides a proposed working checklist, not a universal sampling sequence. Agree the review stages, required evidence and approval authority with the supplier before commissioning samples. Confirm sample fees, revision charges and timing for the actual project.

State what each sample is meant to prove

A development sample and a production reference answer different questions. QIMA's sample-review service distinguishes prototype development, pre-production confirmation and shipment samples. Use clear purpose labels in your own order; a supplier's term such as “approval sample” should be accompanied by the exact review scope.

Ask which sample components match the proposed production build and which are temporary. Record a substitute lining, unfinished logo, different closure or unapproved colour explicitly. Approving the shape of that sample should not silently approve its substitute components for bulk production.

Review the bag against one current document set

Give the sample a traceable ID and link it to the style, specification revision, artwork revision and material references. Photograph the sample with its identifier, then capture the front, back, inside, base and important joins. Keep the intended use and contents with the same file so the reviewer knows what the bag is being asked to do.

List the outer material, lining, handle material, closures, labels and decoration against the approved brief. Request the relevant material records where composition or a particular claim needs evidence. If the drawing, sample and written specification disagree, have the parties resolve the discrepancy and issue a corrected set before release. Do not let different teams work from different versions.

Record measurements and try the intended use

Use a measurement sheet with a drawing showing the start and end of each measurement. Record the target, agreed tolerance, observed result and measuring condition. Specify whether the bag is flat or opened, empty or loaded, and whether handles are relaxed. Leave a missing tolerance for confirmation instead of inventing a standard allowance for every bag.

For a dual-handle knit tote, identify the long and short handle pairs separately in the drawing and approval record. Check the intended hand-carry and shoulder-carry arrangements, the opening between the handles and access with the proposed contents inside. Use the lining and pocket guide for interior checks and the closure guide for usable access.

Keep a handling trial separate from a strength result. Intertek's luggage and bag testing overview treats handles, fastenings and strap-to-body attachments as strength-test subjects. Agree suitable tests and acceptance criteria for the actual bag; holding a sample briefly does not establish its carrying capacity. Keep required laboratory results and the quality-control plan linked to the sample ID.

Review the actual decoration and colour references as well as construction. Use the agreed physical standard and viewing procedure in the colour-approval brief. Record logo dimensions, placement, orientation and artwork revision. Include labels, the agreed fold and individual packaging; a bag approval should state whether those items were included in the review.

Write the decision and the remaining actions

Replace scattered comments with one dated review sheet. For each issue, identify its location, the requirement, the observed difference, the requested correction, the responsible person and the evidence needed to close it. Attach marked photographs where useful. A request such as “move the pocket” needs a revised position on the drawing, not another verbal interpretation.

Use explicit decisions: approved for the stated scope; revise and resubmit; or on hold pending specified evidence. If a limited part is approved, name it and state which work may proceed. Keep approval of a colour, artwork or shape distinct from permission to begin bulk production. Name the person authorised to give that final release.

Review changes after approval

An approved reference needs a change record. ISO's committee overview of ISO 10007:2017 describes configuration identification and change control within configuration management. For a bag order, apply a simple version record: what changed, why, which documents and samples are affected, and who approved the revision. This is a practical workflow, not a claim of certification to that standard.

If the supplier proposes another fabric, yarn, lining, closure or attachment method, ask for the effect on appearance, dimensions, function and outstanding tests. Agree what must be re-sampled or re-tested before the affected work proceeds. Update the order documents and reference copies together, and mark earlier versions as superseded so they cannot be mistaken for the current approval.

Keep the reference available for production checks

Agree where the approved reference is held, who can use it and how its identity is maintained. If the buyer, supplier or inspector needs a counterpart, compare those reference copies before assigning them the same approval. Preserve the accepted condition: log any washing, loading or destructive testing, and keep such test pieces distinguishable from the visual reference.

SGS describes the value of an approved reference sample when comparing a production batch with the order. Provide that reference alongside the current specification, artwork, defect descriptions and packing instructions. The reference shows the accepted product; the inspection plan defines how the lot will be assessed.

Sample sign-off does not replace the agreed bulk inspection. SGS's final random inspection service separately assesses batch quality and can cover workmanship, quantity, packaging and labelling. Confirm the relevant inspection scope and release decision for your order rather than treating one approved sample as proof that every shipped bag conforms.

Send a sample-approval brief with the RFQ

• Product baseline: intended use, style, specification and artwork versions, material references and target quantity.
• Sample purpose: what each submission must demonstrate and which temporary components must be disclosed.
• Review evidence: measurement sheet, marked photographs, functional checks and any required test reports.
• Decision control: reviewer, final approver, open issues and the written permission needed for the next step.
• Reference handling: sample IDs, retained copies, storage and access for production inspection.
• Commercial arrangements: quoted sample and revision charges, dispatch details and the project-specific review schedule.

For sample-only requests, contact our team directly to discuss the product brief, review sheet, sample charges and timing. For a bulk order of at least 100 pcs per style per colour, attach the brief and review sheet through the RFQ form; colours cannot be combined to meet the minimum. Identify unresolved specifications and confirm the sample plan before work begins. The useful outcome is a sample and document set that both parties can recognise, review and carry forward into the order.