Production photos and samples
Review the factory's panel-print photos, send them to the customer for approval, relay their feedback, and how pre-production samples gate the bulk run.
Before a factory runs the whole order, it usually produces a sample print and photographs it. These production photos, often called panel prints, are the last check on colour and quality against the real thing rather than a screen. Some orders go further, with a full pre-production sample garment.
#Production photos (panel prints)
The factory uploads photos against the PO. Each product appears in Approvals as its own Production photos row.
#Step by step
- In Approvals, open the row and press Review on PO.
- Review the photos on the PO.
- Send them to the customer from the PO.
The customer gets a "samples ready for approval" email with a no-login link. They make one decision per product, Approve or Request Changes, and get a receipt of what was decided. They can open any photo full size and zoom in.
#What each outcome does
| What happens | Row becomes | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The customer approves | Approved ("Customer approved") | Nothing. |
| The customer requests changes | Rejected, with Relay to factory | Pass their feedback to the factory via the PO. |
| The factory re-uploads | Pending again | Review and send again. |
If you request changes on the PO, rather than the customer, it goes straight to the factory.
Good to know
approval is judged per order, not per PO. One PO can carry several orders, and each order moves to Production once all of its own products are approved. Two orders on the same PO can show different statuses.
#When a PO carries several customers
A PO is per factory, so it can carry several customers' orders. Each customer gets their own approval email and link, with only their own products and order numbers. The approval bar lists every recipient and says why any one can't be emailed: no contact on that order, notifications switched off, or that order's customer emails paused.
#Factories without a portal login
If a factory isn't on the portal and sends you photos another way, you can upload panel-print photos to the PO yourself, then send them to the customer.
#Pre-production samples (PPS)
A PPS is a complete sample garment, made in a size you choose and shipped to your warehouse or straight to the customer before bulk production. You set it up on the order before the PO is raised. See Names & numbers, artwork and pre-production samples.
- The PO opens with a banner telling the factory to make the sample first, and a sample-cost line per style is added automatically.
- When the factory marks the sample shipped, the customer gets a review link with the sample photos, and the orders wait at PPS Approval.
- The customer can approve and start bulk, approve with change notes (which go to the factory, and bulk goes ahead with them), or ask for another sample, which repeats the PPS stage.
- Approval releases everything to Production and tells the factory to start bulk.
The approval link can be copied from the PO header with the PPS 🔗 button.
#Common questions
What does "Relay to factory" mean? The customer wants changes to the production sample. Tell the factory through the PO.
Why did one order on the PO move to Production and another didn't? Each order is judged on its own products only.
Can bulk start before the PPS is approved? No.