A tech pack
Measurements, materials, construction notes and grading. The fastest start — about 3 working days to the first sample.
Commercial terms · Sampling
Every sample round has a stated cost, a recorded result and one decision.
Sampling is where a style is actually decided — and where most sourcing misunderstandings start. This page states how sample rounds run at HACOLD: what each round costs, what it decides, what it does not, and how the sealed sample sets the standard for bulk.
How a round runs
Four rules that apply to every sample round.
The same structure applies whether the style starts from a complete tech pack or from photographs of a reference.
- 01
The starting input sets the round
A tech pack, technical drawing or approved reference sample starts sampling at about 3 working days. Reference images plus a written brief start it at about 5. The input you bring decides the speed — not a promise made after the fact.
- 02
Each round is quoted before it starts
The sampling fee for the round is quoted up front, including what the fee covers and how courier costs are handled. No work starts on an unquoted round.
- 03
Comments are recorded, not exchanged
Every round closes with recorded comments and decisions — what changed, what was approved, what carries into the next round. This is what keeps round three from re-arguing round one.
- 04
The sealed sample ends sampling
Your approval seals the measurement chart and the workmanship reference. Bulk production is checked against that sealed sample — which is why the approval, not the conversation, is the standard.
Starting inputs
What you send us sets the sampling window and the fee.
The published sampling windows are about 3 working days from a tech pack, drawing or approved reference sample, and about 5 working days from images plus a written brief. What changes between them is specification work.
A drawing or approved reference sample
A physical or drawn reference with the key specifications agreed. Also about 3 working days.
Reference images plus a brief
Photos of a style you want developed, with a written description of fabric, fit and details. About 5 working days — the extra time converts the description into specifications.
Scope and limits
What a sample decides, and what it does not.
A sample is a specification instrument, not an order. Keeping the two separate is what makes the sealed sample meaningful.
What the sample decides
Fit, measurements, fabric behaviour, construction quality and the workmanship standard. The sealed sample becomes the reference bulk production is inspected against.
What the sample does not decide
A sample result does not reserve capacity, confirm a delivery date or constitute a production commitment. Those are settled in the order quotation and contract.
How fees relate to the bulk order
Whether and how sample fees credit against a following bulk order is stated in the quotation for that project — not as a standing site-wide rule.
Questions before the next step
Sample questions buyers ask before sending files.
These answers define the decision boundary for this page. Commercial terms and factory-specific feasibility still require project review.
01How much does a sample cost?
The fee is quoted per round before any work starts, including what the fee covers and how courier costs are handled. Amounts depend on the style, so they are stated in the order quotation rather than published as a fixed price.
02How many sample rounds will my style need?
It depends on the starting input and the size of each revision. A style from a tech pack usually settles in fewer rounds than one developed from reference images. Every round is recorded, and the expected round structure is confirmed in the quotation.
03Can sampling start before the contract is signed?
Sampling scope and cost are quoted before work starts, and the quotation sets out what has been agreed for the round. The sample itself does not create an order or a production commitment.
04Who owns the design during sampling?
Ownership, permitted use and confidentiality duties are settled in the project terms agreed before sensitive files are exchanged. The website does not make an automatic NDA — see the IP and confidentiality page for the current boundary.
From research to a useful brief
Start the sample conversation inside your RFQ.
You do not need every answer before the first conversation. Share the product direction, available files, quality expectations and known commercial context.