What Information Should You Send a Clothing Manufacturer?
Most manufacturing enquiries arrive with about a third of what is needed to price them, which is why the reply is usually a list of questions rather than a quotation. This is the full list of what a manufacturer needs from you, why each item changes the price, and a checklist you can copy into your first email.
By Linkworld International Manufacturing Team · Published 14 September 2026
Why the detail changes the number
A quote is a manufacturer's commitment to a price against a set of assumptions. Every detail you leave out is an assumption they have to make, and assumptions are priced with contingency built in.
Sending a complete enquiry does not only save time. It usually produces a better price, because nothing in the quote is covering an unknown.
1. The design
Whatever you have: a tech pack, technical drawings, artwork files, mockups, reference photographs, or a link to a garment whose construction you want matched. More than one of these is better than one.
- Front and back views, plus any side or detail views
- Artwork files in vector where possible — AI, EPS, PDF or high-resolution PNG
- Placement and size of every print, embroidery and label
- Any construction detail that is not visible in the drawing
If you have no tech pack, say so rather than sending nothing. We can prepare one; a design or setup fee may apply depending on the work required.
2. Quantity
Total quantity, and the split. Fifty pieces of one style in one colour is a different order from fifty across three colourways, and the second may not be viable at the same price.
- Total units
- Number of styles
- Number of colourways per style
- Whether you expect to reorder
3. Size range and split
Which sizes, and how many of each. If you do not have a size split yet, say which sizes and we will quote against a standard ratio, but the real split changes fabric consumption and cutting.
If you have a measurement chart, send it. If you want us to develop one, say which fit you are aiming at.
4. Fabric and GSM
Name the fabric and weight if you know them. If you do not, describe what the garment needs to do — how heavy it should feel, whether it needs stretch, whether it is being worn in heat or cold, how it needs to behave after wash — and we will recommend against that.
- Fibre content, or a description of the hand feel you want
- GSM, or a weight range
- A reference garment whose fabric you want matched
- Any requirement for recycled, organic or certified fabric
5. Colours
Pantone references where you have them, and a physical swatch where colour is critical. Screen colour is not a colour standard — the same hex value looks different on every monitor and reproduces differently in every print method.
Tell us which colours are exact-match requirements and which are approximate. It changes whether a lab dip or strike-off is needed.
6. Decoration and branding
Which method, where, and at what size. If you are not sure which method suits your artwork, send the artwork and the garment and we will tell you what will actually work on it.
- Print method: screen, sublimation, DTF, puff, heat transfer
- Embroidery, chenille, appliqué or tackle twill
- Woven main label, neck print, size and care labels
- Hangtags, printed tape, custom zip pulls, rubber patches
- Packaging: bulk, polybag, or retail-ready
7. Target delivery date
Say when you need the goods in hand, not when you want them to ship. Working backwards from a launch or a season gives a schedule that either works or does not, and finding out which at the enquiry stage is far cheaper than finding out at approval.
8. Shipping destination
City and country. Shipping method, cost and transit time depend on destination, order size and weight, and cannot be quoted without it. Import duty and taxes at your end are set by your country and are not included in a factory quote.
9. Anything unusual
Retailer compliance requirements, specific carton or labelling standards, third-party inspection, lab testing, a fixed price ceiling, or a buyer with particular terms. Raise these at enquiry rather than after approval — most can be accommodated, and all of them affect the schedule.
Copy this checklist into your enquiry
- Product and design files or references attached
- Total quantity, and number of styles and colourways
- Size range and split
- Fabric and GSM, or a description of what the garment needs to do
- Colours, with Pantone references where exact
- Decoration method, placement and size for each hit
- Labelling, hangtag and packaging requirements
- Target date the goods need to be in hand
- Shipping destination city and country
- Any compliance, inspection or testing requirement
This checklist is free to use and free to share. If you send all ten, we can usually come back with pricing, a sampling plan and a production schedule rather than a list of questions.
Discuss your project
Send your designs or references with quantities and your destination, and we will come back with pricing, a sampling plan and a confirmed production schedule.
Frequently asked questions
- What if I only have reference images?
- That is enough to start. Send the images, describe the fit and fabric you are aiming at, and give the quantity and destination. We will tell you what else is needed and can prepare a tech pack where one does not exist.
- Do I need a tech pack before contacting a manufacturer?
- No, but it shortens everything. Without one, expect a development stage before a firm quote. A design or setup fee may apply depending on the work required to produce production-ready artwork and specifications.
- What format should artwork be in?
- Vector formats — AI, EPS or vector PDF — reproduce at any size and are best for logos and flat artwork. For photographic or gradient artwork, send the highest resolution raster file you have, at or above the physical print size.
- How quickly will I get a quote?
- We typically respond within 24 to 48 business hours. A complete enquiry usually comes back with pricing and a sampling plan; an incomplete one comes back with the questions needed to price it.
Related manufacturing services
Request a custom quote
Send your designs or references, quantities, size range, fabric requirements and destination, and we will come back with pricing, lead times and a sampling plan.
About this guide
Written and reviewed by the Linkworld International manufacturing team in Sialkot, Pakistan. Linkworld International has been manufacturing custom apparel since 1990, with cutting, stitching, printing, embroidery, finishing and packing handled in house. Found something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
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