Our Production Recipe
At Trade Lords, our production process is a carefully structured journey from concept to completion, ensuring every garment meets the highest standards of quality, precision, and creativity. Our “Production Recipe” outlines each stage in detail, from receiving buyer orders and developing tech packs to sourcing premium materials, processing fabrics, adding decorations, stitching, and conducting multiple rounds of quality checks. Whether it’s intricate embroidery, vibrant screen printing, or flawless rhinestone application, every step is handled by skilled professionals using advanced technology. By following this meticulous process, we guarantee consistency, timely delivery, and products that perfectly align with our clients’ vision.
Order Receiving & Product Development
- Receive the buyer’s order and initiate product development.
- Confirm the buyer’s order.
- Create a tech pack.
- Develop samples (including decoration mockups).
- Obtain buyer’s approval (fit, artwork, fabric, color, sizes).
Material Sourcing & Procurement
- Source fabrics (stocked materials, mills, vendors).
- Procure accessories and packaging.
- Source decoration materials (threads, size labels, strings, rhinestones, etc.).
Fabric Processing
- Perform regular processing.
- Conduct testing (shrinkage, GSM, colorfastness).
- Dye and finish fabrics.
Screen Printing
- Prepare artwork in vector format.
- Make screens (film positives, mesh screens).
- Mix colors.
- Set up manual or automatic screen printing.
- Print using Silicon, Plastisol, Rubber, Water-based, or Puff inks.
- Flash cure and final dry.
- Quality check (color sharpness, alignment, texture).
- Cool and handle panels.
Heat Transfer Printing
- Create a software-based mockup design.
- Print films for DTF/DTG/Sublimation.
- Weed vinyl (if applicable).
- Heat press according to temperature and time requirements.
- Conduct post-press QC (peel test, colorfastness).
- Handle panels for sewing.
Flat Embroidery
- Prepare a digitized DST file.
- Set up multi-head embroidery machines.
- Place the hoop and stabilizer.
- Execute embroidery.
- Trim excess threads.
- QC for alignment and thread breaks.
- Iron or press if needed.
Chenille Embroidery
- Set up chenille and chain stitching machines.
- Execute high-pile yarn embroidery.
- Stitch borders.
- QC for alignment.
- Trim excess yarn.
Rhinestone Printing
- Set up rhinestone design (vector, size, stone type).
- Prepare stone sheets (manual or plotter-based).
- Place on garment or panel.
- Apply heat press with controlled pressure and heat.
- Peel and QC (stone adherence, alignment).
- Test wash durability.
Cutting Process
- Make patterns based on decorated panels.
- Perform marker making and fabric spreading.
- Cut fabrics.
- Bundle panels.
Stitching / Sewing
- Assemble decorated panels.
- Perform in-line inspection.
- Construct the final garment.
- Thread and finish seams.
- Measure and scale for accuracy.
Brand Label & Tags
- Develop labels (main, size, wash care, composition).
- Finalize tag designs (swing tags, barcode tags).
- Source label materials (woven, satin, printed).
- Check branding compliance (per buyer/brand manual).
- Plan stitching or attachment (in-seam, neck label, hem label, hangtags).
- QC label position and accuracy.
- Get final buyer approval (if required)
Quality Control (QC)
- Inspect stitching and garment construction.
- QC decoration (peel test, color test, embroidery alignment).
- Check measurements and fit.
- Rework if needed.
Washing & Finishing
- Wash if required.
- Apply special finishes (acid wash, tie-dye, sun-fade, rough fade).
- Steam and press garments.
- Perform final finishing (thread cutting, defuzzing).
- Conduct final visual QC.
Packaging
- Fold garments per buyer specifications.
- Tag and barcode.
- Pack in polybags and cartons.
Shipment & Documentation
- Prepare export documentation.
- Arrange buyer inspection.
- Load container.
- Dispatch sh
- Post-shipment ERP updates.
- Collect client feedback.
- Prepare for a reorder.