A proof is the last moment the order costs nothing to change. After approval it becomes 500 units of whatever was on that page.
It is also the moment your production clock starts, which is why suppliers chase you for it.
The three kinds
Digital proof. A rendering — your logo placed on an image of the product, with dimensions and colors specified. Free, fast, and what you will get on most orders. It confirms placement, size, spelling and color call-outs. It does not show you texture, thread sheen or how ink sits on fabric.
Sew-out. An actual embroidery sample of your logo, stitched on similar fabric. This is the only way to know whether small text will hold. If your logo has fine detail and you are ordering more than a few hundred pieces, ask for one. Whether it carries a charge is stated on your quote, so you will know before you approve anything.
Pre-production sample. One real finished unit before the run. Costs money and adds days, but on a large or high-visibility order it is cheap insurance.
Quoting with a proof
Send us the item you are considering, your quantity, and your logo file, and we will come back with pricing and a proof to check before anything moves. Every quote includes a free virtual proof, and nothing goes to production until you approve it in writing.
Reply within 24 business hours · every item has a minimum of at least 12 pieces · setup charge waived above $500 in product · artwork kept on file two years, so an exact reorder carries no new setup charge
Get a quote with a free proof call 1.888.452.0027, Mon–Fri 9–6 ET
What a digital proof will not tell you
This is where expectations go wrong. A digital proof cannot show you:
- How the color actually looks on that material. Screens are backlit. A mug is not.
- Fabric hand. Whether a large print feels stiff.
- Thread sheen. Embroidery catches light in ways a flat render cannot show.
- True scale in the hand. A 3-inch imprint looks different on a screen than on a pen.
If any of those matter for your order, a digital proof is not enough and you should say so.
The five things to check
1. Spelling. Every word, including your own company name, and especially anything typed by hand — dates, names, event titles. Read it backwards if you have to. Misspellings survive proofs constantly because everyone skims what they already know.
2. Imprint dimensions. Not whether it looks right, but whether the stated size is right. “3.5 inches wide” on a proof that renders small is still 3.5 inches on the product.
3. Placement measurements. Left chest should say how far down from the collar and how far in from the placket. “Left chest” alone is not a specification.
4. Color call-outs. Check the PMS numbers listed, not the colors you see. Your monitor is not calibrated and neither is ours.
5. Product code. Confirm the blank is the one you agreed — brand, style number, color name. This is where substitutions appear.
Who approves, and when
Decide before you order. One named person with authority to approve. If a proof needs four signatures, you have added four days to your lead time and nobody accounted for them.
Approving a proof is a commitment. Once approved, changes mean new setup and often a new blank order — and on a run already in production, they may not be possible at all.
If something is wrong
Say exactly what, in writing. “Make the logo bigger” produces another round trip. “Increase imprint width from 3 to 4 inches, keep vertical placement” produces a corrected proof.
Revisions before approval are normal and expected.
I’d rather go three rounds on a proof and get it right than one round and watch a whole order come back. Rounds of proofing are cheap. A bad run isn’t.
Derek Capo, owner, CustomMark
Ready to price it? Send us the item, the decoration method and what the proof has to show, the quantity, your in-hands date and your artwork file, and we’ll come back with real pricing. Start a quote or call 1.888.452.0027.