Glossary

The main production order, made after the sample and the details are approved.

The quantity, sizes, colours and delivery date of the bulk order are confirmed in your quotation or order agreement.

A logo or design stitched into the fabric with thread. Durable and textured; well suited to beanies, caps and fleece.

Very fine details and small text can be limited in embroidery; your mockup shows what works. See Which decoration methods do you offer?

A delivery term: the seller covers the costs until the goods are loaded at the agreed port of shipment; from there the buyer covers freight, insurance and import costs.

FOB is one of the Incoterms, the international rules for delivery terms. It is common for factory quotations because the buyer can then choose their own forwarder for the main transport.

How delivery terms are agreed at Mr Balaclava: How will my order be shipped?

The weight of a fabric: how many grams one square metre of it weighs. A higher GSM usually means a thicker, warmer fabric.

GSM helps compare fabrics of the same kind, but it is not a warmth rating. As a rough guide, lightweight fabrics are below about 160 GSM, midweight fabrics about 160 to 260 GSM and heavyweight fabrics above about 260 GSM. The right weight depends on the fabric type, the product and how it will be used; the exact GSM of your fabric is confirmed with your quote.

Our Fabric Weight & GSM Guide explains it in detail.

A printed card attached to a product, usually with a string or loop, showing the brand, product information or price.

See Can you add custom labels, tags and packaging?

Internationally recognised rules that say who pays for transport, insurance and customs, and where the risk passes from seller to buyer. FOB is one of them.

Your quotation states the delivery terms agreed for your order. If anything is unclear, ask us before you confirm the order.

The time from the confirmed order to the goods being ready for shipment. Transit time comes on top.

At Mr Balaclava: Standard production lead time is approximately 14 days. Actual lead time may vary depending on product type, order quantity, customization, material availability, sampling/approval requirements and the nature of the project. The confirmed production schedule will be agreed with the customer for each order.

A digital drawing that shows how your product will look, with your colours, logo and labels, before anything is made.

You check and approve the mockup before sampling or production starts. See What is a mockup and how do I approve it?

The smallest number of pieces a manufacturer makes of one design in one order. At Mr Balaclava the MOQ is 50 pieces per design.

Factories set a minimum because every new design needs set-up work: patterns, machine programming, colour matching and sampling. Below a certain quantity that work costs more than the products themselves.

See What is the minimum order quantity? for how the MOQ works at Mr Balaclava.

A standard colour reference number (for example from the Pantone textile guide) that lets you and the factory talk about exactly the same colour.

Screens show colours differently, so a Pantone reference is the safest way to describe a colour. Dyed fabric can still differ slightly from a printed colour card.

Products made by a manufacturer but sold under your own brand: your logo, your labels, your packaging.

With private label manufacturing you own the brand and the customer relationship; the factory makes the product to your specification. See Can you make products under my own brand?

Checking the finished goods against the approved sample and specification before they are packed and shipped.

See How do you check quality?

A piece made before bulk production so you can check fabric, fit, colours and branding. At Mr Balaclava it is either a free pre-production sample, approved on photos, videos or a video call after you order, or a pre-paid (physical) sample shipped to you before your order.

Changes are cheapest at the sample stage. See Which sample do I need? and How does sampling work?

A printing method that pushes ink through a mesh screen, one screen per colour. Bright and durable for designs with a few solid colours.

See Which decoration methods do you offer?

A printing method where dye is turned into gas with heat and bonds with polyester fibres, so the print becomes part of the fabric and does not crack or peel.

Sublimation allows full-colour, all-over designs, but it needs polyester-rich, light-coloured fabric. See Which decoration methods do you offer?

Example on this site: the 3D Animal Sublimated Balaclava, a full-face sublimated print on polyester/spandex stretch jersey, available in adult and kids sizes.

A small piece of fabric used to check its feel, weight and colour before choosing it.

See How do I choose the right fabric?

The technical specification of a product: drawings, measurements, materials, colours, logo positions and finishing details, used by the factory to make it exactly.

A good tech pack prevents misunderstandings between you and the factory. Our design team can prepare it with you. See Do you offer design support?

An artwork file built from lines and shapes instead of pixels, so it stays sharp at any size. Typical formats: AI, EPS, SVG and vector PDF.

Vector files are the best starting point for embroidery and printing. We recommend AI, EPS or PDF. Which formats each way of sending files accepts is explained in Which artwork files should I send?

A progress report during production, usually with photos, so you can see your order before it is finished.

At Mr Balaclava the second payment is made during production after you have reviewed the work-in-progress update. See What are your payment terms?

A label with your logo or text woven into it with thread, usually sewn into a seam. Common for neck, side or care labels.

See Can you add custom labels, tags and packaging?