MANUFACTURING / JAPAN SOURCING
Fabric MOQ: stock colours and custom dyeing
A request for 300 metres in three colours is not always a 300-metre production order. First establish what the minimum applies to: a fabric, a colour, a finishing run or a finished garment.
Write the quantity beside each colour
Imagine a buyer who wants 100 metres each of three colours of cotton single jersey for T-shirts. A quote says “300 metres minimum”. If that is per colour, the order is 900 metres. If it covers an available stock assortment, it may describe a different purchase entirely. These are fictional quantities to illustrate the question, not typical Japanese minimums.
Ask the supplier to state the basis beside the figure. “300 metres total” and “300 metres per colour” should not occupy the same unlabelled quantity field.
- 1Define the fabric: construction, width, weight and finish
- 2Stock colour: confirm cut length or roll quantity and availability
- 3Custom colour: obtain the minimum and delivery quantity for each colour
A comparison of enquiries, not a production sequence. None of the illustrated rolls represents a fixed quantity.
Stock colour means a purchasing option
STYLEM’s public ordering guide distinguishes cut-length orders from roll orders.[1] That gives a useful question to ask, but does not establish the availability or purchasing terms of your chosen fabric.
For a stock colour, request the article and colour references, available length, whether the order will be cut or supplied in rolls, and the actual quantity used for invoicing. A colour shown in a book is not confirmation that your required length has been reserved. Ask separately about replenishment and whether a later delivery could be a different dye lot.
Custom dyeing starts with a defined fabric
For the same cotton single jersey, identify fibre composition, knit construction, usable width, weight in g/m² and finishing before comparing colour options. A fabric with another weight or finish is not an unchanged substitute simply because the colour is similar.
Taniseni’s knitwear FAQ explains its own colour-lot requirements in relation to fabric weight.[2] It is a supplier-specific example of why the production basis matters, not a minimum for all mills, woven fabrics or garments. Ask your supplier whether the relevant minimum is per colour, per fabric specification or per processing run.
| Stage | Record in the request | Ask the supplier to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Stock fabric | Record in the requestArticle, colour, required usable length | Ask the supplier to confirmCut length or rolls; available quantity; invoiced length |
| Custom dyeing | Record in the requestFabric specification and length by colour | Ask the supplier to confirmProduction basis, minimum per colour and expected delivery quantity |
| Finishing | Record in the requestRequired finish and reference sample | Ask the supplier to confirmSeparate run minimum; effect on width, weight and usable yield |
| Cutting and sewing | Record in the requestStyle, size breakdown and pieces by colour | Ask the supplier to confirmGarment minimum and who is responsible for fabric consumption |
Do not convert units without the missing inputs
A dyeing quote in kilograms, a fabric purchase in metres and a garment order in pieces answer different questions. To reconcile them, ask who will calculate fabric consumption, using the specified usable width, fabric weight and garment cutting layout, with agreed allowances for shrinkage, defects and processing loss.
A simple weight-to-length calculation does not establish how many acceptable T-shirts will be delivered. Keep the supplier’s assumptions beside its calculation and retain unknowns rather than filling them with a general conversion factor.
Compare the options before approving the order
Ask for stock-colour and custom-colour options on the same fabric specification, delivery basis and required date. Keep development charges, sample work, permitted quantity variation and the invoice basis visible. A lower unit price may accompany a larger purchase.
Confirm what approves the colour and finish, what bulk sample will be checked, and how repeat orders will refer to the approved material. Nissenken describes separate textile tests for colourfastness and dimensional change.[3] The appropriate tests and acceptance limits depend on the intended product; a colour sample alone does not settle shrinkage or washing performance.
Questions to send your supplier
Open supplier questions
We are considering cotton single jersey for T-shirts. Fabric reference / composition / construction: Usable width / weight / finish: Required metres by colour and required date: Please quote stock-colour and custom-colour options separately. For each option, state the order unit, minimum per colour, expected delivery quantity and invoicing basis. Who calculates garment yield, and which assumptions are used? Please identify sample approval, quantity variation, repeat-order conditions and anything still unconfirmed. Destination:
Sources
- STYLEM — Ordering guide
Public ordering instructions distinguish cut-length and roll orders. Stock, prices and suitability for this enquiry were not checked.
- Taniseni — Production flow and FAQ
A knitwear manufacturer’s explanation of colour lots and fabric weight. Its quantities are not a Japanese industry minimum.
- Nissenken — Textile testing
Public descriptions of colourfastness, dimensional change and material testing; not universal acceptance limits.