Custom Plush Artwork Checklist: Prepare a Sample-Ready Brief
By LovelyJoy Editorial Team · Sourcing & Production Team, LovelyJoy
Quick Answer
A sample-ready plush brief explains the shape, finished dimensions, material areas and details that must not change. Provide consistent reference views, label undecided items and identify the current file version. You do not need to solve the factory's pattern engineering yourself, but you do need to distinguish creative requirements from areas open to technical advice.
Which artwork views does a plush factory need?
Start with the front, side and back of the same character in the same pose. A polished front illustration may conceal important decisions: whether the head projects forward, where a tail attaches, how a costume closes, or whether a marking continues around the body. Add a close-up for the face and any small feature that carries the character's identity.
If you only have one drawing, send it and identify the missing views as development work. Ask who will propose and approve them before sampling. Do not add unrelated reference images without explaining which feature each illustrates; otherwise the factory has to choose between conflicting ears, proportions or expressions. Label each reference as an exact requirement, a style reference or an option to explore.
How should finished size and proportions be specified?
State the intended pose and mark the measurement endpoints on the drawing. "25 cm plush" is ambiguous if one person includes the ears and another measures to the top of the head. For a seated character, distinguish sitting height, body width and depth. For a hanging product, separate the plush body from the loop or attachment.
Identify proportions that define the design, such as head-to-body balance or the distance between the eyes. Ask the factory to propose achievable tolerances and a repeatable measurement method; do not invent a universal tolerance for all fabrics and shapes. Record which dimensions are firm and which can change after a construction review.
What belongs in a material and detail map?
| Area | Information to send |
|---|---|
| Body and contrasting panels | Area codes, color references, desired pile direction and hand feel; request fabric options if undecided. |
| Face and small markings | Position, shape and intended technique, such as embroidery or applique; ask about achievable detail. |
| Filling and pose | Desired softness and whether the toy should sit unsupported; let the factory review construction options. |
| Accessories | Size, location, fixed or removable construction, materials and intended interaction. |
| Branding and packaging | Label location, hangtag concept, unit packing and who supplies final print artwork. |
A screen color is a communication reference, not an approved fabric swatch. Confirm the physical material reference and review conditions before treating a color as approved. If a standard fabric is acceptable, say so; if a particular texture is essential to the character, explain why before an alternative is quoted.
Which details must stay, and which can change?
Divide feedback into identity-critical features, functional requirements and negotiable details. Eye expression might be identity-critical, an upright sitting pose might be functional, and the number of small costume panels might be negotiable. This helps the factory suggest a simpler construction without quietly changing the character.
Provide the intended audience, use and sales markets. Ask for a feasibility review of attachments, small parts and unusual features before approving a decorative choice. Neither attractive artwork nor a buyer's preferred age statement establishes product safety. Also identify who controls the character and branding permissions; sending artwork is not evidence that all necessary rights have been cleared.
What does a clear handoff note look like?
The following is an illustrative brief, not an actual customer order or an accepted specification:
- Design: CHAR-01, artwork revision A, seated character.
- Target size: 25 cm from the seat surface to the top of the head, excluding ears; factory to propose the measurement tolerance.
- Must preserve: eye shape and asymmetrical chest marking shown in the front view.
- Open for advice: body fabric, filling firmness and construction needed to hold the pose.
- Unresolved: back artwork, final packaging and market-specific labeling review; owners and decision dates to be assigned.
Unknown values remain unknown. Do not substitute an assumed material code, testing claim or promised delivery date just to complete every field. A short unresolved-items list is more useful than a detailed but fictional specification.
How should artwork files and revisions be handed over?
- Use one design ID across the drawing, specification, sample request and later approval record.
- Ask which editable artwork formats the factory can use, and include a viewable reference export with dimensions and notes.
- Name files with the design ID and revision, for example CHAR-01_front_rev-A.pdf. Avoid several files called "final".
- Keep a change list and explicitly retire superseded files. Put approval decisions in the same shared record instead of leaving them scattered across messages.
- Confirm the sample deliverables, revision scope, charges and approval owner before work starts.
Use the existing RFQ template below for commercial inputs and attach this design brief alongside it. After the factory identifies open questions, resolve the identity-critical items first. When the sample arrives, review it against the agreed brief rather than against a different drawing introduced midway through development.
