Samples are where every fabric decision starts. Here is what the usual sample types show, what to tell a supplier, and how a sample request with dé works.
A photo can show you texture and colour. Only a sample shows you the hand, the weight in your fingers and the colour in your own light. That is why almost every upholstery fabric decision starts with sampling.
The usual sample types
Suppliers use different formats for different stages of a decision. The names vary from company to company; these are the common ones.
- Swatch or cutting. A small piece of one colour. Good for a first look and for comparing textures.
- Hanger. One article on a hanger: a strip of each colour, or a larger piece of one colour, with a label. Good for seeing the colour range and the drape at the same time.
- Colour card. All the colours of one article on one card, each numbered. Good for choosing colours and for keeping on file. See our colour cards.
- Metre or length sample. A larger piece, often enough to cover a cushion, a seat or a small prototype. Good for testing how the fabric behaves when it is cut, sewn and upholstered.
- Lab dip or strike-off. For custom colours: a small dyed sample made to match your colour target before production. You approve it, or ask for a correction.
- Approval or pre-production sample. A piece from the production batch, sent before shipment so you can check colour and quality against what you approved.
What to tell your supplier
The more precise the request, the more useful the samples. Include:
- Article codes and colour numbers. For example "DE2505, Colour 14". If you are not sure yet, describe the look you need.
- The end use. Sofas for the home, contract seating, cushions, headboards. It helps the supplier suggest the right alternatives.
- Your colour targets. A Pantone reference, a physical swatch or a photo. Physical references are the most reliable.
- Quantities and destination. They shape the quote that follows the samples.
- Any test or market requirements. For example the abrasion level or the fire-safety standard your market asks for.
How to judge a sample
- Look in daylight and in the light of the room where the furniture will stand. Colours shift between light sources.
- Fold it, stretch it gently and rub it with your palm. Watch how the surface recovers and whether the colour changes with the direction of the pile.
- Compare it with your references side by side, never from memory.
- Upholster a piece if you can. A cushion or a small frame tells you more than a flat swatch.
- Test it if your market requires it. Lab results apply to the fabric (and, for fire tests, the fabric-and-filling combination) that was tested.
A sample may come from a different dye lot than your future order. For colour-critical projects, ask for an approval sample from the production batch.
How sampling works with dé
- Tell us what you need. Send article codes and colour numbers, or describe the look, the end use, your quantities and destination. You can build a Selection on our website as you browse.
- We confirm before dispatch. We confirm the sample format and any courier cost with you before we send anything.
- We send the samples, then pricing and terms. This is step 2 of how we work: we suggest fabrics, send samples, and share pricing and terms.
- You decide. When you are ready, we confirm the order (PO/PI) and share timing.
You can request samples of any article on our website. For the New series 2026, samples let you judge the fabrics while we prepare the technical data.
This guide is general information about sampling in the upholstery fabric trade. It does not describe the results of any dé article.