Keeping Artwork and Strike-Off Versions Aligned in Jacquard Development
Keep artwork and jacquard strike-off versions aligned by giving every file and physical sample a stable identifier, recording what changed, and approving each part of the design explicitly. We recommend one approval record that points to the exact artwork, colour reference and sample being discussed. “Use the latest version” is too ambiguous when several people are exchanging revised files and photographs.
What needs its own version number?
Give the jacquard artwork, development instructions and physical strike-off separate identifiers. A layout file, colour request and fabric sample can change at different times. Separate records let the team preserve an approved layout while reviewing a new colour or construction.
In this article, a strike-off means a physical development sample submitted for review. Confirm the supplier's terminology and what that sample represents. An image labelled “sample” in a message might be a rendering rather than woven cloth. The record should make the distinction visible.
Our custom jacquard development page explains the commercial development route. This guide adds a practical way to keep revisions traceable after that first brief has been sent.
The artwork below is an example of a design reference. Its filename and approval state should remain separate from those of the resulting fabric.
This is a documented tapestry artwork reference. It illustrates the kind of visual source that can be versioned; it is not a promise that every jacquard project uses the same construction or workflow.
How can one record prevent mixed approvals?
A jacquard approval record prevents mixed instructions when each review identifies the exact artwork, sample, colour reference and decision owner. Add a dated row for each meaningful revision. Retaining the earlier decision makes it possible to see what changed and what stayed approved.
| Record field | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Artwork identifier | Project name and revision | Identifies the design being interpreted |
| Sample identifier | Supplier sample label and your receipt reference | Connects comments to physical cloth |
| Colour reference | Agreed reference and revision | Prevents an older colour discussion being carried forward silently |
| Change requested | Exact location and intended change | Makes the next review testable |
| Review scope | Layout, colour, handfeel or another named aspect | Avoids treating partial approval as complete approval |
| Decision and owner | Approved, revise or awaiting confirmation; reviewer | Shows who must resolve the next step |
The labels can be simple. A small project does not need elaborate software, but everyone should be able to find the same current record. Keep old files in an archive folder with their original identifiers so a later comparison remains possible.
What happens when layout is approved but colour is not?
When jacquard layout is approved but colour is not, record the layout as fixed and the colour as an open decision. The next sample must be checked against both instructions. A general “approved” message would lose that distinction.
Consider this hypothetical version history. The identifiers are examples, not a record of a customer project. The team likes the motif placement on sample S01 but wants a lighter ground. Layout and colour therefore have separate states.
| Review event | References in the record | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| First review | Artwork A02; sample S01; palette C01 | Layout approved; ground colour requires revision |
| Revision request | Keep A02 geometry; propose palette C02 | Change the ground only; colour remains open |
| Second review | Sample S02; A02 geometry; C02 palette | Check new ground against C02 and confirm placement still matches A02 |
| Close or reopen | S02 plus named reviewer and actual date | Approve the reviewed areas, or name the remaining discrepancy |
Notice that the artwork geometry did not need a new identifier simply because the palette changed. If the supplier also resizes a motif, that change must be declared and the layout approval reopened. Keep a short instruction beside S02: “Preserve A02 placement; assess C02 ground.” The record now tells a colleague what to check without reconstructing the message history.
When the next sample arrives, compare it against both decisions. Check the new colour and confirm that the previously accepted layout has been retained. If the material, finish or scale also changes, identify those changes and reconsider the affected approval areas. Do not assume one signed photograph covers an undocumented revision.
Keep a physical reference where the project requires one. The photograph below shows an actual woven outcome associated with the separate artwork example.
The cloth has its own visible texture. Linking it to an artwork revision helps explain what was reviewed, but the image cannot replace direct assessment of colour and handfeel on the sample.
How should late changes be handled?
Handle a late jacquard change by naming the replacement file, describing the change and identifying any earlier approval it affects. Ask the development contact to acknowledge that revision and scope. A renamed attachment alone does not confirm that a changed instruction has reached production.
If two colleagues send contradictory comments, resolve them into one instruction before requesting another sample. Otherwise one person may evaluate the new version against a different target. Retain the rejected option as history, clearly marked as such, instead of allowing it to remain beside the current file without a status.
The existing development brief checklist covers the information needed at the start. Version control deals with a later problem: preserving the meaning of decisions as that information changes.
What should accompany the final approval request?
A final jacquard approval request should include the exact artwork identifier, sample label, agreed colour reference and remaining open items. State which checks the team completed and which application they cover. A pending physical colour review should remain visible in the approval status.
This record helps the next person compare like with like and understand what remains unresolved. It does not set a universal sampling charge, development schedule or production minimum. For our selected low-MOQ jacquard routes, those terms still depend on the actual project. Use WhatsApp RFQ to send the current version set and ask us to review the next development step.
