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Custom clothing for small brands.

from 10 pcs per color

  • 4 to 6 weeks for bulk production
  • a sample before production

where are you starting?

Just an idea? Build it in Stitch Lab An AI image or sketch? Custom development A finished techpack? Straight to production

What a factory needs

An AI image is not a techpack.

an AI image shows what you want, but a factory can't sew from a picture. it sews from a techpack, the full instructions for your garment:

Example techpack sheet for the same hoodie: front and back drawings with seams and measuring points, a size table, garment specifications, print placement and the label.
AI image of a charcoal zip hoodie: front and back views, with close-ups of the back print, lined hood and metal zip.

Example values

  1. every measurement, for every size
  2. fabric, weight and color
  3. seams, ribs and finishes
  4. print size and position
  5. labels and trims

a ChatGPT techpack looks the part, but its measurements are made up.

See the three ways

Three ways to get your techpack

Pick your starting point.

every garment needs a techpack before it can be sampled. pick the route that matches what you have right now.

what do you have right now?

1Just an idea 2An AI image or sketch 3A finished techpack
ROUTE 1

If you have: just an idea

Stitch Lab

What happens next
  1. build your garment in stitch lab.
  2. pay €50 + VAT (€60.50 incl. VAT) to submit it.
  3. we prepare your techpack, yours to keep, and send your production quote.
  4. approve the quote, then the sample, before production starts.

what the €50 assumes: you send measurements for your design and artwork as an illustrator (.ai), pdf or svg file with text converted to outlines, or a png at 300 dpi at print size. missing something? we can help, at extra cost.

Cost

€50 + VAT per design

€60.50 incl. VAT, paid when you submit. not refundable or deducted from your order. the techpack is yours to keep.

Open Stitch Lab
ROUTE 2

Best for AI images

Custom development

What happens next
  1. email us your AI image, sketch or reference.
  2. you get a free development quote and an estimated manufacturing quote.
  3. we develop the garment and its techpack. three revisions are included.
  4. approve the techpack, then the sample, before production starts.
Cost

Custom price

quoted free, before any work starts. the techpack and the patterns we make for you are yours once paid.

Email us your AI image ralfs@ashtraystudio.eu
ROUTE 3

If you have: a finished techpack

Go straight to production

What happens next
  1. email us your techpack.
  2. we review it for free and send a production quote.
  3. approve the quote, then the sample.
  4. production and delivery, 4 to 6 weeks from your approved quote.
Cost

Free review

no development fee. you pay for the sample and production you approve.

Email us your techpack View an example techpack ralfs@ashtraystudio.eu

Every route

from 10 pcs per color

  • 4 to 6 weeks from approval
  • a sample before production

How it works

4 to 6 weeks, from your approved quote.

  1. Day 1

    You approve

    you approve your production quote and the sample cost. the clock starts here.

  2. 9 to 14 days

    Sample

    your sample is sewn and sent to you. you approve it in writing before anything else is cut.

  3. 4 to 6 weeks

    Production

    after a 50% deposit, your order goes into production. we manage it from cutting to packing.

  4. About a week

    Delivery

    you pay the balance and your order is delivered.

all days are estimates.

From our own label.

every piece below was developed for our own label, through the same steps as a client order: techpack, sample, production. client projects stay confidential.

Zip hoodie / tonal back embroidery
Sleeve / tonal embroidery
Zip hoodie / washed mocha
Football jersey / full kit print
Jersey crest / embroidery
Tees / 300 gsm / three prints
Tee / washed black / screen print
Boxy tee / embroidered logo / waffle layer
Tee / burgundy / back embroidery
Hoodie / black / full back print
About us

Why we started.

we built our own clothing brand and hit every wall you can imagine: chasing factories, waiting on samples, unclear pricing, high minimums.

the brands we talk to get stuck in the same places. some have an idea but no techpack. some have an AI image that no factory can sew from. some have a finished techpack and can't find anyone who'll take a small order.

we started ashtray studio to take you from wherever you are to finished garments. we turn your idea or AI image into a production-ready techpack, start with a sample, and manage production from 10 pieces per color. the fabric, the fit and the finish are yours to decide.

ralph & aleks

our studio is in riga. sia ashtray, est. 2023.

Questions

Before you start.

still unsure? email ralfs@ashtraystudio.eu and ask.

01What is a techpack?

the instruction sheet a factory sews from: every measurement for every size, the fabric and its weight, how it's sewn, where the print goes and how big it is, and the labels. without one, a factory has to guess.

02What's the minimum order?

10 units per color. not 10 in total: 10 of one garment in one color, split across sizes however you like.

03What does it cost?

every order is quoted, because the price depends on the garment, the fabric and the quantity. stitch lab costs €50 + VAT (€60.50 incl. VAT) per design to submit, custom development is quoted before any work starts, and a techpack review is free. the sample and production are each quoted first, and you approve every quote before you pay it.

04How long does it take?

4 to 6 weeks from your approved quote: 9 to 14 days for the sample, four to six weeks for production and about a week for delivery. if we develop your techpack first, that time comes before the 4 to 6 weeks.

05How does payment work?

the sample is quoted and paid before it's sewn, and €50 of it (before VAT) comes off that design's production order. production starts after a 50% deposit, and the balance is due before your order is sent.

06Where do you deliver?

across the eu, and to the uk, the us, canada, australia and japan. delivery is quoted with your order, and any import duties or taxes for your country are paid by you, as set out in our terms.

07What if something arrives wrong?

tell us within 7 days of delivery. our terms explain how defects and size tolerances are handled.

08Can you print and embroider?

yes: screen print, embroidery, woven labels, hem tabs and neck tape. we manage all of it alongside the garment.

Contact

Send us what you have.

Files (optional)

drop files here, or

pdf, ai, png, jpg or webp. up to 5 files, 10 mb in total.

    we use what you send to reply to you and, if you go ahead, for your order. see our privacy policy.

    just an idea? build it in stitch lab instead, €50 + VAT (€60.50 incl. VAT) per design.

    ralfs@ashtraystudio.eu