Trim Book Guide: How Brands Build a Trim List for Every Style

A trim book is the reference document that tells everyone in your supply chain which labels, tags and packaging belong to which garment, and exactly how they are applied. Without one, details drift: a care label is sewn on the wrong side, last season's hang tag appears on a new style, or a factory orders its own size labels in a slightly different colour. This guide shows how a brand builds a trim book and a trim list per style, which codes and specifications to include, how to manage approvals and how to share the document with garment factories. It focuses on labels and packaging, but the same structure works for buttons, zips and other components.

Trim book, trim list and trim card: the terms

• Trim book (also called a trim manual or brand trim standard): the master document for the whole brand or collection. It defines every approved trim item, its code, specification, colour standard and placement rules.
• Trim list (or bill of trims): a per-style list taken from the trim book. It shows which items one style uses, in which positions and in which quantity per garment.
• Trim card: a physical card with real samples of each approved item attached, sent to the factory as the visual reference.

Small brands often start with a spreadsheet trim list and a few photos. As the number of styles and factories grows, a structured trim book saves time on every new order and every new supplier.

What belongs in a trim book

Branding labels

Main woven labels, logo patches, leather or metal labels, silicone badges and logo tapes. For each one, record the material, weave or finish, size in mm, fold type, colours and attachment method.

Information labels

Care labels with fibre composition and care symbols, size labels, country-of-origin and style or batch labels, and QR labels if you link to product information. Note which content is fixed and which changes per style, such as composition or size.

Hang tags and accessories

Main hang tag, price or barcode sticker, special tags such as fabric or function cards, strings, seal tags or tag pins. Specify the attachment point on the garment, for example the left side seam or the main label.

Packaging

Poly bags with warning text, size stickers on bags, tissue paper, boxes, shopping bags and carton labels. Packaging is often forgotten in the trim book, which is why it so often varies between factories.

A sample trim list structure

The core of every trim book is a clear table. One row per item, with columns that leave no room for interpretation. The example below shows a structure you can adapt; the codes and items are illustrative.

Add columns for supplier reference, Pantone or colour standard, artwork file name and the date of the last change if you manage many styles. Keep the item code permanent: if the specification changes, create a new code or a version number instead of overwriting the old one.

Building a coding system

Codes make the trim book usable across languages and companies. A good code is short, readable and tells the user what the item is. A simple structure is a prefix for the item type and a running number, for example WL for woven labels, CL for care labels, SL for size labels, HT for hang tags and PK for packaging. Some brands add the season or a version: WL-01-v2.

Use the same codes on your purchase orders, on the artwork files and on the cartons the trims arrive in. When a factory receives a box marked WL-01, there is no question where it goes.

Positions and placement drawings

Text alone is rarely enough for placement. Add a simple flat drawing of each garment type with arrows and measurements: distance from the hem or neck seam, which side, and whether the label is sewn in a seam or on top. Define placement per product group, not per style, so tops, trousers, jackets and knitwear each have one standard. Our guide to clothing label placement describes common positions for each garment type.

Approvals and version control

Every item in the trim book should have a status, such as in development, sample sent, approved or replaced. The approval record should include:

• the approved digital proof with its file name and date;
• the approved physical sample, kept as the reference and photographed;
• the colour standard, such as a Pantone reference or an approved lab dip;
• any tolerances, for example on size or colour.

When something changes, update the version and the date, and inform all factories at the same time. A change log at the start of the trim book shows what changed since the last issue.

Sharing the trim book with garment factories

1. Send a PDF and a spreadsheet. The PDF shows images, drawings and layout; the spreadsheet allows factories to copy codes and quantities without errors.
2. Add a physical trim card. Real samples remove doubts about colour, softness and size.
3. Include the trim list in every purchase order. Each production order should name the trim items by code and state the quantities per size.
4. Decide who orders the trims. Either the brand orders labels and packaging centrally and ships them to factories, or each factory orders from the nominated label supplier using your codes. Central ordering gives the most consistency.
5. Plan an allowance. Order a small extra quantity for sewing losses and repairs, so production is not stopped by a missing label.

Keeping the trim book alive

A trim book is useful only when it is current. Review it at the start of each season, remove items that are no longer used and archive old versions rather than deleting them. When you add a new product group, such as swimwear or accessories, add its placement standard and trim list before the first order, not after. If you are building your first set of labels, our clothing brand label starter kit is a good starting point for the item list.

How we support your trim book

Send us your current trim list or a few reference styles. We can propose label types, sizes and folds, prepare digital proofs typically within 24–48 h and supply physical samples for your trim cards. Each approved item keeps its specification and artwork on file, so reorders match. The minimum order is typically 1,000 pcs per design, production typically takes 10–20 working days after approval, and we deliver across the EU from our own production in Bulgaria. Browse examples in our Labels 2026 catalogue.

Frequently asked questions