What exactly is contract dyeing-printing-finishing?
Contract (commission/contract) service is having the dyeing, printing and finishing steps of a fabric carried out at a service facility. The facility doing the work does not sell yarn or fabric; it provides only labour, chemicals, energy and process control. The output is finished fabric conforming to the defined specification.
In the classic supply model there is a manufacturer from whom the brand buys the fabric. In the contract model, however, the work is split: greige fabric is produced, and then only the colour and finishing value is added. This increases control for buyers who want to keep their fabric source fixed and entrust the colour/print/handle work to specialists.
Where does KARCEM stand in this chain?
KARCEM does the knitting at its own facility. It has dyeing, printing and finishing done not in-house, but in a contract network that it has worked with for years, that it vets and that is geographically close. The difference for you is this: you do not deal separately with three or four different workshops. We knit the greige fabric (or accept your greige fabric), coordinate the colour and finishing steps on your behalf, put the incoming fabric through our own quality control, and deliver the finished fabric as a single contact.
This lets the contract work, too, run on a "single contact, single record set" logic. If you like, you take only the colour/finishing coordination; if you like, you have us knit the greige fabric as well and proceed with a single chain from yarn to finished roll.
How is colour assurance provided?
Even though we have the dyeing done on contract, we approve the colour. We set the colour recipe together with the contract dyehouse, approve the lab-dip, and verify every incoming lot by spectrophotometer, in a light cabinet, to the ΔE<1 target; rolls outside the threshold are rejected. Colour responsibility is not split across three separate workshops, but consolidated under one hand.
Inputs expected from you
For clear contract coordination, the following inputs are critical: target weight and width; colour fastness and handle expectation; Pantone/colour reference; print design and repeat size; certificate requirement (GOTS/GRS etc.); quantity and lead time. When you share these early, the sampling round shortens and surprises decrease.
Frequently asked questions
Can I supply the greige fabric myself, or does KARCEM knit it?
Both are possible. KARCEM does the knitting itself; if you wish, we knit the greige fabric, or if you wish, we accept your greige fabric. In either case, we coordinate dyeing, printing and finishing across the contract network we vet and put the incoming fabric through incoming quality control.
How do you assure colour consistency in contract dyeing?
We set the recipe together with the contract dyehouse and approve the lab-dip ourselves; we verify the incoming lot with a spectrophotometer and light cabinet to the ΔE<1 target. Rolls outside the threshold are rejected. Colour responsibility is consolidated under one hand, at KARCEM.
Which dyeing and printing methods are covered?
Our contract network covers reactive and disperse dyeing; digital, rotary and pigment printing. The method is selected together based on fibre type, end use and fastness expectation. Design development, colour separation and sample (strike-off) approval are run at KARCEM.
Is certified (GOTS/GRS) contract work possible?
Yes. Our own certification scope covers knitting/greige fabric; dyeing, printing and chemical management are run by our contract partners within the scope of GOTS/OCS/GRS/RCS and ZDHC/OEKO-TEX. Because a certified claim begins with certified yarn, we plan this decision together from the very start and support the Transaction Certificate process on a per-product basis.
With KARCEM
Greige knitting from us; dyeing, printing and finishing from the contract network we vet — finished fabric from a single contact. Send us your weight, colour, design and quantity details; we will get back to you with a tailored lead time and sample.