What Is a Sample Maker and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

A sample maker most commonly works for a fashion company and tests a sample pattern on a piece of fabric before it goes into large-scale production. As a sample maker, your responsibilities include creating fabric samples for clothing or garment makers and sending these partial samples or prototypes for different apparel products to your supervisor or other technical directors. Other duties include ensuring that the technical aspect of the production is free of flaws and that garment factory owners clearly understand the directions for large-scale production of the patterns.

To work as a sample maker, you should have some experience in sewing, either from working in a fabric or production facility or as an entry-level employee at a fashion design company. Some sample makers may need to have significant experience with pattern construction using a particular type of material, such as leather, chiffon, cotton, or wool. You can gain skills and qualifications through on-the-job experience or by attending a vocational program or fashion school. Competence with different types of sewing machines and procedures, as well as the ability to assess the technical quality of your patterns, is important.