In many industries, especially in textile production and customization, we often encounter the requirement of a Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ). This requirement often leads to questions from clients when placing an order: Why do some products require a minimum quantity to be ordered? Why does my supplier always say it’s impossible to produce 20 pieces in one color or 10 colors with 20 pieces each? To address this, I’ve written a series of articles titled Why Customized Partnerships Have a Minimum Order Quantity: An Analysis of Multiple Influencing Factors. This article explores how colors influence the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ).
Some customers request, “I want 10 colors, with 20 pieces for each color. Is that possible?” Such requests often lead to strong complaints or even outright refusal from suppliers. Why is that?
Taking digital printing for as an example, we know that during the operation of a printing machine, especially at the beginning, there is always a small amount of waste material due to the machine not running smoothly. The causes of this situation may include:
- during cold starts, the friction between mechanical parts and temperature differences leads to initial operational instability;
- ink may slightly solidify or settle in the pipes or nozzles, causing unstable ink flow or nozzle clogs when printing begins;
- when starting up, the printing machine needs to complete a certain amount of calibration or adjustment before it can print properly.
For these reasons, when customers request a small quantity for each color, especially in the case of multiple colors, the initial waste becomes a significant factor. The time and resources spent on stabilizing the machine for each color contribute to higher operational costs, making it impractical for suppliers to fulfill such small orders at a reasonable price.
If we use dyeing processes instead of printing, the situation doesn’t improve significantly. Dyeing processes typically require large dye vats or other equipment. In small batch production which the quantity produced is relatively low, the time and cost required for equipment adjustments, dye mixing, cleaning, and startup still exist. These adjustments and the waste during the startup process (such as dye liquor consumption, idle machine time, etc.) are particularly noticeable in small batch production, significantly increasing the cost per unit of product.
For example, the need to prepare and adjust the dyeing equipment for each small batch leads to increased resource consumption and wasted time, making it less cost-effective to produce a small quantity of items. Thus, manufacturers often set a minimum order quantity to ensure that the production process is economically viable and the costs of adjustment and wastage are spread across a larger number of units.
In addition, in textile or custom garment production, changing sewing threads or dye itself consumes a certain amount of time and resources. For example, during the production process, if a customer requests a specific color, the factory may need to change the sewing threads in the equipment or mix the dye. This process involves adjusting the machinery, cleaning the equipment, conducting color tests, and other tasks, all of which require time and additional labor costs.
These steps are not only resource-intensive but also add to the overall production time, making small batch orders less cost-effective. The factory has to allocate resources to ensure the quality and accuracy of color matching, which, for small orders, can disproportionately increase production costs.
From another perspective, bigger factories are not necessarily better, because larger factories tend to require higher minimum order quantities (MOQs), and small orders may not be able to access sufficient production capacity. Therefore, it is important to find a supplier whose scale matches your needs, with rich expertise, a deep understanding of the processes, quick feedback, and strong cooperation.
In the early stages of starting a business, my advice to entrepreneurs is to use the suppliers’ stock colors. This ensures a smaller MOQ. For silk scarves that emphasize pattern design, entrepreneurs need to find a trustworthy supplier and listen to their advice regarding MOQs.
