An initial production check (IPC) is an inspection made just after mass production starts, once the first finished units exist. It compares them with the approved sample and the specification, and checks the materials and set-up the factory will use for the rest of the order. Its purpose is to stop a wrong start before it becomes a wrong order.
Last reviewed 14 Oct 2026 · Written by Yogesh Raygoor
The IPC is the first moment when production units, rather than a sample made by the best craftsman, can be compared with the golden sample.
Worked example: 5,000 bath towels
A buyer orders 5,000 bath towels at 550 GSM. The first 300 come off the loom and through finishing. The inspector weighs pieces from them and cuts a test disc from a towel set aside for testing: the towels come out near 520 GSM, because the pile height was set lower than for the approved sample. The loom setting is corrected before the next 4,700 are woven. At a final inspection, the same finding would have meant either accepting light towels or rejecting the order.
How Clear To Load handles an IPC
Clear To Load does not list the IPC as a separate service. An early check is booked in one of two ways: as a pre-production inspection, which seals the approved sample and compares it with the first production units, or as a during-production inspection timed for when the first finished units exist. Both are priced per man-day. Tell us the stage you want checked when you book.
Timing and purpose. An IPC checks the first units to confirm the set-up is right. A DUPRO comes later, when enough is made to see whether quality is holding and whether the ship date is realistic.
Is an IPC useful for small orders?
Usually not on its own. For a small order, a pre-production check followed by a pre-shipment inspection often covers the same risks.
Know before it ships
Tell us the product, the factory's city and your ready date. We confirm the inspector, the notice time and the price before you book.