RFQ and technical handoffs
Decoration Adhesion Testing: Write the Laboratory Question First
Start an adhesion-test inquiry with the decoration, substrate and failure you need to investigate, not an assumed pass value. Ask the laboratory to select or assess an appropriate method, specimen preparation and reporting scope. The public scope of ASTM D903 concerns comparative peel or stripping characteristics of adhesive bonds; that alone does not establish suitability for a particular garment decoration.
For buyers evaluating a bonded or transferred garment decoration.
Describe the failure question and the actual assembly
Identify whether the concern is separation at an edge, loss of decoration after a specified treatment or another observed condition. Supply the decoration system, fabric reference, application record if available and photographs of the affected area. Distinguish a full garment from an isolated panel or prepared specimen. A proposed laboratory check should address a defined question rather than an unrestricted promise that the print will never peel.
Let the laboratory resolve method and specimen suitability
Ask whether the method can be applied to this assembly and which preparation, conditioning or pretreatment is required. The D903 public scope refers to standard-sized specimens and defined pretreatment, temperature and testing-machine speed. This article does not reproduce the paid method or supply its instructions. Request the laboratory’s proposed method and deviations, including any limitation caused by the available decoration size or fabric behavior.
Agree the decision rule separately from the reported result
Ask how the laboratory will describe separation location and report the measured or observed outcome. Agree an acceptance criterion with the relevant buyer and technical parties before using a result as a release decision. A test-method title is not itself a product pass threshold. Keep specimen identities linked to the proposed order and state whether the evidence covers only submitted samples or supports any wider conclusion.
Decision and evidence checklist
| Decision | Include in the brief | Review evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Question | Assembly, failure concern and treatment history | Identified garment or panel |
| Method inquiry | Suitability, specimens and deviations | Laboratory proposal and limits |
| Decision rule | Result format and agreed acceptance | Report tied to sample identity |
What this brief does and does not establish
Only the public ASTM scope was reviewed, not the paid full text. No laboratory result, product threshold, universal peel procedure or MyOwnWear testing capability is claimed.
- ASTM D903-98(2025): public scope: The public scope describes comparative peel or stripping characteristics of adhesive bonds with standard-sized specimens and defined pretreatment, temperature and testing-machine speed. Public scope only; full paid method not reviewed. Laboratory must determine suitability for a garment decoration and agree acceptance criteria.
Send MyOwnWear the decoration assembly and adhesion concern; ask what sample and application records can be supplied for an independently scoped laboratory inquiry. Open the MyOwnWear RFQ form.
Buyer questions
Is ASTM D903 automatically suitable for garment transfers?
No. Ask the laboratory to assess the actual assembly and intended question. Only its public scope is referenced here.
Does the method name establish a pass value?
No. Agree an appropriate acceptance criterion separately with the responsible parties.
Can a report on one decoration cover a different fabric?
Do not assume that extension. Ask what sample identity and scope the laboratory report supports.