Editor score 4.5 / 5
Insight
Every haul has one point where a defect costs a few cents to fix and another where it costs international shipping. The Kakobuy QC photo set sits on the cheap side of that line. Submit the parcel request and those photos stop being a decision tool and become a record.
We read a QC set as three documents: construction (stitching), dimensions (tape) and mass (warehouse weight). In that order they catch most bad approvals. Our running example is a plain cotton crew-neck such as the Polo Ralph Lauren logo tee in the product catalog — simple enough that everything visible in a photo is a real signal.
What the standard set shows — and hides
Free QC coverage is a once-over: front, back, tags and any obvious damage. That catches a wrong colourway, a wrong size label or a crushed box. It does not catch a weak hem. Two limits decide what you can actually read.
- Lighting. Warehouse tubes are bright and cool. Whites read yellow, blacks read grey, and saturated reds and blues shift hardest. Treat colour as "right or clearly wrong", not as a match test.
- Compression. Uploads are downscaled. Open the full-size file — detail that looks clean in a thumbnail is often a zigzag at 200%.
Anything the free set cannot answer becomes a specific add-on shot: the hem with a tape in frame, the inner tag, a zipper pull. That runs a per-photo fee in the low single digits of yuan on most agents.
Stitching: count it, don't admire it
Zoom to roughly 200% on four places — shoulder seam, sleeve hem, side seam, neckline join — then count.
- Coverstitch hems on knits should be an unbroken chain of even loops. A dense hem runs about 20–25 loops across 5 cm of the visible line; fewer than 15 over the same span reads coarse and stretched.
- Lockstitch seams should be straight with back-tacking at the ends. A wavy run means uneven feed: a construction fault, not a cosmetic one.
- Thread ends under 5 mm are trimming. Unravelling ends at a hem or cuff edge, or a skipped stitch, are reason to reject.
- Prints and embroidery should be judged against the side seams and neckline, not against themselves. A chest logo 1 cm off-centre is obvious in a flat-lay and invisible in isolation.
Tape measurements: read the zero, not the label
A size tag is a claim; a tape is evidence. Ask for the garment laid flat and unstretched, tape at zero visible in frame, one photo per axis.
| Measurement | How it should be shot | Accept | Reject |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chest, pit to pit | Across the widest point, directly under the armhole | Within 1 cm of the chart | 1.5 cm or more out; stretched tape; zero cropped |
| Body length | Shoulder point to hem in one line | Within 1 cm | 1.5 cm or more short |
| Sleeve length | Shoulder seam to cuff | Within 1 cm | 2 cm or more out |
| Across shoulder | Seam to seam on the back | Within 1 cm | Wavy tape; no zero in frame |
A photo with the tape's zero mark cropped out is not a measurement. Ask again.
Then compare with a garment you already own and like, measured the same way. On borderline sizing that beats the listing chart every time.
Warehouse weight is a density test
The published figure is the seller's parcel on the agent's scale: garment, poly bag, sometimes a hanger. Deduct roughly 10–30 g and you have a usable garment weight.
Calibration points we keep on the desk: a 100% cotton short-sleeve crew in a men's size L, at around 180–190 gsm single jersey, lands near 190–240 g with the bag. Under about 160 g for that size usually means a light 130–150 gsm knit — where a tee starts to feel flimsy and to twist after washing. The same logic scales up: a down jacket photographed at 850 g when the reference batch runs over 1,000 g is a hollow garment, not a light one.
Two cautions. Weight is a batch signal, not a grade — a dense knit can still be badly sewn. And the warehouse figure is not what you pay freight on: carriers bill the higher of actual and volumetric weight, commonly dividing cubic centimetres by 5,000. A bulky, low-density parcel can be charged above the scale reading, which is why compression and pre-packing matter more than the gram number itself.
Our approval order, in about two minutes
- Open the full-size front, back and tag shots; confirm variant, size label and colourway.
- Zoom the four seam points and count the hem stitches.
- Read the tape photo: zero in frame, then compare with your own garment.
- Check the warehouse weight against your reference list.
- Approve, or order one specific extra shot — not five general ones.
A rejection inside the warehouse is a domestic return. The same fault after packing is something you wear.
Can I ask for better photos if my QC set is blurry?
Yes. Message the agent about the specific unclear shot before you submit the parcel request, because packed items are not reopened for photography. Name one or two shots in the request rather than asking for a general reshoot.
What should a cotton t-shirt weigh at the warehouse?
For a men's size L in 100% cotton single jersey at roughly 180–190 gsm, expect about 190–240 g including the seller's poly bag. Under about 160 g at that size usually points to a thinner 130–150 gsm knit.
How much gap between the size chart and the tape photo is acceptable?
About 1 cm on any axis for a knit laid flat. If the gap reaches 1.5 cm or more, order a second measurement photo along the same axis and compare it with a garment you already own that fits.
