Leather Sample Costs: What's Free and What You Pay
Not every leather sample costs the same, and the cheapest ones are usually the ones you need first. A founder's guide to which samples are free, which are quoted, and where the money actually goes before a first order.
A guide by TL San Martín, a tannery of origin in Elda (Alicante, Spain) since 1995, LWG Gold certified under the Leather Manufacturer standard.
At most tanneries the first two levels of sample cost little or nothing, and the next two do not. A colour card and a sample book show the range and are free at ours for B2B accounts. A cut sample of one article in one colour is quoted case by case, and a lab dip or a pre-production sample is a piece of production work. Ask what each level costs before you request it.
Why do leather samples have different prices?
Because they are different things. People say "a sample" for a printed colour range, for a hand-sized piece of one article, for a test dye of your own colour and for a piece cut from the planned production batch. The first one costs a tannery almost nothing to send. The last one needs a production step. If a quote just says "samples", ask which of these it means before you compare prices.
The four levels are explained step by step, with what each one confirms and what it does not, in what to expect from your tannery at each sample stage. This guide adds the money.
What does each level of sample cost?
| Level | What you get | Cost at TL San Martín | Cost logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour card | The colour range of one article, printed on the real leather | Free for B2B accounts, up to 12 per request | A standard item, shipped from stock |
| Sample book | The seasonal collection in one book: articles, finishes, colours | Free for B2B accounts | A standard item |
| Cut sample | A piece of one article in one colour, for fit, lasting or lab tests | Quoted case by case, and we tell you the cost before anything ships | It takes a hide cut, handling and shipping |
| Lab dip | A test dye of your own colour reference | Quoted with the colour project | It is a dye job, done before a drum is committed |
| Pre-production sample | Leather from the crust and dye lot planned for your order | Part of the order process | It is cut from the real production lot |
The first two rows are the ones to use before you spend anything. We have 169 articles in the library, and a request usually ships from Elda in three to five business days, as set out on the leather samples page. The prices for the last three rows depend on the article, the colour and the quantity, so we do not publish a fixed number here; any supplier that quotes one without asking what you need is guessing.
Which samples should you order first, and which later?
Order in the same sequence as your doubts.
- Colour cards first. The question at the start is not "does this exact colour work" but "which articles are in the right family". Cards answer it for free, and a usual first request is four to eight articles for one collection.
- A cut sample once you have narrowed to one or two articles. This is the point to pay, because you need a real piece for your last, your adhesive and your pattern maker.
- A lab dip only when the colour is custom. If a library colour is close enough, you skip it, and with it the cost and the weeks. If it is not, see lab dip and colour approval for how to approve a colour as a range and not a single point.
- A pre-production sample before the bulk order. It is the only one cut from the real batch.
Where does the real money go?
Not usually into the sample itself. Four costs sit around it.
- Courier and time. An international parcel has a freight cost, and the sample's days in transit are days of your development calendar. Leather samples also cross borders: the classification and the documents are in leather samples and customs.
- Your factory's time. A shoe factory charges for a prototype made from your leather, and a second prototype if the first leather was wrong. A wrong leather choice costs more in prototypes than in samples.
- A custom colour you did not need. A bespoke shade sets a minimum by dye load, while a library colour does not. Paying for a lab dip to move from a close colour to an exact one can lock your first order into a larger run. Your first leather order shows how that minimum is set.
- Cash timing. If the first order is paid before dispatch, which is common for a brand with no trading history, the cost of samples is small next to the cash you will lock up. See leather payment terms for new brands.
What should you ask a supplier about sample costs?
Five questions put the whole cost on the table before you order.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is this level free, quoted or charged at a fixed price? | Separates a cost you can plan from a surprise |
| Who pays the courier? | Often not included in the sample price |
| Is the sample cost credited against the first order? | Ask, and get the answer in writing; do not assume it |
| Is the sample cut from stock or from the production lot? | A stock swatch does not confirm what bulk will look like |
| How many days from request to dispatch? | It sets your calendar, not only your budget |
The difference between a sample and what arrives in bulk is its own topic: why bulk leather differs from the sample lists the clauses that hold. For the whole route from first question to first order, start from the hub, leather for shoes: what to buy first.
Starting a sample plan for your brand?
Tell us the shoe type, the colours you are considering and your development dates, then request colour cards and samples to see the real leather. If you are looking for a supplier to share a lot or compare a quote, post your request on the open board under Materials.
Frequently asked questions
Are leather samples free?
It depends on the level. At TL San Martín colour cards and sample books are free for B2B accounts. Cut samples of one article and colour are quoted case by case before shipping.
Do I need to pay for a lab dip?
Only if you need a custom colour. If a colour in the library is close enough, you can skip the lab dip, and the cost and time that come with it.
Is the sample cost deducted from the first order?
That is a commercial term and it varies by supplier. Ask before you order and ask for the answer in writing.
Can a very small brand request samples?
Yes. Colour cards are meant for the early stage, and a single hide is a valid order. If you are too small for your own run, post your request on the open board under Materials or Partners & factories.
TL San Martín tans and finishes leather in Elda, Alicante, since 1995: LWG Gold under the Leather Manufacturer standard — the only standard under which a Gold medal exists at all; a Trader tops out at “Approved”. Request samples before you specify anything.