A US customer contacted through our website looking for 1,000 custom elastic book bands, each made from 40 mm wide elastic webbing, cut to 792 mm and sewn into a loop. They also needed a custom color and sewn-in label, with samples before production.
Using a similar elastic webbing from stock, we prepared the first samples in four days and added a leather cover to improve the appearance of the sewn joint. After receiving the samples, the customer tested the fit and requested a shorter band.
Before production, we also refined the label width and leather wrapping to improve the finished band’s appearance and handling. These changes were confirmed with the customer before the order moved forward.
The customer approached us about making 1,000 elastic book bands, each cut to 792 mm and sewn into a closed loop. Unlike an order for elastic webbing supplied on rolls, this project required individual finished bands, ready to be used around books. The customer also wanted to receive a sample before going ahead with production.
Further discussions confirmed a 40 mm webbing width, a custom color, and a sewn-in brand label. We had made similar elastic bands before, but the requested color wasn’t available in stock. Producing a new color just to make the first sample would have added another step before the customer could try the band.
Instead, we checked our existing webbing and found a similar band with sufficient length for the requested loop. We sent photos to the customer, explaining that the available color was different from the final design. This gave us a practical starting point for making a physical sample without first producing the custom-colored webbing.
The first sample would also use an existing label rather than the customer’s final branded label. That meant we could prepare a complete sewn book band for the customer to handle and test, while the custom color and branding details were still being finalized.
For the first sample, we chose the elastic webbing in our stock that was closest to the customer’s required size and construction. It was long enough for the requested 792 mm cut length, although the color was different from the customer’s design.
We cut the webbing to length, sewed the ends together into a loop, and added an existing label for the sample. The customer’s original request was simply for a sewn elastic loop, but once we had made it, the exposed joint didn’t look particularly good. The stitching was visible on the band, and we felt it needed a better finish.
We added a small black leather cover over the sewn connection. This wasn’t something the customer had asked for. It was a change we made while preparing the sample because the covered joint looked much neater on the finished book band. At this stage, the leather covered only one side of the connection.
The sample took four days to complete. We shipped it by FedEx, and the customer received it three days later. After trying the band, the customer came back with a request to adjust its length.
After receiving the sample, the customer tested the elastic book band and found that it needed to be slightly shorter. The original 792 mm cut length was reduced by 12 mm, bringing the revised length to 780 mm.
This adjustment was made to the webbing before sewing, not to the finished loop’s circumference. Once the two ends are joined, the overlap at the sewn connection also affects the final loop size. For this order, the customer confirmed the revised 780 mm cut length after testing the physical sample.
The change came directly from the customer’s fitting test. We kept the same basic loop construction and updated the cutting length for production, rather than changing the webbing design or making other adjustments that the customer hadn’t requested.
After trying the sample, the customer sent us their artwork for the custom label. The label was designed at 40 mm wide, exactly the same width as the elastic band. When we looked at how the label would fit on the webbing, it didn’t look quite right. We suggested making the label slightly narrower, at 36 mm, and the customer was happy with the change.
We also took another look at the black leather cover on the sample. It had done a good job of hiding the sewn joint, but only on one side. The other side was still exposed, and we were concerned that the stitching might rub against the hand when someone picked up or adjusted the book band.
So instead of leaving the leather as a cover on one face, we changed it to wrap all the way around the sewn joint. That way, the connection was enclosed rather than simply hidden from view.
Neither adjustment had been requested by the customer. We shared both suggestions, received their approval, and then arranged production with the updated design.
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