Lab testing in plain English: what a COA is, how to order one, and how to show it to customers.
What you finish with
A written testing policy, an account with an independent lab, and published per-lot results customers can look up.
A COA is a lab's report on one specific lot. We go through it field by field — sample identity, method, result, specification, date, signature — so you can tell a real document from a decorated one in under a minute.
Identity and purity are the baseline. Depending on the material and format you may also need sterility, endotoxin and residual-solvent testing. Learn what each test answers and which ones your buyers will ask about.
Your lab must be independent of your supplier and accredited for the methods you're buying. We cover how to open an account, submit samples correctly, and budget testing per lot rather than per year.
Publish the full document, tied to the lot on the label, with no commentary that turns a test result into a claim. This is the single most persuasive trust asset you will own.