Reading a synthetic leather supplier note, line by line

Published 21 October 2026 · By PT Kora Prima Abadi · 4 min read

Many crafters and small brands buy synthetic leather through a chat message or a short quotation. It usually holds a material name, a colour, a width and a price. That is enough for a first order, but often not for the second, when the colour is slightly different or the coating peels. This note goes through a synthetic leather supplier note line by line: what each line means, what is often left unwritten and what to ask before you transfer money. It is written for makers in Indonesia, where the local trade terms are the ones used here.

Synthetic leather supplier: read it line by line

The eight lines below suit any synthetic leather supplier, small or large, shop or factory. There is no supplier list here, because we have no verified directory. What we give is a way to judge.

Line 1: the material name

In the local market, kulit sintetis and kulit imitasi usually mean a fabric covered with a plastic layer, most often polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The name tells you how the material is made, not what is in it. Two rolls with the same name can differ in coating type, in base fabric and in how they behave when sewn.

Ask: is the coating PU or PVC, and is the base fabric woven, knitted or non-woven?

Line 2: thickness

A thickness figure can mean total thickness (fabric and coating) or the coating alone. Suppliers often do not say which. A 1.2 mm material with a thin coating behaves differently from a 1.2 mm material with a thick one.

Ask: is this total thickness? At how many points was it measured? What is the range from the edge to the middle of the roll?

Line 3: roll width and length

The written width is sometimes the full width including edges you cannot use. When you cut patterns, the usable width decides your yield, not the nominal width.

Ask: what is the usable width? How long is one roll, and are there joins inside it?

Line 4: weight

Weight per metre or per square metre helps you check consistency. Two lots with very different weights usually also differ in thickness or coating.

Ask: what is the weight per square metre, and what tolerance applies between lots?

Line 5: colour and lot

Colour is dyed or printed per batch. Colours from different batches can look different when sewn side by side. This often shows up only on the second order.

Ask: is this colour from a single lot, and how many metres does the lot hold? Can I buy my whole need from one lot? Is there a colour swatch cut from the same lot?

Line 6: unit and price

Prices come per metre, per yard, per kilogram or per roll. Compare only after converting everything to one unit and one usable width. In some directories the price is listed as “contact us”, so the price first appears in the chat.

Ask: what is the price for how many metres, at which usable width, and until when is it valid? What is the minimum order?

Line 7: a standard to refer to

A national standard for imitation leather exists in Indonesia (SNI 1294:2009). We have not read its limits, so we cannot say what it requires. You can still ask a supplier whether the material refers to a standard, which tests were run and by whom.

Ask: is there a test report for this material, with the laboratory name, date and lot number?

Line 8: what is not written

A short quotation almost never mentions the following, yet these are what cause surprises later:

The coating material and its additives.
Flex resistance and rubbing resistance.
Odour when a new roll is opened.
How the material holds stitching and needle holes.
How rolls are stored before shipping.

You need not know everything on day one. But ask the synthetic leather supplier to say which of these they have data for and which they do not.

A sheet to carry with you

We prepared a label claim check sheet that turns the words on a label or note into questions for a supplier. Copy its rows into your chat. If the synthetic leather supplier answers with a number, a method and a lot, you have a basis. If the supplier repeats the same word, it is not evidence yet.

Keep a file

Keep one file per material: a photo of the note, the purchase date, the lot number, the usable width and a cut swatch glued to a page. When a customer complains, the file shows which material went into which product. Other terms that appear on supplier notes are explained on the terms page.

Ask us

If you are considering a sheet material other than PU or PVC and want to know what is listed about the Kora coconut-derived material, send a question through the contact page. Say what you make and the three properties that matter most. We reply within two business days and say plainly what has no data yet.

Questions buyers ask

If a supplier note just says synthetic leather, what should I ask next?

Ask which coating it is, most often PU or PVC, and whether the base fabric is woven, knitted or non-woven. In the local market the name only says the sheet is coated fabric made without animal hide. It does not say what the coating contains or how it was made.

Is the thickness on a synthetic leather quote the total or the coating only?

Suppliers often do not say. A 1.2 mm material with a thin coating behaves differently from 1.2 mm with a thick coating. Ask whether it is total thickness, at how many measuring points, and the range from roll edge to middle.

Why check the colour lot before buying synthetic leather?

Colour is dyed or printed per batch, and different batches can look different when sewn side by side. This often shows only on a second order. Ask whether the colour comes from one lot, how many metres it holds, and whether you can buy your whole need from it.

Is there an Indonesian standard for imitation leather I can ask a supplier about?

A national standard exists, SNI 1294:2009, but this site has not read its limits and cannot say what it requires. Ask the supplier whether the material refers to a standard and which tests were run, with laboratory name, date and lot number.