Process
How a T-shirt is really made
Production runs on two parallel tracks — material and design — that converge at cutting. Here are all nine stages as a readable guide, each with its own page.
Two tracks
Material and design converge at cutting
Stage 01 / 09 · Material track
Raw material
Cotton is harvested, ginned to separate lint from seed, pressed into bales, then opened and cleaned at the mill. Fibre length, strength and cleanliness shape every decision that follows, from yarn count to the handfeel of the finished T-shirt.
Coordinated
- Fibre
- Cotton (other fibres and blends on request)
- Staple length
- 28–32 mm (long staple for ring-spun jersey)
- Certified sources
- Organic, BCI and recycled cotton on request
Stage 02 / 09 · Material track
Yarn and fabric
Fibres are carded, drawn and spun into yarn; yarn count and twist set strength and feel. Circular knitting machines then loop the yarn into a tube of single-jersey fabric, where gauge, loop length and finishing determine GSM and handfeel.
Managed
- Yarn count
- Ne 20/1 – 40/1
- Spinning
- Combed ring-spun or open-end
- Structure
- Single jersey
- GSM range
- 140–400 GSM
Stage 03 / 09 · Material track
Dyeing and fabric finishing
Greige fabric is scoured and bleached, then dyed — reactive dyes are common for cotton — before washing off, softening, drying and compacting to control shrinkage. Lab dips and shade approval come first; tests confirm shrinkage, colour fastness and GSM.
Managed
- Dye type
- Reactive (cotton), pigment and garment dye
- Shade approval
- Lab dip
- Tests
- Shrinkage, colour fastness, GSM
- Finishes
- Enzyme, silicone softener, compacting, brushing
Stage 04 / 09 · Design track
Design, pattern and CLO 3D
A tech pack drives the CAD pattern pieces — front, back, sleeves, neck rib — graded across sizes. CLO 3D simulates fabric, fit and drape on an avatar so changes are made before physical sampling, and approved changes flow back into the tech pack.
Managed
- Pattern pieces
- Front, back, sleeves ×2, neck rib
- Size range
- XS–3XL (custom grading available)
- Software
- CLO 3D, CAD
- Output
- Tech pack, graded pattern, 3D sample
Stage 05 / 09 · Tracks converged
Cutting
Here the material and design tracks converge. Pattern pieces are nested in a marker to reduce waste, fabric is spread in layers, and pieces are cut with automatic or straight-knife cutters — then numbered and bundled to keep size and shade consistent.
Managed
- Marker efficiency
- Typically 80–88%
- Lay height
- Up to 80 plies
- Cutting
- Automatic CAD cutter or straight knife
Stage 06 / 09 · Tracks converged
Sewing and assembly
Shoulders are joined with an overlock, the neck rib is attached and taped, sleeves are set and side seams closed. Sleeve and body hems are finished with a coverstitch and labels attached, while inline checks catch defects early.
Managed
- Seams
- Overlock
- Hems
- Coverstitch
- Labels
- Woven main label, printed care and size labels
- Inline QC
- Inline checks on every line, end-of-line inspection
Stage 07 / 09 · Tracks converged
Garment finishing and quality
Threads are trimmed and spots cleaned; some styles are garment-washed or softened, then pressed. A measurement audit checks every point of measure against the tech pack, and final inspection follows an agreed sampling plan.
Managed
- Washes
- Enzyme, garment dye, acid, stone, bleach, softener
- Measurement audit
- Against tech pack tolerances
- Sampling plan (AQL)
- Final AQL inspection — AQL 2.5 / 4.0
- Detection
- Needle detection on request
Stage 08 / 09 · Tracks converged
Final garment
The finished T-shirt is the result of every earlier decision: fibre, fabric, shade, pattern, construction and finish. Compare the digital CLO render with the physical product, and inspect the details that define quality.
Managed
- Fabric
- Single jersey, 180–240 GSM
- Fit
- Regular, oversized and boxy
- Finish
- Enzyme or silicone softener wash
Stage 09 / 09 · Tracks converged
Packaging and distribution
Garments are folded, polybagged, labelled or hang-tagged, then packed into mailers, boxes or cartons. Cartons are palletised and shipped by sea, air or courier with the documents your destination requires. The last label is yours.
Managed
- Packing
- Fold, polybag, hangtag, carton
- Custom packaging
- Optional
- Export
- Documentation, compliance, freight
- Delivery
- Worldwide