HomeGlossary
Apparel Glossary
274 terms from the blank apparel trade. What a fabric is, how a seam is built, and what a finish actually does to a garment you are about to print.
Looking for the longer version? Our buying and printing guides cover ordering in bulk, choosing a print method, and getting a design onto a shirt, and the size charts give the measurements style by style.
#5
- 1x1 Rib KnitConstructionA rib knit is manufactured using a knitting pattern design that yields a separate vertically ridged pattern known as ribbing. "When the rows of the "knit" and "purl" stitches are identical, a 1x1 Rib Knit is created.
- 2-Way ZipperFabricA two-zipper zipper or 2-way zipper pulls so that the clothing can be unzipped close or open. It can be chosen by design or usability depending of the look and the fabric of the clothe.
- 2x1 Rib KnitConstructionA rib knit alternating two columns of knit stitches with one of purl, producing vertical ridges with a wider face rib than a 1x1. The alternation gives the fabric strong crosswise stretch and recovery, so it pulls back to shape after being stretched — which is why ribbing is used at collars, cuffs and waistbands, the places a garment has to stretch to go on and then stay put.
- 4-Needle StitchingConstructionA finish widely used to produce parallel rows of clear stitching on a sleeve or bottom hem that uses four needles, giving the garment a cleaner, more polished look, as well as adding durability.
- 50/50FabricAn even blend of cotton and polyester, the workhorse fabric of the promotional market. The polyester holds the garment's shape and cuts shrinkage to almost nothing; the cotton keeps enough absorbency to feel comfortable and take ink. It is cheaper and more wash-stable than 100% cotton and softer than all-polyester, which is why it dominates school, event and uniform orders. For printing it behaves as a compromise: plastisol works, discharge and water-based inks only partly, and dark 50/50 can suffer dye migration, so a low-bleed ink or a blocker underbase is the safe call.
A7
- Air Jet YarnFiberYarn spun by wrapping the fibre bundle with jets of compressed air instead of mechanical twist. The wrapping binds down the surface hairs, so air jet yarn resists pilling better than ring spun or open-end yarn of the same fibre. It feels firmer and less soft in return, which is why it shows up in workwear, uniform polos and long-wear fleece rather than fashion tees. For a decorator the relevant part is the flat, stable surface, which prints cleanly and does not fuzz up after repeated washing.
- Allen Solley PlacketConstructionA one-piece button placket that remains hidden after sewing. In this process, the existing tissue is used for the outer placket.
- ANSIStandardANSI stands for "American National Standards Institute" It is an institution which promotes various quality standards for all kind of industries and governments.
- Anti-BacterialTreatmentAn Anti-Bacterial fabric has been treated so that it has the property of preventing or limiting the growth of bacterias it comes into contact. This translate into garments that are better at limiting body odors, resulting in longer lasting freshness.
- Anti-MicrobialTreatmentAn Anti-Microbial fabric has been treated so that it has the property of preventing or limiting the growth of microbes it comes into contact. Depending on the treatment it will either slow the spread or completely kill any pathogen it will come in contact with. Those fabrics are higly regulated by the FDA in order to safe for consumers.
- Anti-Pill FinishTreatmentA treatment applied to reduce how readily a fabric forms pills. Most anti-pill finishing is enzymatic — cellulase enzymes remove the short surface fibres that pills form from — sometimes combined with singeing or a resin that binds fibre ends into the yarn. It reduces pilling markedly rather than eliminating it, and on cotton it costs a little fabric strength, because the fibres are being removed rather than tidied away.
- AppliquéPrint methodA piece of fabric stitched onto the garment, with the edges secured by embroidery, rather than the design being stitched or printed directly. Covers a large area for far fewer stitches than filling it with thread would take, which makes it the economical route to big lettering and numbers on jerseys and varsity wear.
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- Baby Pique KnitFabricA finer version of pique, knit with a smaller repeat so the waffle texture is tighter and less pronounced. It feels lighter and dressier than standard pique and is common on women's and retail-oriented polos. Because the surface is flatter it takes a screen print or heat transfer far better than a coarse pique, though embroidery is still the safer default. If a customer wants a printed polo, a baby pique blank is usually the one to quote.
- Back YokeConstructionA separate panel across the upper back of a shirt, seamed below the collar and above the main back panel. Cutting the shoulders as their own piece lets the fabric run in a different direction there, which is what allows a shirt to sit flat across the shoulders and hang cleanly from them rather than pulling. On better shirts it is split into two pieces so the grain can be angled on each side.
- Banded Self CollarConstructionA piece of fabric that connects the back of an item of clothing with the shoulders. This way the garment can lie flat and be nicely draped.
- BartacksConstructionA dense cluster of tight zigzag stitches worked across a short span to lock a seam at a point that takes strain — pocket corners, belt loops, the base of a placket, the ends of a fly. They concentrate reinforcement exactly where a garment tears first, at almost no cost. Their presence on a spec sheet is one of the better indicators that a garment was built for work rather than for display. They also create a thick, raised patch that will not flatten under a heat press platen, so keep transfers clear of them.
- Basket WeaveConstructionA plain weave in which two or more warp yarns are treated as one and crossed over two or more weft yarns, so the cloth reads as a chequerboard of small squares rather than a single over-under grid. Grouping the yarns makes the fabric softer, more pliable and more breathable than a plain weave of the same yarn, at the cost of stability — basket weaves wrinkle more readily and snag more easily.
- BindingConstructionA strip of fabric wrapped around a raw edge and stitched down, enclosing it so it cannot fray and giving the edge a finished line. It is both a construction method and a design device: binding in a contrast colour at a neckline, armhole or hem is one of the cheapest ways to make a plain garment look considered.
- BiowashTreatmentAn enzyme treatment, also called bio-polishing, in which cellulase enzymes break down the short fibre ends standing off the surface of a cotton fabric so they can be washed away. The result is a cleaner, smoother face with markedly better pill resistance — bought at the cost of some fabric strength, since the enzymes remove material rather than rearranging it.
- Birdseye JacquardFabricA small, repeating geometric pattern with a dot at its centre, knitted into the fabric on a jacquard machine rather than printed on afterwards. Because the pattern is structural it appears on both faces and will not wash off or crack. It is common on performance polos and golf shirts, where the textured surface also aids airflow and hides sweat. As with any textured knit, the pattern shows through a screen print and can wander under an embroidery hoop, so left-chest embroidery with a stabiliser is the safe treatment.
- Blanket StitchConstructionA decorative stitch that is often used to finish an unlined blanket, and the stitch can be seen on either side of the blanket or another garment.
- BlanksTradeUndecorated garments bought to be printed, embroidered or otherwise customised — the raw stock of the decorating trade. A blank carries no graphics and no outward branding, and many now ship with tear-away or printed labels so the decorator can present the garment as their own. Buying blanks well is most of a decorator's margin: fibre content and yarn type decide which inks will work, weight and construction decide how the finished piece is perceived, and colour availability decides whether an order can be filled at all. Price per piece is the last thing to compare, not the first.
- BlendFabricAny fabric spun or knit from more than one fibre, stated on the label as a percentage split such as 60/40 cotton-polyester. Blending is how a mill buys one fibre's strengths without paying its weaknesses: polyester for shape and shrink control, cotton for hand and ink absorbency, rayon for drape, spandex for stretch. For a decorator the blend ratio is the single most useful number on the tag, because it decides which inks will work, whether the garment needs a low-bleed underbase, and how much the print will shrink with the shirt. Read it before quoting, not after.
- Blind stitchConstructionA stitch that catches only a few threads of the outer fabric, so the thread is almost invisible from the right side. It is used where a seam or hem should not be seen — jacket hems, linings, trouser cuffs — and it gives a cleaner, more tailored finish than a visible topstitch. It is weaker than a through-stitched hem, which is why it appears on tailored garments rather than workwear. On a spec sheet a blind-stitched hem signals a dressier garment; it is not a durability feature.
- Bonded FleeceFabricMultiple layers of fleece are bonded together with an adhesive, resin, foam or fusible membrane to form a higher functioning garment.
- BondingFabricThe technique of permanently joining together two fabrics or layers of fabrics together by a bonding agent into one unit.
- Box PleatConstructionA single fold of fabric folded to both sides and stitched down at the top, usually set in the centre back below the yoke of a woven shirt. It releases extra fabric across the shoulder blades so the wearer can reach forward without the shirt binding. It is a traditional dress-shirt detail that also appears on camp shirts and some outerwear. For a back print or an upper-back embroidery it is an obstacle: the fold sits exactly in the centre and will not flatten, so decoration is usually placed above the yoke seam or skipped.
- Boy ShortGarmentA style of women's underwear cut with full seat coverage and a short leg, taking its shape from men's knit boxer briefs. It is a cut rather than a fabric, and in a blanks catalogue it appears among loungewear and activewear bottoms rather than with tops.
- BreathabilityTreatmentThe movement of water or water vapor from one side of the fabric to the other, caused by capillary action, wicking, chemical or electrostatic action.
- BrimGarmentThe projecting shelf of a hat that shades the face, called a bill or visor when it sticks out at the front only, as on a baseball cap. It is built from fabric over a stiff insert, and whether that insert is flat or pre-curved defines two different retail looks. For decorators the brim is a distinct decoration zone with its own machinery: embroidering one needs a specialised cap driver and a design kept shallow, because the curve and the stiffener limit how much thread the surface will take.
- BroadclothFabricA tightly woven plain-weave shirting with a fine, smooth, almost silky surface and very little visible texture. It is lighter and dressier than oxford, which makes it the choice for formal business shirts, though the same tight weave means it wrinkles readily and shows every crease. It is usually cotton or a cotton-polyester blend, the blend trading some softness for wrinkle resistance. The flat surface is excellent for embroidery detail and for small text, since nothing in the weave breaks up a fine stitch or print.
- BrushedTreatmentA mechanical finish in which the fabric is passed over rollers covered in fine wires that lift and break the surface fibres, raising a soft nap. Nothing is added — the softness comes from the fabric's own fibres being pulled loose — which is why a brushed finish cannot wash out, and why it also makes the fabric marginally weaker and more prone to pilling than the same cloth unbrushed.
- BuckramFabricA coarse cotton or linen cloth stiffened with sizing or glue, used to give structure to something that would otherwise collapse. In apparel it is the panel behind the front of a structured cap, holding the crown upright; in embroidery it is the backing that stops a design distorting as it is stitched.
- Button-Down CollarConstructionA collar whose points fasten to the body of the shirt with small buttons, so they stay put instead of lifting. It was adapted from English polo shirts, where players buttoned the points down to stop them flapping into their faces, and it remains the least formal of the standard collar styles — a button-down is a casual or business-casual shirt however fine the cloth.
- Button-Through Sleeve PlacketConstructionA small placket at the sleeve end, on the cuff, which contains a single button fastening.
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- CashmereFiberA fine, soft wool combed from the undercoat of the cashmere goat, warmer for its weight than sheep's wool and far more expensive. It is rare in the blanks catalogue and shows up mostly as a small percentage in sweater knits and scarves, where it lifts the hand without lifting the price too far. It is delicate: it pills, it felts if washed hot, and it will not tolerate the heat or pressure used on cotton. Decorate cashmere blends with low-temperature methods or, better, with a woven label or sewn patch rather than ink.
- Chain stitchConstructionA stitch formed by looping the thread through itself, leaving a row of interlocking loops on the underside that looks like a chain. It stretches with the fabric, which is why it is used on knit hems and shoulder seams, and it sews fast, which is why it is used on side seams of jeans. Its weakness is that it can unravel from one end if the thread breaks — pull the right loop and the whole row runs. It is also the stitch used in chain-stitch embroidery, which gives the thick, looped lettering seen on varsity jackets.
- ChambrayFabricA lightweight plain-weave cotton woven with a coloured warp and a white weft, which is what gives it its characteristic soft, faded appearance — the surface reads as a paler version of the warp colour because half the yarns on show are white. It is often mistaken for denim, but denim is a twill and chambray is a plain weave, which makes chambray lighter, smoother and far more suited to a shirt than to a pair of trousers.
- Chino CottonFabricA medium-weight cotton twill with a fine diagonal surface, originally military trouser cloth and now the standard fabric for chinos, work trousers and some cap fronts. It is tightly woven, hard-wearing and holds a crease, and it is usually treated with a wrinkle-resistant or stain-resistant finish for uniform use. The flat, dense surface takes embroidery cleanly and is one of the easier wovens to decorate. Check for an applied finish before heat pressing, since those coatings can stop an adhesive bonding.
- Clean-Finished PlacketTreatmentTypically, the interfaces of the placket are raw or angular, meaning they can look ragged or uneven, especially on light-colored shirts. By cutting the interface into a rectangle, turning the edges under and fusing in place, a straight button strip without raw edges is created. The inside of the shirt only shows the smooth edge.
- ClimaCool®TrademarkExclusive Adidas technology ensures sweat and heat management through ventilation and moisture management.
- ClimaliteTrademarkAn adidas trademark for moisture-management fabrics that move sweat away from the skin to the surface of the garment where it can evaporate. It describes a performance standard the brand applies across many fabrics rather than one specific material, and adidas has since consolidated its moisture-management branding under AEROREADY, so Climalite mostly appears on older stock and on blanks still carrying the earlier name.
- ClimaProof®TrademarkA lightweight, breathable shell that keeps wind, rain and snow away while letting heat and sweat escape through evaporation. CLIMAPROOF ® eliminates energy-consuming weather extremes, so that you remain dry and comfortable even in the toughest conditions. Not only suffer from wind, snow or rain, but bend the elements as you wish with the help of three CLIMAPROOF ® elements for clothing: ClimaProof ® Wind, ClimaProof ® Rain and ClimaProof ® Storm.
- Cold PeelPrint methodA transfer whose carrier sheet must be left to cool completely before being removed, as opposed to a hot peel lifted immediately. Peeling a cold-peel transfer early lifts part of the design with it. A heat press operator works to whichever the product specifies; it is a property of that transfer, not a preference, and it is stated by the manufacturer.
- CollarConstructionThe band that finishes the neckline of a shirt, jacket or polo. On knits it is usually a ribbed collarette sewn flat to a crew or v-neck; on woven shirts and polos it is a shaped, often interlined piece that stands up or folds over. Collar quality is where cheap and premium blanks visibly diverge: two-ply, tubular and seamless collars hold shape, while thin single-ply collars curl and stretch. It is also a decorating surface in its own right — inside-neck labels and collar embroidery are common add-ons.
- CollaretteConstructionThe narrow strip of ribbed fabric that finishes the neckline of a t-shirt or sweatshirt, cut and sewn on as a band. A good collarette is knit as a tube so it has no join, is made from a rib with enough spandex to recover, and is set with even tension so it lies flat. A bad one is the first thing to fail on a cheap blank: it stretches out over the head, ripples, or curls after a few washes. When a customer complains that shirts "look worn out", the collarette is usually what they are seeing.
- Color BlockTreatmentMerchandising and / or cutting of terms where a certain type or block of color lands in the same place on the finished garment each time.
- ColorfastStandardA measure of how well a dyed fabric holds its colour against washing, rubbing, perspiration and sunlight. It is not a yes or no property: mills test each of those separately and rate them, and a fabric can be colourfast to laundering but poor to light. It matters commercially because a customer judges a decorated garment by how it looks after a month, not on delivery. It also matters technically on dark polyester, where dye that is not fast under heat migrates out of the fabric and stains the print — the reason low-bleed inks and blocker underbases exist.
- Combed/Combed CottonFiberA preparation step that pulls the short fibres out of the cotton before spinning and lays the remaining long fibres parallel. Removing the short fibres is what removes the fuzz: combed cotton is smoother, stronger and pills far less than carded cotton of the same weight. It usually appears alongside ring spun on a spec sheet, because the two together produce the fine, even yarn used in retail-fit blanks. For printing it gives a flatter, more predictable surface, which is why fine-detail and halftone work is easier on combed ring spun goods.
- CompactingTreatmentA mechanical finishing process that squeezes the knitted fabric lengthwise, pushing the loops closer together before the garment is cut. It forces the shrinkage to happen at the mill instead of in the customer's dryer, which is what most "preshrunk" claims actually rest on. A compacted tee holds its length and its printed image far better through repeated washing. It is one of the quieter quality differences between blanks, and it is the reason two shirts of identical fibre and weight can behave completely differently after a month.
- Compression MoldedConstructionA panel formed by pressing material into a mould under heat and pressure so it holds a permanent three-dimensional shape. In apparel and bags it produces rigid foam backs, padded straps, shaped cap fronts and moulded bases that keep their form without a frame. Being solid and pre-shaped, it cannot be flattened, so it is out of reach for screen printing and for a standard heat press. Decoration on a compression-moulded part is normally a heat-applied label, a moulded logo or an embroidered patch attached afterwards.
- Compression StrapsGarmentAdjustable webbing straps on a bag that cinch the contents down so the load stays still and the pack sits closer to the body. They also shrink the bag's profile when it is only part full, which is why duffels and backpacks list them as a feature. The name is frequently mistyped as "comprehension straps" in supplier data, including in ours. For decorators they are a placement constraint: straps and their anchor points cross the panel where a logo would naturally sit, so check where the hardware falls before quoting an embroidery position.
- Cool & Dry®TrademarkCool & Dry® is the patented name by Yupoong for their moisture wicking technology.
- Cool KnitFabricA pique variant knit with a more open, waffle-like structure so air moves through the fabric more freely than through a standard pique. The raised cells hold the cloth slightly off the skin, which is what makes it feel cooler, and they also hide wrinkles and light soiling. It is used on golf and performance polos, usually in polyester. Like every textured knit it breaks up a screen print across the high and low points, so embroidery is the reliable decoration and any print needs a heavier deposit.
- Cool-Crown™TrademarkA mesh liner used inside Adams Headwear designed to promote cooling and minimize staining.
- Coolmax® ExtremeTrademarkWicking performance fabric that moves moisture away from the skin, keeping people cool and comfortably dry all day long.
- coop NeckTradeCharacterized by a deep, rounded neckline that is significantly deeper than normal necklines. Typically, found on women’s shirts.
- Cord locksConstructionA spring-loaded toggle on a drawcord that grips the cord where you set it, so an adjusted hood or waistband stays adjusted and the cord cannot retract into its casing. They are a small, cheap component and their presence is a fair indicator that a garment was designed rather than merely assembled. Like grommets and zip pulls, they are hard parts that must be moved clear of a heat press platen; leaving one under the press will emboss it into the garment.
- CorduroyFabricA cut-pile fabric with raised ribs, called wales, running along its length. Extra filling yarns are woven in as floats, then slit and brushed so they stand up as velvet-like cords separated by channels of base cloth. Wale count — ribs per inch — is how corduroy is graded: low numbers are wide, chunky cords and high numbers are fine needlecord.
- CottonFiberA natural fibre taken from the seed pod of the cotton plant, and the default fibre for printable blanks. Decorators favour it because it is absorbent and holds dye and ink well: plastisol grips it, water-based and discharge inks need it, and direct-to-garment printing bonds to it. Its weaknesses are shrinkage, wrinkling and slow drying, which is why so much of the catalogue is blended with polyester. How a cotton garment feels and prints depends less on the plant than on how the yarn was made — see ring spun, combed cotton and open-end yarn.
- Cotton SheetingFiberPlain-woven cotton fabric, usually plundered, used for fashion sportswear. It's wrinkled to create crinkle cotton.
- Cover seamedConstructionTwo needles are used, to overlap the threads underneath, reinforcing the seams with a smooth layer of threads. This provides a look like double needle stitching.
- Crew CollarConstructionA round, close-fitting neckline finished with a ribbed band, and the most common neckline in the blanks catalogue. It sits at the base of the neck, which is what makes it the safe default for uniforms, promotional runs and anything going to a mixed audience. For printing it gives the largest uninterrupted chest area of any neckline, since nothing cuts down into the design space the way a v-neck does. The quality signal to look for is a tubular, spandex-blended rib band rather than a flat strip of jersey.
- Crinkle CottonFabricCotton given a permanently crumpled, lightly pleated surface, produced either chemically with a resin cured in the crinkled state or mechanically by twisting and heat-setting the cloth. The texture is the point: it hides creases because it is already creased, and it lifts the fabric slightly off the skin, which makes it cooler to wear than flat cotton of the same weight.
- Crop TopGarmentA top cut short so that it ends above the natural waist. On a blank, the distinction that matters is how it got that way: a purpose-cut crop is hemmed and finished at the shortened length, while a raw-cut or cropped-hem style is finished by cutting and left unhemmed, which is a deliberate look rather than an unfinished garment. Body length on the spec sheet is the only reliable guide to how short a given style actually is.
- Cross-GrainFabricThe direction across a woven fabric, perpendicular to the selvedge — the weft direction. It is not the diagonal, which is the bias. Cross-grain matters because a woven behaves differently along each of its three directions: it is most stable along the length, slightly stretchier across the cross-grain, and stretchiest of all on the bias.
- CrownGarmentThe domed part of a cap that sits over the head, made from four, five or six sewn panels and joined at the top by a button. Crown height is quoted as low, mid or high profile, and whether it holds that shape depends on buckram — see structured and unstructured. It is the main decorating surface on a cap: front-panel embroidery sits on the crown, and on a six-panel cap the centre seam runs straight through the middle of that area, which is why five-panel caps are easier to embroider across the front.
- CuringPrint methodBringing a print up to the temperature at which the ink permanently sets, usually by passing the garment through a conveyor dryer. An undercured print looks perfect and then cracks or washes away on the first or second wash, which is why wash-testing a sample matters more than inspecting one. Overcuring scorches the fabric and can shift the garment's colour.
- CVCFabricChief value cotton: a cotton and polyester blend in which cotton is the larger share by value, most commonly 60/40. It sits between a 100% cotton tee and a 50/50, keeping more of the hand and printability of cotton while gaining the heather colours, dimensional stability and reduced shrinkage that polyester brings.
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- DenierMeasurementA measure of the linear density of a continuous filament yarn: the weight in grams of 9,000 metres of it. A higher number means a heavier and generally thicker yarn, so 1,000 denier nylon is luggage fabric and 15 denier is stocking. It describes the yarn rather than the cloth, and it applies to filament fibres such as nylon and polyester rather than to spun staple yarns like cotton, which are measured in counts.
- DenimFabricA rugged cotton twill woven from an indigo-dyed warp and an undyed filling, which is why the face is blue and the reverse is pale. The indigo sits on the outside of the yarn rather than penetrating it, so denim fades where it rubs — the basis of every wash and distressing treatment sold. Weight is quoted in ounces per square yard, with 8-10 oz for shirts and 12-14 oz for jeans. It embroiders well and takes a screen print, but expect the indigo in unwashed denim to crock onto light-coloured ink and plan for a heavier deposit.
- DigitizingPrint methodConverting artwork into the stitch file an embroidery machine follows: stitch types, directions, densities and the order in which the machine sews them. It is interpretation rather than conversion, which is why the same logo digitized by two people produces two different results. A one-off cost per design, and the main reason embroidery has a setup charge.
- Direct-to-FilmPrint methodA transfer method in which the design is printed onto a film, dusted with adhesive powder, cured, and later applied with a heat press. Unlike direct-to-garment it does not care much about fabric content, working on cotton, polyester and blends without pretreatment or a separate white underbase, and transfers can be produced in batches and pressed on demand. The print sits on top of the fabric rather than in it, so the hand is less integrated than a good screen print. Commonly abbreviated DTF.
- Direct-to-GarmentPrint methodAn inkjet process that prints water-based ink straight onto the shirt, with no screens and no setup, so a single piece costs roughly what each of fifty would. Handles photographs and unlimited colours, which screen printing cannot do affordably. Needs cotton fibre to bond to, so it performs poorly on high-polyester blends, and on dark garments it requires pretreatment and a white underbase. Commonly abbreviated DTG.
- Discharge PrintingPrint methodA screen printing technique that removes the garment's dye instead of layering ink over it, returning the fabric toward its natural colour and then optionally re-dyeing that area. The result has almost no hand at all and the softest feel of any print on a dark shirt. Works reliably only on discharge-friendly dyes, and the final colour depends on what the garment was dyed with, so results vary by blank.
- DobbyFabricA woven fabric carrying a small geometric pattern built into the cloth itself rather than printed or dyed onto it, produced on a loom fitted with a dobby mechanism that lifts individual warp yarns in programmed sequences. The pattern is usually subtle and tonal — a fine stripe, dot or diamond visible mainly when the light catches it — which is why dobby shirting reads as plain from across a room and as textured up close.
- Double Dry®TrademarkWick's perspiration for a dry-all-day vibes. This disperses moisture for faster drying. Keep body temperatures lower so you can play in cool comfort.
- Double KnitFabricAny fabric knit on two sets of needles at once, producing a double thickness joined as a single cloth. Interlock and rib are both double knits. The construction gives weight, body and dimensional stability — double knits stretch less, resist curling, and keep their shape through wash cycles far better than single knits. For a decorator that means predictable print registration and less shrink distortion after the first wash, at the cost of a heavier, warmer garment.
- Double-Needle StitchingConstructionA seam sewn with two needles at once, producing two parallel rows of stitching on the face and an interlocking thread structure underneath. It is stronger than a single row, it stops a knit edge from curling, and it is the standard finish on sleeve and bottom hems — which is why its absence is one of the quickest ways to spot a garment built down to a price.
- DownGarmentThe soft, fluffy under feathers of ducks and geese. Services as an excellent thermal insulator and padding for bedding, sleeping bags and outerwear.
- Draw cordConstructionA cord or flat tape run through a hem, casing or hood that pulls to tighten an opening. On hoodies it adjusts the hood, on jackets the waist or hem, on sweatpants the waistband. Cord quality and the presence of metal or plastic tips and cord locks are a visible quality signal on fleece. For decorating, a hood drawcord is the reason a hood print is awkward, and the cord must be pulled clear of the platen before pressing, since a cord trapped under heat leaves a permanent line in the fabric.
- Dri-Fast Advantage™TrademarkAdvanced moisture management to keep you dry, cool and comfortable. It even blocks the sun's harmful rays.
- Dri-Fast™TrademarkMoisture management to keep you dry, cool and comfortable.
- Drop NeedleConstructionA knit made with selected needles removed from the cylinder, so no loops form in those columns and a fine vertical line runs down the fabric at each gap. The result is a subtle lengthwise rib that reads as texture rather than as a pattern, and because it is knitted in rather than printed or brushed on, it cannot wash out.
- Drop TailGarmentA hem cut longer at the back than at the front, usually with a curve between the two. On a shirt meant to be tucked it keeps the back in place when the wearer bends or reaches; on a streetwear tee it is a styling choice that lengthens the silhouette and is meant to be worn untucked.
- DuPont™ Teflon®TrademarkTrademark of DuPont. Stain resistant, water repellent finish applied to textiles. This treatment gives the fabric a protective coating without affecting any of the fabric's inherent properties.
- Dura-Pearl™TrademarkA pearlised button trademarked by Broder Bros., used on that group's private-label woven shirts and polos. It is a branded version of a standard pearlised resin button, sold on the claim that the finish survives commercial laundering better than a generic one. You will meet the name on spec sheets rather than as anything a customer asks for. Treat it as a pearlized button for every practical purpose, including keeping it out from under a heat press.
- Dyed-To-Match (DTM)TreatmentButtons, zips, thread, trim or tape dyed to the same colour as the garment they are attached to, so nothing on the piece contrasts. It is the default for corporate and hospitality wear, where the aim is a clean, uninterrupted look. The abbreviation DTM appears throughout supplier spec sheets. It matters when ordering a run in several colours: DTM components mean each colourway is a separate build, so lead times and minimums can differ from a style using one universal trim colour.
E8
- Egyptian CottonFiberCotton grown in the Nile valley, where the climate and the long growing season suit extra-long staple varieties. At its best it is among the finest cotton in the world — but the name is not protected in most markets, so a great deal of fabric sold as Egyptian cotton is ordinary upland cotton grown in Egypt, or not grown there at all. The reliable question is staple length, not origin.
- EmbroideryPrint methodDecoration stitched into the fabric with thread rather than printed onto it. Reads as more permanent and more formal than print, which is why it dominates corporate wear, headwear and outerwear. Cost scales with stitch count rather than colour count, so a small dense logo can cost more than a large simple one. Fine detail and small lettering are the limits: thread cannot resolve what ink can.
- End-On-EndFabricA plain weave in which the lengthwise warp yarns alternate between a coloured yarn and a white one, so the cloth reads as a soft solid from a distance and as a fine texture up close. Because the effect is yarn-dyed it runs through the structure and cannot wash out. It is a classic dress-shirt fabric, giving more depth than a flat solid without looking patterned. It weaves and finishes like any fine shirting, so it takes embroidery cleanly and is a safe choice for corporate logo work.
- Enzyme-WashTreatmentWashing process that uses a cellulose-based solution to obtain garments that appear to have been stonewashed or acid washed. The solution physically degrades the surface of the cotton fiber. The appearance and hand of the garment are identical to stonewashed and acid washed garments. However, the fabric surface is not damaged to the extent of a stonewashed or acid washed garment.
- ErgonomicGarmentDesign elements incorporated into a garment to improve the design by enhancing the wearer’s comfort, performance or health.
- Etched Tone ButtonsConstructionHorn-tone resin buttons with a pattern cut or moulded into the face, usually a ring of fine lines around the rim. The etching catches the light and makes a plain button read as a deliberate detail, which is why it appears on better-finished woven shirts. It is purely decorative and has no effect on durability. Like every button it is a hard raised object and must be kept out from under a heat press platen.
- Extended TailConstructionA back panel cut longer than the front so the shirt stays tucked in, or covers more when worn out. It is standard on work shirts and uniform polos, where a shirt riding out of a waistband looks careless, and it appears on fashion tees under the name drop tail. The uneven hem changes nothing about a chest print but does matter for hem-level decoration and for how the garment is laid on a platen, since squaring it to the bottom edge will leave the design crooked on the body.
- EyeletsConstructionSmall holes punched through a fabric and finished so they cannot fray, either by stitching around the edge or by setting a metal ring — a grommet — through it. On apparel they are most often there for ventilation, in rows under the arms or across the back of a cap; elsewhere they carry laces, cords or drawstrings.
F8
- Fabric MemoryFabricJust like memory foam mattresses, Fabric Memory refers to the fact that some fabrics can, after being more or less stretched, return to their original dimensions.
- Face YarnFiberThe yarn that sits on the outer, visible surface of a fabric, as distinct from the backing yarn behind it. It matters in any construction with two different faces — fleece, terry, jacquard, double knit — because the face yarn alone decides colour, texture and how the surface takes ink. A common blank combines a polyester face yarn for colour retention with a cotton back for comfort, or the reverse. When a print result differs from what the fibre content suggests, the face yarn is usually the reason.
- Flash CurePrint methodA brief burst of heat applied to a printed layer mid-run, setting it just enough that the next colour can be printed on top without smearing. Standard practice when laying colours over a white underbase. Each flash adds time to the run and heats the garment, which on some fabrics causes a visible sheen where the platen pressed.
- Flat Collar/CuffsConstructionA single ply fabric with a finished edge used for collars and cuffs on sport shirts and short sleeve garments. Also known as welt.
- FleeceFabricA knit fabric with a smooth outer face and a brushed, napped inner surface that traps air for warmth — the fabric of hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts and sweatpants. It comes in three broad grades: open-loop French terry with no brushing, standard brushed fleece, and heavy polar fleece knit from polyester. The nap is the decorating consideration: it is soft and uneven, so prints need a heavier ink deposit than on jersey, and embroidery usually wants a topping to stop stitches sinking in. Fleece weight is quoted in ounces like any other fabric, and 8-10 oz is the usual sweatshirt range.
- Flexfit®TrademarkFlexfit® is another technology patented by Yupoong patented technology. Basically the overall crown fabric, including the sweatband, is mixed with Spandex in order to improve fitting, thanks to more elasticity.
- Full CutGarmentA generous, roomy fit with extra width through the chest, body and sleeve, as opposed to a fitted or retail cut. It is the traditional shape of the promotional tee: it suits a wide range of body types from one size run, which is what a customer ordering fifty shirts for unknown recipients needs. The extra width also gives a larger flat print area than a tapered style. The trade-off is appearance — full-cut garments look boxy next to a side-seamed fashion fit, so match the cut to whether the shirt is a giveaway or something people are meant to choose to wear.
- Fused LiningConstructionA lining fused to the two outer plies with solvent, heat and pressure. It's used to stabilize or stiffen parts of a garment, like a pocket or collar.
G6
- Garment DyedTreatmentDyeing the shirt after it has been cut and sewn, rather than dyeing the yarn or the fabric first. Because the garment is soaked, agitated and dried as a finished piece, it comes out already relaxed and pre-shrunk, with a soft, broken-in hand and a slightly uneven, lived-in colour. Seams and thread often take dye differently from the body, which is part of the look. Two practical consequences for decorators: sizing is more consistent after the first wash than on a piece-dyed tee, and colour varies a little between dye lots, so order all of a job at once.
- Garment WashGarmentThe process of industrially washing garments after they have been manufactured to remove sizing; it also softens and pre-shrinks.
- Garment WashedTreatmentA finishing process in which the completed garment is washed, usually with softeners and sometimes with enzymes or abrasives, to relax the fabric before it is sold. It takes most of the shrinkage out, softens the hand and gives the shirt a slightly broken-in look and a fuller, thicker appearance — without changing its colour, which is what separates it from garment dyeing.
- GrommetConstructionA metal or plastic ring set into a hole in fabric to stop the hole tearing and to give a drawcord, lace or hook something firm to run through. Expect them in hoodie hoods, bag closures, aprons and underarm vents. Because a grommet is a hard, raised piece of metal, it is a hazard for both screen printing and heat pressing: it will not compress under a platen and can damage a screen or a press. Keep artwork well clear of any grommet, and check ventilation grommets under the arm before planning a side print.
- GrosgrainFabricA firm ribbed tape or fabric where a heavy filling yarn under fine warp yarns produces close horizontal ribs across the width. It is stiff, strong and does not stretch lengthwise, which is why it is used as tape rather than as a body cloth: inside cap sweatbands, along plackets, as ribbon and trim, and as a stabiliser over seams. Where it appears on the outside of a garment it is usually a contrast detail. Its ribs and stiffness make it unsuitable for printing and awkward under a hoop.
- GussetConstructionA small triangular or diamond panel of fabric inserted into a seam to add width and relieve strain at a point that would otherwise tear. In apparel it most often sits at the underarm, where it lets the arm lift without dragging the whole body of the garment up, and in bags and aprons it turns a flat piece into one with depth. It is a construction-quality marker: gussets cost extra labour and appear on workwear and better-made garments. They add a seam in the underarm area, which is worth noting when planning any decoration that runs onto the side.
H10
- HalftonePrint methodA pattern of dots of varying size used to simulate a gradient or a shade using a single colour of ink. It is how screen printing reproduces photographs and soft fades without printing every tone as its own colour. Needs a suitable mesh count and careful exposure, and very fine halftones can disappear entirely on a coarse fabric surface.
- HandMeasurementThe trade word for how a fabric or a print feels to the touch — soft, crisp, stiff, dry, slick. It is a subjective judgement rather than a measured figure, but it is the property customers react to first, so it drives buying decisions more than ounce weight does. Decorators use it twice: to describe the blank, and to describe the print, where "soft hand" means an ink film thin or absorbent enough that you cannot feel a plastic patch on the shirt. Discharge and water-based inks give the softest hand; a heavy plastisol deposit with an underbase gives the heaviest.
- Heat PressPrint methodA machine that applies controlled heat and pressure for a set time, used to apply transfers, heat transfer vinyl and sublimation. Some transfers are hot peel and some are cold peel, and the product decides which. Time, temperature and pressure all have to suit the specific transfer and the specific fabric; getting one wrong is what produces a print that peels after a wash, or a shiny rectangle pressed permanently into the garment.
- Heat Transfer VinylPrint methodColoured vinyl cut to shape with a craft cutter, weeded of its excess, and applied with a heat press. Cutting is driven by vector art, so a bitmap logo has to be redrawn first. The cheapest way to start decorating, and the standard for names and numbers on team wear. Each colour is a separate layer that must be cut and weeded by hand, which makes detailed or multi-coloured artwork impractical. Needs a reasonably smooth surface to adhere cleanly. Commonly abbreviated HTV.
- HeavyweightMeasurementA garment made from fabric at the heavy end of its category, generally 6 oz per square yard and above for tees and 9 oz and above for fleece. The extra fabric buys opacity, durability and a substantial drape that reads as quality, which is why heavyweight boxy tees returned as a fashion item. For printing, heavier fabric is more forgiving: it hides an underbase, resists ink bleed-through and takes a heavy deposit without distortion. The costs are price, shipping weight, warmth, and longer dwell times to cure the ink through a thicker garment.
- HenleyGarmentA collarless pullover with a short buttoned placket at the neck, essentially a crew tee with a two- or three-button opening. It reads as more considered than a plain tee while staying casual, which is why it sells as a retail-style blank rather than a promotional one. The placket is the decorating catch: it sits exactly where a centred chest print would go, so artwork is usually placed left-chest, off-centre or below the button line. Many henleys use a ribbed or waffle-knit body, which further limits fine print detail.
- HerringboneFabricA twill woven so the diagonal reverses direction at regular intervals, forming a repeating V or zigzag that resembles a fish skeleton — hence the name. The pattern is built into the weave, so it shows on the face of the cloth and cannot fade off. It is common in shirting, caps, jackets and the twill tape used inside better garments. The surface texture is fine enough not to disrupt embroidery, but it will read faintly through any thin printed ink film, so allow for the pattern showing through pale artwork.
- High CottonFabricFabric woven from fine yarns at a high thread count, producing a dense, tightly packed cloth that feels smooth and substantial. The tight structure resists snagging and wind, drapes well and holds a press. It costs more per yard than an open weave of the same fibre, so it appears on dress shirts and better wovens rather than promotional stock. The flat, closely packed surface is one of the best in the catalogue for fine embroidery detail and for small printed text.
- High-ProfileFabricA term used for a cap or hat silhouette less fitted to the head with a high slope. Usually structured with buckram or other stiff fabric lining.
- Horn-Style ButtonsConstructionButtons moulded from resin to imitate the mottled brown tones of real animal horn. Genuine horn buttons are expensive and inconsistent, so nearly everything in the blanks catalogue described as horn is an imitation, and the spec sheet says horn-style for that reason. They read as natural and understated, which suits outdoor, workwear and heritage-styled garments. Practically they behave like any other resin button: durable in the wash, and to be kept clear of a heat press platen.
I1
J4
- JacketsGarmentOuterwear worn over the rest of an outfit, covering everything in the catalogue from a light woven windbreaker to an insulated workwear parka. They are the highest-value decorated item most shops sell, because the garment cost is high enough that the decoration is a small share of the price. Almost every jacket is polyester or nylon shell over a lining, which rules out most printing: embroidery and heat-applied transfers do the work, and both have to contend with linings, seams, zips and pockets. Check for a water-repellent finish and for seam sealing before committing to any heat-applied method.
- Jacquard KnitFabricA knit in which each needle is controlled independently, so a pattern can be built into the fabric as it is made rather than printed on afterwards. That independent control is what separates it from a dobby or a simple textured knit: the repeat can be large and pictorial rather than a small geometric figure, and it usually carries two or more colours knitted in.
- Jersey KnitFabricThe single-knit construction behind almost every t-shirt: one set of needles interloops the yarn into a fabric with a flat, smooth face and a looped, slightly textured back. It is light, stretchy across the body and cheap to knit, which is why it became the default. The flat face is the best print surface in the catalogue — ink lies on top without sinking into a texture, so edges stay crisp. Its one quirk is that a single knit curls at a raw edge, which is why jersey garments are hemmed and their collars are ribbed rather than cut.
- Johnny CollarConstructionA neckline where the collar opens into a shallow Y at the front, with no buttons and no placket — the lapels simply cross or sit apart. It gives a softer, more relaxed line than a buttoned polo placket and is most common on women's sportswear and hospitality uniforms. Because there is no placket and no buttons, the chest is unusually clear of hardware, which makes it one of the easier collared styles to decorate. Set a left-chest logo from the shoulder rather than the neckline, since the Y opening varies a lot between styles.
L9
- Lap ShoulderConstructionA neckline on infant and toddler garments where the front and back panels overlap at the shoulders instead of meeting in a seam, so the opening stretches wide enough to pass over a baby's head. The overlap is sewn only at the armhole ends, leaving the centre free to spread — which is why it is sometimes called an envelope neck.
- LisleFiberA fine, smooth cotton yarn made by plying together strands spun from long, combed staple, then usually singeing off the surface fuzz and mercerising it for sheen. The result is unusually even and lustrous, closer to silk than to ordinary cotton. It is a traditional yarn for dress socks and fine knit polos rather than a t-shirt fabric. Where it appears, expect a smooth face that takes embroidery well and shows every flaw in a coarse print, so fine detail is the right use for it.
- Locker LoopConstructionA small fabric loop stitched at the centre of the back yoke of a shirt, or occasionally inside the back neck, so the garment can be hung on a hook without a hanger. It came from American college sportswear in the 1960s, where shirts had to go on a single peg in a locker, and it survives today mostly as a styling detail on oxford and camp shirts.
- Locker PatchConstructionA semi-oval panel sewn into the inside back portion of a garment, just under the collar seam, to reinforce the garment and minimize stretching when hung on a hook. The patch also allows for the garment tag or label to be sewn below the neckline to help prevent irritation.
- LogoTrademarkAn artistic interpretation of a company's sign or symbol. These figures can be copyrighted or trademarked. Permission is needed for duplication.
- Long Sleeve T-ShirtsGarmentLet's see if you can guess that one... Correct! Another obvious term simply aiming at designating T-Shirts with long sleeves. It can be used for many different reasons but mainly it is for climate reasons. If you are living in a cold area it's a must. But it is also often the clothing of choice for outdoors workers. Landscapers or roofers will benefit from the complete covering to avoid sunburns, especially if you pick items with an SPF rating(Yes they do exist!).
- Low ProfileGarmentA cap whose crown sits closer to the head, with a shallower front panel than a traditional high-profile cap. The difference is the height of the front panel and how the crown is shaped: a low profile follows the skull, where a high profile stands up above the forehead. It is a shape description rather than a construction one — low-profile caps can be structured or unstructured.
- Lycra® FiberTrademarkINVISTA's registered brand name for its spandex fibre. It is the same class of elastic fibre as any other spandex or elastane, not a different material, but mills pay to use the name because buyers recognise it. On a spec sheet "5% Lycra" and "5% spandex" tell a decorator the same thing: the garment stretches and recovers, and it will not tolerate the heat and dwell you would use on plain cotton. Treat any Lycra content as a signal to drop press temperature and test one piece before running the order.
- LyocellFiberA regenerated cellulose fibre made by dissolving wood pulp in a non-toxic solvent that is recovered and reused in a closed loop, rather than the harsher chemistry of conventional viscose. It handles like rayon but is markedly stronger, especially when wet, and holds its shape better — which is what makes it machine washable where much viscose rayon is not.
M11
- MélangeFabricA fabric knit from a mix of differently coloured fibres, producing the flecked, non-solid appearance sold as heather. Because the colour is built from the fibre up rather than dyed onto finished cloth, the effect has depth and does not wash out flat. Most heathers mix dyed polyester with undyed or lighter cotton, which is why a heather grey is rarely 100% cotton. For printing, the mottled surface partly shows through any thin ink film, so a design on mélange reads softer and less opaque than the same art on a solid tee.
- MercerizedTreatmentA finishing process in which cotton is treated with caustic soda, usually under tension, causing the flat ribbon-like fibres to swell into round ones. The rounded fibre reflects light instead of scattering it, so the yarn gains a permanent lustre — and because the swollen structure has more accessible sites for dye, mercerized cotton also takes colour deeper and holds it better than untreated cotton.
- MeshFabricA knit or woven fabric with deliberate open spaces between the yarns, used where airflow matters more than coverage — athletic jerseys, cap panels, shorts linings and the back of performance polos. Hole size ranges from a fine micro-mesh to the wide holes of a basketball jersey. Printing directly on mesh is difficult because ink pushes through the openings onto the platen and the design breaks up over the holes; heat transfer vinyl, sublimation and tackle twill are the usual alternatives. Note that mesh in blanks is almost always polyester, with all the dye-migration caveats that brings.
- Mesh CountPrint methodThe number of threads per inch in a screen printing mesh, which governs how much ink passes through. A low mesh count deposits more ink and suits bold solid areas and underbases; a high mesh count deposits less and holds fine detail and halftones. Choosing it wrongly is a common cause of prints that look muddy or too thin.
- Micro FleeceFabricA lightweight polyester fleece knitted from very fine filament yarn and brushed lightly on both faces, giving a dense, smooth, low-loft surface rather than the deep pile of a standard fleece. It is warm for its weight, dries quickly, packs down small and pills less than heavier fleece, which is why it is the usual choice for a mid-layer rather than an outer one.
- Micro stripeFabricAn extremely fine stripe knitted or woven into the fabric, narrow enough to read as a tone or texture from a few feet away rather than as an obvious stripe. Because the stripe is built from yarn-dyed yarns it runs through the structure and cannot fade off the surface. It appears on performance polos and golf shirts where a solid colour would look plain. The fine repeat is largely irrelevant to embroidery but does show faintly through a light ink deposit, so allow for the stripe reading through any pale screen print.
- Micro-SuedeFabricA polyester fabric woven from extremely fine filaments then napped on one face to imitate suede leather. The short, dense nap gives a soft, dry, slightly grippy hand at a fraction of the cost of real suede, and unlike leather it is washable. It appears in jacket panels, cap fronts and accessory trim. The nap is the decorating constraint: it flattens permanently under heat and pressure, so a heat press leaves a shiny halo, and embroidery should be kept light or run with a topping to stop stitches sinking.
- MicrofiberFabricFabric woven or knitted from extremely fine synthetic filaments — conventionally under one denier per filament, finer than a strand of silk. Packing many more filaments into the same yarn gives a fabric that is dense, smooth, light and unusually good at both repelling water from the outside and moving it along the surface, which is why microfiber turns up in both outerwear shells and cleaning cloths.
- Mid-ProfileGarmentA cap crown of medium height, sitting between the tall square front of a high-profile cap and the shallow, head-hugging low profile. It is the safest choice for a mixed audience because it suits most head shapes and neither exaggerates nor disappears. It comes both structured and unstructured, and that, rather than the profile, decides how well it embroiders. The usable front-panel height on a mid-profile cap is around two inches, which is the practical limit on how deep a front logo can be.
- Mock TurtleneckGarmentA shortened turtleneck whose collar stands up around the neck but is not long enough to fold over. It gives the coverage and finished look of a turtleneck without the bulk under the chin, and it is common on performance base layers and corporate knit shirts. The standing collar is usually rib with spandex so it recovers rather than flopping. For decorating it behaves like a crew tee with a taller band: chest prints start lower than on a standard crew, and the collar itself is too small and too curved to decorate reliably.
- Moisture-WickingTreatmentThe marketing term on performance blanks for fabric engineered to move sweat away from the skin and dry quickly. It almost always means polyester, sometimes with a textured yarn or a channelled knit to increase surface area, and sometimes with a topical finish. Decorating these garments needs care on three fronts: the polyester dye can migrate into plastisol and discolour the print, topical finishes can stop ink bonding, and the fabrics scorch at temperatures cotton shrugs off. Run lower cure temperatures, use a low-bleed ink and test before committing a run.
N4
- NapTreatmentA layer of fibre ends raised from the surface of a fabric so they stand up rather than lying flat, giving a soft, slightly furry face. Because those fibres lie in one direction, a napped fabric looks and feels different up and down its length — which is why garment panels must all be cut the same way round or the colour will visibly mismatch between them.
- Non-IronTreatmentA chemical finish applied to cotton shirting that cross-links the cellulose fibres so the fabric holds its shape and resists creasing, allowing a shirt to be washed and hung to dry without pressing. It works genuinely well, and it costs something: a slightly stiffer hand, some loss of tensile strength, and a fabric that breathes a little less than the untreated cloth.
- NuBlend™ FleeceTrademarkA combined knitting and spinning process, with fabric composed of 50% cotton and 50% polyester, developed by Jerzees® with an anti-pilling surface.
- NylonFiberA synthetic polyamide fibre, the first fully synthetic textile fibre ever produced, notable for exceptional tensile and abrasion strength at low weight and for real elastic recovery — it stretches and springs back rather than deforming. It absorbs more moisture than polyester and less than cotton, and it softens at a lower temperature than polyester, which is the constraint that matters when decorating it.
O6
- One-Ply YarnFiberA single strand of spun yarn used as it comes off the frame, with no second strand twisted in. It is lighter and cheaper than two-ply and perfectly adequate for ordinary knitwear, which is why most t-shirt jersey is single-ply. It is also weaker and less even, so it pills sooner and can show thin spots. In terry and towelling, one-ply loops give a thinner, faster-drying but less plush product than the two-ply equivalent.
- Open-End YarnFiberYarn spun by feeding fibres into a fast-spinning rotor rather than twisting them on a ring frame. It is much quicker and cheaper to produce, so it is the yarn behind value-priced blanks. The trade-off is a coarser, bulkier, slightly hairy yarn that feels rougher, pills sooner and gives a less even print surface than ring spun. It is perfectly serviceable for solid spot-colour work and high-volume jobs where unit cost decides; it is the wrong choice for fine halftones or a soft retail hand.
- OttomanFabricA fabric with pronounced horizontal ribs running across the width, formed by a heavy filling yarn covered by finer warp yarns. The ribs give it visible texture, structure and a dressy, substantial look, common on jackets, ladies' tops and better polos. It holds its shape well and drapes with weight rather than cling. The ridges are the decorating problem: like any ribbed surface, they break up a screen print and can distort embroidery, so keep decoration small and prefer stitching to ink.
- Ounces Per Square YardMeasurementThe standard weight measure for apparel fabric, quoted on spec sheets as "4.3 oz" or "6.1 oz". Roughly: under 4.5 oz is a lightweight fashion tee, 4.5 to 5.5 oz is a mid-weight everyday tee, and 6 oz and up is a heavyweight built for workwear or long life. Heavier fabric is more opaque, more durable and hides an underbase better, but it is hotter to wear and costs more to ship. Weight alone does not predict feel — check singles and yarn type too, since a fine 30-singles 4.5 oz tee and a coarse 18-singles 4.5 oz tee feel nothing alike.
- Over-DyedTreatmentDyeing a fabric or garment that already carries colour, so the new dye combines with the old rather than replacing it. Because the base colour shows through, the result is deeper, more complex and less predictable than a single dyeing — which is the point: over-dyeing is used to get colours that cannot be mixed in one bath, and to rescue or repurpose stock that did not sell in its original shade.
- OxfordFabricA woven cotton or blended shirting made with a basket weave, usually two fine warp yarns crossing one heavier filling yarn. The paired yarns give it a slight basketweave texture and a small check of colour when a dyed warp is woven against a white filling, which is the classic oxford look. It is heavier and more durable than poplin and reads as smart-casual rather than formal — the standard business shirt blank. Pinpoint oxford uses finer yarns for a dressier version. Both take embroidery well and are the usual choice for a corporate logo.
P31
- PackableGarmentA jacket or vest that folds into its own pocket or an attached stuff sack, so it can be carried without being worn. It is achieved with lightweight shell fabric and low-bulk insulation, which is why packable pieces are thinner than their warmth suggests. They are popular corporate gifts because they ship and store small. The shell is almost always a coated nylon or polyester, so decoration is embroidery or a low-temperature heat transfer, and the coating means a test piece before any heat-applied run.
- PashminaConstructionFabric woven from the downy fibers from goats of the mountainous state of Jammu + Kashmir. Also known as Cashmere.
- Patch PocketConstructionA pocket made by stitching a separate piece of fabric onto the outside of a garment, as opposed to a pocket set into a seam or slit. It is the simplest and cheapest pocket to make and the one on the chest of a pocket tee, the front of an apron and the hip of a work shirt. For a decorator it is an obstacle and an opportunity: it blocks the left-chest position where a logo usually goes, but the pocket itself can be embroidered, and on pocket tees the print is normally moved to the opposite side.
- PeachedTreatmentA light sanding or chemical abrasion of the fabric face that lifts a very fine nap, softer and shallower than a full sueded finish. The result is a dry, matte, skin-like hand that reads as expensive, common on retail-fit tees and performance wovens. Because the nap is shallow the print surface stays reasonably flat, so peached fabric decorates better than heavily sueded goods. As with any napped finish, keep heat-press dwell short — crushing the nap leaves a permanent shiny rectangle around the transfer.
- Pearlized ButtonsConstructionButtons with an iridescent, pearl-like surface, made from polyester or resin rather than real shell. They give a polo or woven shirt a dressier look than a flat matte button for very little extra cost, which is why they are common on corporate and hospitality styles. The finish is a coating on the button, so it can dull with repeated commercial laundering. Like all buttons they need to be avoided or removed from under a heat press, since pressing on one leaves a ring in the fabric and can crack the button.
- Peruvian Pima CottonFiberExtra-long staple Pima cotton grown in Peru, where it is still largely hand-picked. The long staple gives the same smoothness and pill resistance as American Pima, and hand-picking adds a practical advantage: fibres are selected rather than stripped mechanically, so less trash and fewer broken fibres reach the mill and the resulting yarn is cleaner and more uniform.
- PFDTreatmentPrepared for Dye: a garment made and finished specifically so it can be dyed later, usually by the decorator or a specialist. PFD goods are left undyed and are free of optical brighteners, softeners and silicone finishes that would resist dye or blotch the result. Because those finishes are also what interfere with ink adhesion, PFD blanks are prized for tie-dye, garment dyeing and discharge printing, where a clean, untreated cotton surface is essential. Expect them in natural or bleached white only, and expect noticeable shrinkage, since they have not been preshrunk.
- Piece-DyedTreatmentDyeing the fabric as a roll after knitting or weaving but before the garment is cut. It is the most common method for blanks because it is cheap, fast and gives even, repeatable colour across a large run. The limitation is that the garment is dyed flat, so it has not been relaxed by the wet process the way a garment-dyed piece has, and it will shrink more on the customer's first wash unless it is separately preshrunk. Colour consistency within a dye lot is excellent, which is why piece-dyed goods are the safe choice for large uniform orders.
- Pigment-DyedTreatmentA garment-dye process using pigment rather than reactive dye. Pigment does not chemically bond to the fibre; it is bound to the surface with a fixative, so it deliberately washes down into soft, chalky, faded tones and keeps fading with wear. That controlled fading is the point — it is the standard look for vintage and beach-shop tees. It also means colour is less consistent piece to piece and will not stay put like a reactive dye, so set customer expectations, and expect discharge printing to behave unpredictably on it.
- PillingTreatmentThe small balls of tangled fibre that form on a fabric surface where it rubs, most visibly under the arms, at the waistband and on the back of a sweatshirt. Short fibres work their way loose, roll up and stay anchored by the longer fibres around them. It is driven by fibre and yarn choice rather than by wear alone: short-staple, open-end and blended yarns pill fastest, while combed ring spun, air jet and long-staple cottons resist it. Since customers read pilling as the garment wearing out, yarn quality is worth more than ounce weight on anything meant to last.
- Pima CottonFiberExtra-long staple cotton, grown mainly in the United States, Peru, Israel and Australia. Staple length is the length of an individual fibre, and Pima's runs roughly half again as long as ordinary upland cotton. Longer fibres mean fewer ends poking out of the yarn, which is what makes the fabric feel smoother, resist pilling and hold colour better. The same fibre sold under the Supima trademark is Pima grown in the United States and licensed.
- Pinpoint OxfordFabricAn oxford woven from finer yarns at a higher thread count than a standard oxford, giving a smoother, tighter and dressier cloth. It keeps the basketweave structure but the pattern is small enough to read as texture rather than as a visible check. It sits between a rough oxford and a formal broadcloth, which is why it is the usual choice for a corporate shirt that has to look smart but survive daily wear. The fine, flat surface holds small embroidery detail well, so it is a safe blank for a logo with thin lettering.
- Pique KnitFabricA knit with a raised, waffle-like texture created by combining knit and tuck stitches, and the standard fabric for polo shirts. The texture traps air, so pique breathes better than flat jersey and hides wrinkles and light staining. That same texture is the decorating problem: a screen print on pique sits on the high points and skips the low ones, giving a broken, uneven fill. Embroidery is the usual answer on pique, which is why polos are the classic embroidered garment; if you must print, a heavier deposit or a smoother baby pique performs better.
- PlacketConstructionThe reinforced opening in a garment that the buttons and buttonholes sit on — down the front of a polo or henley, or at the cuff of a dress shirt. It is a separate, usually interlined panel, which is why it is stiffer than the fabric around it. That stiffness is a decorating constraint: a chest print or left-chest embroidery has to clear the placket, and a platen cannot press the raised edge flat. Polos are quoted with a two-, three- or four-button placket, and the button count sets how far down a design can sit.
- Plastisol InkPrint methodThe standard screen printing ink, a PVC-based compound that sits on top of the fabric rather than soaking into it. Opaque, forgiving to print, vivid on dark garments, and durable once properly cured. The trade-off is hand: a heavy plastisol print is something you can feel, and a very large solid area can be stiff.
- PlyFiberThe number of separate yarns twisted together to make the thread used in a fabric or a seam. One-ply is a single strand; two-ply twists two strands together. More plies mean a stronger, rounder, more stable yarn that resists tearing and holds its shape, at higher cost. The term shows up in two places on a spec sheet: the fabric itself (two-ply cotton dress shirts) and the collar or cuff, where a two-ply collar keeps its shape over far more wash cycles than a single-ply one.
- Pocket T-ShirtGarmentA t-shirt with a patch pocket stitched to the left chest. The pocket is a styling detail on most modern versions rather than a functional one — it is rarely big enough to be useful — but it originated in workwear, where a chest pocket held a pack of cigarettes or a notebook, and it carries that association still.
- Polar FleeceFabricKnitted using 100% fine denier polyester yarns. The pile is napped on the front and back to promote a gentle hand with exceptional loft. This is a fine denier knit that also allows the fabric to dry quickly.
- Poly-FilledFiberA warm polyester lining found in the body or sleeves of outerwear garments. It has more loft than a regular nylon lining.
- PolyesterFiberA synthetic fibre spun from petroleum-derived polymer, and the second pillar of the blanks catalogue after cotton. It is strong, holds its shape, barely shrinks, dries fast and keeps colour well, which is why performance wear, fleece and most blends lean on it. Decorating it is the catch: polyester will not accept water-based or discharge ink, it needs lower cure temperatures than cotton, and its disperse dyes migrate into plastisol under heat, so dark polyester often needs a low-bleed or blocker ink. It is also the only common fibre that takes sublimation, which bonds into the fibre itself.
- PolynosicFiberA high-wet-modulus rayon engineered to keep its strength and shape when wet, which ordinary viscose rayon does not. It handles like fine cotton with more lustre and better drape, and it shrinks and distorts far less in the wash than standard rayon, which is why it appears in shirting and in blends where rayon's hand is wanted without rayon's instability.
- PolypropyleneFiberA lightweight synthetic fibre that absorbs essentially no water at all, so it dries almost instantly and is used for base layers, sock liners and inexpensive tote bags. Its zero absorbency makes it the best wicking fibre there is, but also means it holds odour and cannot be dyed after it is made — colour has to be added to the polymer before the fibre is spun. It has a very low melting point, which is the decorator's warning: standard cure and press temperatures will melt or distort it, so polypropylene goods need low-temperature methods and a test piece first.
- Polyurethane Coating (PU Coating)TreatmentA thin layer of polyurethane applied to the inside face of a woven shell fabric to stop water passing through it. It is the cheapest way to make a jacket genuinely water-resistant, and the trade-off is breathability: a plain PU coating is a barrier in both directions, so moisture from the wearer has nowhere to go unless the coating is microporous or the garment is vented.
- PoplinFabricA medium-to-heavyweight unbalanced plain weave. It is a spun yarn fabric that is usually piece dyed. Manufactured by weaving one weft (vertical) yarn over and under each warp (horizontal) yarn, alternating each row. The filling is cylindrical. Two or three times as many warps as weft per inch.
- Pre-launderedTreatmentA garment washed as a finished piece before it is sold, so the bulk of its shrinkage has already happened. Beyond stabilising the size it softens the hand and relaxes the fabric, which is why pre-laundered blanks feel broken in on arrival. For a decorator the benefit is dimensional: a print applied to an already-shrunk shirt will not pucker or distort when the customer washes it. Check whether the spec says pre-laundered, preshrunk or compacted, because the three are achieved differently and are not equally effective.
- PreshrunkTreatmentFabric that has been mechanically compacted before the garment was cut, so most of its potential shrinkage has already been taken out. The usual method is compressive shrinkage — the cloth is carried on a rubber belt that is stretched, pressed against a heated cylinder, and allowed to contract, pushing the fabric back along its length into the relaxed state it would otherwise reach on the customer's first hot wash.
- PretreatmentPrint methodA liquid applied to a garment before direct-to-garment printing so the ink bonds to the fibre instead of soaking in and going dull. Essential on dark shirts, where it also gives the white underbase something to sit on. Applied unevenly it leaves a visible rectangle around the print after washing, which is one of the most common complaints about DTG work.
- Princess SeamsConstructionShaped seams that are located on the front or back of an item of clothing. They are usually used specifically in women's fashion since princess seams are designed to produce a garment fit smoothly and snugly.
- Print PlacementPrint methodWhere the decoration sits on the garment and how large it is. Standard positions include full front, left chest, back, and sleeve, each carrying a different impression: a left chest logo reads as uniform, a large back print reads as advertising. Placement is usually measured down from the collar seam rather than from the top of the shirt, so it stays consistent across sizes.
- Puff PrintPrint methodScreen printing using an ink containing a blowing agent that expands under heat, raising the print off the surface of the garment. Gives a tactile, three-dimensional result popular on streetwear and varsity lettering. Detail is the cost: the expansion distorts fine lines, so puff suits bold shapes and heavy type rather than intricate artwork.
- PVCTreatmentPolyvinyl chloride, a plastic used in apparel as a waterproof coating on shell fabric and as the material for moulded patches, prints and bag panels. It blocks water completely, which is why it appears on rainwear, aprons and industrial garments, and it is cheap. It does not breathe, it stiffens in cold, and it is heat-sensitive: a standard press temperature will soften or mark it. Decorate PVC-coated goods with low-temperature transfers or sewn-on patches, and test one piece before running an order.
Q2
- Quarter-TurnedTradeA garment cut so that the crease left by tubular knitting falls at the side of the body rather than down the centre front. Fabric knitted as a tube is flattened for finishing and storage, and that flattening leaves a fold line; quarter-turning rotates the pattern piece a quarter of the way round the tube so the fold ends up where nobody looks.
- QuiltingConstructionA fabric construction in which a layer of down or fiberfill is placed between two layers of fabric, and then held in place by stitching or sealing in a consistent, all-over pattern.
R11
- Racer backGarmentA back cut with narrow straps that converge between the shoulder blades, leaving the shoulders and upper back open — standard on sports bras, athletic tanks and summer dresses. It frees the shoulder joint, which is why it started in swimming and running, and it keeps straps from sliding off. The narrow yoke leaves very little flat back area, so a full-size back print is rarely possible; front placement or a small upper-back mark is the practical option. The curved edges also mean the garment will not lie square on a standard platen.
- Raglan SleeveConstructionA sleeve cut in one piece with the shoulder, joined by a diagonal seam that runs from the underarm to the neckline rather than around the shoulder. It gives more freedom of movement than a set-in sleeve, which is why it is standard on baseball tees and athletic wear, and it is often cut in a contrast colour. For a decorator the diagonal seam means the usable flat print area is narrower across the chest, and a full-width design will run into a seam sooner than on a set-in style.
- Raster ArtPrint methodArtwork made of a fixed grid of pixels, which loses definition when enlarged beyond the resolution it was created at. The counterpart to vector art, and necessary for photographs and painted artwork, and fine for printing provided it is supplied at print resolution at the size it will actually appear. A low-resolution file pulled from a web page will look exactly as rough on fabric as it does on screen.
- RayonFiberA manufactured fibre regenerated from wood pulp or other cellulose — technically neither natural nor fully synthetic. It drapes better than cotton and feels cool and fluid, which is why it is the third fibre in most triblends and a common addition to fashion-fit tees. It is weaker when wet, shrinks more than cotton and can be damaged by high heat, so cure temperatures need watching. Rayon takes dye differently from the cotton and polyester beside it, which is what gives triblend fabric its mottled surface and its softer, semi-transparent print result.
- RegistrationPrint methodThe alignment of each colour in a multi-colour print relative to the others. Tight registration is what makes a detailed design look crisp; a fraction of a millimetre out and outlines sit beside their fills instead of around them. Designs with tight registration waste more garments during setup, which is worth allowing for when ordering blanks.
- Reverse-PlacketConstructionWhen the buttons on a placket are on the opposite side from a man’s garment. Commonly done on women’s styles.
- Rib KnitConstructionA knit of alternating columns of face and reverse stitches, giving vertical ridges and a great deal of crosswise stretch that recovers. Ribs are named by their repeat: 1x1 rib alternates one and one, 2x1 rib gives a wider, flatter wale. It is used wherever a garment must stretch over something and spring back — collars, cuffs, waistbands, and the body of a fitted ladies' tee. Rib does not print well as a body fabric, because the ridges break up the ink film, so keep artwork on flat jersey panels where you can.
- Ring spunFiberA spinning method that continuously twists and thins the cotton rope as it is drawn, so the fibres wrap tightly around one another. The result is a finer, stronger, noticeably softer yarn than open-end spinning produces, with fewer loose ends standing off the surface. For a decorator that smoother surface matters: ink sits on top rather than sinking into a fuzzy face, so prints look sharper and halftones hold. Ring spun garments cost more per piece and are the usual choice for retail-feel tees; open-end yarn is the budget alternative.
- RingerGarmentA t-shirt whose collar band and sleeve cuffs are knit in a contrasting colour to the body, a look borrowed from 1970s athletic wear and permanently in and out of fashion since. The contrast trim is part of the garment rather than an applied detail, so it cannot be recoloured. For a decorator the relevant part is colour coordination: the print has to work against both the body colour and the trim, and a design that runs wide will collide with a cuff. Ringers are usually cut closer than a basic tee, so size accordingly.
- Ringspun CottonFiberCotton yarn produced by ring spinning, listed on spec sheets as "100% ring spun cotton" or "combed and ring spun cotton". It is the single most common upgrade between a basic tee and a retail-fit tee, and it is what most people mean when they call a blank soft. Expect a smoother face, less pilling and a cleaner print surface than an open-end basic, at a higher price per piece. When the spec says combed and ring spun, two separate processes have been applied and the yarn is finer again.
- Rip-Stop NylonFabricA light nylon fabric woven with thicker reinforcing yarns at regular intervals in both directions, forming a visible grid. A tear travelling through the cloth stops when it reaches one of those yarns, so a small puncture stays small instead of running. It gives a very high strength-to-weight ratio, which is why it is standard on windbreakers, packable outerwear and bags.
S35
- Sand WashedFabricA process in which the fabric is washed with keen lava rocks or rubber/silicon balls, resulting in a softer fabric with a relaxed appearance and reduced shrinkage.
- Sandwich Hat/BillGarmentA hat where there is contrasting trim between the upper and lower part of the visor or bill.
- Screen PrintingPrint methodInk pushed through a fine mesh stencil onto the garment, one screen per colour. The oldest commercial decoration method and still the cheapest at volume, because the cost sits in the setup rather than the run: once the screens are burned, the hundredth shirt costs almost nothing. That same economics makes it a poor choice for one-offs and for designs with many colours. Produces dense, durable colour including on dark fabric.
- Sculpted HemConstructionA hem cut in a curve rather than straight across, dipping lower at the sides or the back. It is designed to be worn untucked: the curve follows the body, so the garment hangs cleanly instead of cutting a hard line across the hip. It is common on women's tops and on longline and drop-tail tees. The curve matters for decorating only at the bottom of the garment, where a hem print has less consistent clearance than on a straight hem, so measure from the shoulder rather than the hem when setting placement.
- Seam SealedConstructionA waterproof garment whose seams have been closed against water, usually by heat-bonding a tape over the stitch line on the inside. Every needle hole in a waterproof fabric is a hole, so a shell can be made of genuinely waterproof material and still leak through its seams — sealing is what turns a water-resistant garment into a waterproof one.
- Seamless CollarConstructionA collar band knit as a continuous circle so there is no butted join at the back of the neck. Without the seam there is no lump under the label and no weak point to split, and the band lies flatter through repeated washing. It is a quiet marker of a better blank and usually travels with side seams, taped shoulders and ring spun yarn on the spec sheet. Customers rarely ask for it by name, but it is a large part of why one tee still looks new after a season and another does not.
- Self-Fabric CollarConstructionA collar cut from the same cloth as the body of the garment, rather than a separately knit rib or a contrast trim. On a polo it gives a cleaner, more modern line than a ribbed knit collar and keeps the colour an exact match. On performance styles it also keeps the whole garment to one fibre content, which matters for wicking and for dye behaviour. The catch is shape retention: without rib structure a self-fabric collar depends on its interlining and stitching to stay flat, so check whether the spec mentions a two-ply or fused collar.
- Self-Fabric SweatbandFabricThis refers to a panel of fabric at the front of a cap constructed from the same fabric as the crown of the cap.
- SergeConstructionAn overlock stitch worked around the raw cut edge of fabric so the edge cannot fray or unravel. On knits it is the standard way to finish a seam allowance, and it stretches with the fabric instead of snapping. Serging is quick and cheap, which is why it appears on nearly every garment in the catalogue; the alternative, a fully enclosed or bound seam, is a premium feature. Note that the same word also names a twill-woven suiting fabric, an unrelated meaning you will meet in woven-goods listings.
- Set-In SleeveConstructionThe standard sleeve construction, where a separately cut sleeve is sewn into a finished armhole with a seam that circles the shoulder joint. It gives a defined shoulder line and a tailored look, and it is what almost every t-shirt in the catalogue uses. For decorating it matters because the shoulder seam is where a print area ends: a design that runs onto a set-in sleeve crosses a raised seam that a platen cannot lie flat against. Raglan sleeves, which run diagonally to the neck, are the main alternative.
- ShearedPrint methodRefers to the towel's finish. A sheared surface is created clipping the loops on one side of the towel. Sheared terry is often referred to as having a velour finish. The shearing process creates a plush and smooth finish, which is excellent for printing or embroidery. The weight of the fabric has an important impact on the appearance of the shear. A heavier weight fabric enhances the velour appearance because there is more material to shear.
- SheetingFabricA plain-weave cotton fabric with roughly equal yarn counts in warp and filling, giving a balanced, even cloth — the construction used for bed linen, which is where the name comes from. In apparel it appears in aprons, tote bags, light jackets and shirting. It is inexpensive, stable and, because the weave is balanced and flat, an easy and predictable surface to print on. Weight varies widely, so check the ounce figure rather than assuming sheeting means lightweight.
- Sherpa FleeceFabricA knitted pile fabric with a deep, curly, high-loft face made to imitate shearling, normally in polyester and normally used as a lining rather than as an outer fabric. It is not a kind of fleece in the sweatshirt sense and it is not wool, despite both associations the name invites — the name refers to the look of the mountaineers' shearling-lined jackets it copies.
- ShoddyFiberFibre recovered by shredding used or offcut fabric back into loose material that can be spun again. The word is a textile term rather than an insult — though the modern sense of "shoddy" as poor quality comes directly from it, because respun fibre is shorter and weaker than virgin fibre and the cloth made from it was cheaper.
- Shoulder-To-Shoulder TapingConstructionA strip of tape stitched across the inside back neck, running from one shoulder seam to the other. Knit fabric has no lengthwise stability, so without it the shoulder seams stretch under the garment's own weight and the neckline gradually droops. The tape carries that load instead. It costs cents to add and is one of the clearest signals that a blank was built to survive commercial laundering, which is why it is standard on uniform and workwear styles and absent on the cheapest promotional tees.
- Side seamConstructionThe stitched seams running down each side of a garment, joining front panel to back panel. A side-seamed tee is cut from shaped panels, so it can taper at the waist and hold that shape; a tubular tee has no side seams and hangs straight. Side seams also stop the body twisting on the wearer after washing. Expect to pay more for side-seamed blanks and to sell them as the retail-fit option; they are the standard on fashion and ladies' styles and the exception on promotional basics.
- Side VentsConstructionShort slits left open at the bottom of the side seams, usually finished with a bartack at the top to stop them splitting further. They let the hem move over the hips instead of riding up, which is why they are standard on untucked polos and woven shirts, and they are often paired with a longer back panel. For decorating they matter only at the hem: a bottom-edge print needs to clear both the vent and its bartack, and the two front and back panels are no longer joined there, so the garment will not lie square on a platen.
- SilkFiberA natural filament fibre produced by the silkworm as it spins its cocoon, and the only natural fibre that arrives as a continuous filament rather than as short staple. Its lustre comes from the fibre's triangular cross-section, which refracts light at different angles like a prism — an optical property of the fibre's shape, not a finish applied to it.
- Single-NeedleTreatmentA stitch, requiring a single needle and thread, characterized by its straight-line pathway. A single-needle seam has been finished with a visible row of stitching, a single needle, for additional reinforcement and fashion.
- SinglesMeasurementA count of yarn fineness, written on spec sheets as "30 singles" or "30/1". The number runs backwards from intuition: the higher it is, the finer and lighter the yarn, so 40 singles is finer than 18 singles. Fine singles give a lightweight, smooth, drapey fabric with a close surface; coarse singles give a heavier, more rugged fabric. It is the most reliable single clue to how a tee will feel, and a better one than ounce weight alone, because a 30-singles 4.2 oz tee and an 18-singles 4.2 oz tee are completely different garments.
- Slash PocketsConstructionA pocket reached through a straight or diagonal opening cut into the garment, with the bag hidden inside rather than stitched on the outside. It gives a cleaner line than a patch pocket, which is why it is used on jackets, trousers and better polos. The opening is usually reinforced at both ends with a bartack. For decorators the hidden bag is the catch: it doubles the fabric behind the opening, so anything heat-pressed near a slash pocket presses through two layers unevenly, and embroidery there needs the bag pulled clear of the hoop.
- Slub YarnFabricYarn deliberately spun with irregular thick and thin sections along its length, so the fabric knitted or woven from it carries a visible, uneven texture. The irregularity was originally a spinning fault, and slub fabric still reads as handmade and imperfect for exactly that reason — which is the effect people buy it for.
- SmoketoneConstructionA supplier term for buttons finished in a translucent smoke-grey, giving a muted alternative to white, pearl or horn. The colour is neutral enough to sit against most shirt colours without drawing attention, which is why it shows up on corporate and hospitality wovens. It is a colourway, not a material or a construction feature. As with any button, move it clear of the platen before heat pressing.
- Soft ShellFabricA bonded fabric, usually two or three layers, combining a stretchy woven or knit face with a fleece backing and often a membrane between them. It trades the full waterproofing of a hard shell for stretch, breathability and comfort, aiming to replace a mid-layer and a jacket with one garment that handles wind and light rain rather than a downpour.
- Soil Release FinishTreatmentA finish that helps dirt and oil let go of the fabric during washing, rather than repelling them on contact. It is the complement to stain resistance and is common on polyester and blended uniform wear, where oily soil otherwise clings to the synthetic fibre and greys the garment. Buyers running commercial laundry contracts care about it more than anyone else. Like other topical finishes it can interfere with ink and adhesive bonding, so treat a soil-release garment as a test-first job.
- SpandexFiberAn elastic synthetic fibre that stretches several times its length and springs back, sold under trade names such as Lycra and elastane. It rarely exceeds 5-10% of a fabric, which is enough to give a knit recovery so it does not bag out at the elbows and seat. Expect it in performance wear, ladies' fitted tees, leggings and ribbed trim. It is heat-sensitive: over-curing or a long dwell under a heat press can kill the stretch and leave a permanent press mark, so run lower temperatures and shorter dwell than you would on plain cotton.
- Spot ColourPrint methodA single premixed ink colour printed from its own screen, as opposed to building a colour out of overlapping process inks. Spot colour gives exact, repeatable brand colours and is how a logo gets matched precisely. Each additional spot colour adds a screen and therefore cost, which is why simplifying a design to two or three flat colours changes the price of a run so much.
- Stain ResistanceTreatmentA finish applied to fibre or fabric so spills sit on the surface long enough to be blotted off instead of soaking in. It is standard on restaurant, hospitality and industrial uniform blanks, where the garment's life is measured in how long it still looks clean. The finish is a surface treatment, so it gradually washes off, and while it is fresh it can also repel ink and adhesive — which is precisely the decorator's problem. Test adhesion on a sample before running stain-resistant goods, especially with heat transfer vinyl and direct-to-garment printing.
- StapleFiberThe length of an individual cotton fibre before it is spun. Long-staple cottons such as Pima, Supima and Egyptian have fibres that can be twisted into finer, stronger yarn with fewer ends poking out; short-staple cotton makes a coarser, fuzzier yarn that pills more readily. Staple length is the raw-material limit on how soft and smooth a blank can be — no amount of combing or ring spinning rescues short fibre. It is why premium tees advertise the cotton's origin and budget tees do not.
- Stitch CountPrint methodThe total number of stitches in an embroidered design, and the figure embroidery is priced on. Because cost follows stitches rather than colours, a small densely filled logo can be more expensive than a much larger open one. Reducing fill density or replacing a solid area with an outline is the usual way to bring an embroidery quote down.
- StonewashedTreatmentA finishing process that produces a disturbed appearance, including a softer texture, puckering at the seams and slight wrinkles. Garments are tumbled together with stones (usually pumice stones) in larger washers. This process is usually applied to indigo-dyed denim garments. Different sizes of stones can be used and length of washing time can be varied to achieve different effects.
- Storm FlapTreatmentA piece of fabric that covers and protects an opening, usually a zipper, on an item of clothing. It is designed to add another barrier on more vulnerable parts of the clothing to protect against wind and moisture.
- StructuredGarmentA cap built with buckram or a similar stiffener sewn into the front panels, so the crown stands up on its own whether or not anyone is wearing it. Structured caps hold a tall, square profile and give embroidery a firm, flat backing, which is why almost all front-panel logo work is quoted on structured styles. Unstructured caps, with no stiffener, collapse into a soft, low profile and need a backing added before they can be embroidered cleanly. If a customer wants a crisp logo on the front panel, steer them to a structured cap.
- Sublimation TransferPrint methodSublimation transfer refers to the "printing" method of using heat in order to "sublimate" a dye pattern onto a polyester garment, through a paper carrier.
- SuededTreatmentA finish that abrades the fabric surface with rollers or emery to raise a fine, short nap, giving a peach-skin softness. It is a mechanical change, not a chemical one, so the softness is permanent rather than a coating that washes off. The raised nap slightly dulls the colour and, for a decorator, softens print edges: ink sits on a fuzz rather than a flat face, so fine detail and small text lose crispness. Sueded fabric also sheds a little lint, which is worth knowing before a run of dark garments.
T18
- Tanguis CottonFiberA Peruvian cotton variety developed in the early twentieth century by Fermín Tangüis, grown mainly in the Cañete valley south of Lima and along Peru's central coast. Its fibre is longer and thicker than ordinary upland cotton and unusually resistant to breaking, and the plant was bred for disease resistance and low water requirements — which is why it rescued Peruvian cotton growing after blight devastated the earlier crop.
- Tank Top T-ShirtGarmentTank Tops are basically sleeveless T-Shirts which can be worn by either Men or Women. They usually have different uses for them. While Men Tank Tops are usually pretty simple and used to be kept cooler or for sports, Women Tank Tops are usually more of a stylish, better designed item that can be worn in many different circumstances.
- Taped SeamsConstructionA narrow strip of fabric or tape sewn over a seam to stop it stretching out and to hide the raw edges. On knits it appears as shoulder-to-shoulder taping across the back of the neck, which keeps the shoulder line from growing and stops the neck sagging. On outerwear the term usually means a heat-sealed tape bonded over the stitch line so water cannot enter through the needle holes. Either way it is a durability upgrade, and its presence on a spec sheet is a fair proxy for a better-built garment.
- TapingConstructionCovering a seam or a stress line with a narrow strip of material. The word covers three different jobs in apparel: reinforcing a knit so it does not stretch out of shape, closing the needle holes in a waterproof shell, and finishing a raw edge so it cannot fray. They share a name and a technique and almost nothing else, which is why a spec sheet saying only "taped" is worth a second question.
- TaslanConstructionThis refers to how the fibers are woven and the resulting texture. Used mainly in outerwear garments, Taslan is a durable and water repellent nylon fabric with a bright surface.
- TencelTrademarkLenzing's brand name for lyocell, a cellulose fibre made from wood pulp in a closed-loop solvent process that recovers most of its chemicals. It feels smooth and cool with better drape than cotton, resists wrinkling and is stronger wet than ordinary rayon. In blanks it appears blended into fashion tees and woven shirts to add fluidity and sheen. It is heat-sensitive and takes dye differently from cotton, so garments containing it want lower press temperatures and a test print before a run.
- Terry VelourFabricA pile fabric with the uncut loops of terry on one face and cut, sheared pile on the other, giving one absorbent side and one soft, velvet-like side. It is the standard cloth for better bathrobes and beach towels, where the terry face does the drying and the velour face is the one you feel.
- TriblendFabricA fabric knit from three fibres, almost always cotton, polyester and rayon, in ratios around 50/25/25. Each does one job: cotton for hand and printability, polyester for shape retention and low shrinkage, rayon for drape and the soft, slightly sheer feel that made triblends a retail staple. The three fibres take dye differently, which is what produces the mottled heather look — and what makes print colour unpredictable, since the ink only fully covers part of the surface. Print triblends with a soft-hand or discharge-friendly approach and expect a vintage, slightly faded result rather than solid opacity.
- Tricot LiningFabricA warp-knitted lining fabric, smooth on the face and slightly textured on the back, used inside jackets, shorts and outerwear. Warp knitting runs the yarn along the fabric rather than across it, which gives tricot its distinctive combination of light weight, run resistance and stretch in one direction but not the other — the properties a lining needs to slide over other clothing without stretching out of shape.
- Triple-Needle StitchedConstructionA finish commonly used on a sleeve or bottom hem that uses three needles to create parallel rows of visible stitching, giving the garment a cleaner, more finished appearance, as well as adding durability.
- Tubular CollarConstructionA collar band knit as a continuous tube, so it has no seam where the two ends meet. The seamless join is stronger and lies flatter than a butted and stitched band, and it avoids the small lump at the back of the neck that a seamed collar leaves. It is a reliable marker of a better blank, usually appearing alongside side seams and ring spun yarn on the spec sheet. Practically, a tubular collar is the one most likely to still lie flat after fifty washes.
- Tubular KnitConstructionFabric knitted as a continuous circle, so the body of the garment has no side seams — the tube is simply cut to length and hemmed. It is cheaper to produce than a side-seamed garment and is the traditional construction for basic tees. The trade-off is fit and stability: a tube is cut boxy and straight, and because the fabric is not held by side seams it can twist on the wearer after washing, a fault called torquing. Side-seamed garments are the fitted, retail-cut alternative.
- Tuck StitchConstructionThis refers to the appearance of the knit where some stitches are actually under the other stitches. This gives the shirt a waffle, woven texture and appearance.
- Tuck-In TailsConstructionA shirt that is designed so that the back hem is longer than the front hem. This helps to keep the shirt plugged in during normal activities.
- TwillFabricA weave in which the filling yarn passes over and under warp yarns in a staggered pattern, producing visible diagonal lines across the cloth. The structure makes twill stronger, more drapeable and better at hiding soil than a plain weave of the same weight, which is why it dominates workwear, chinos and cap fronts. Denim and gabardine are both twills. For decorating, twill is stable and prints cleanly, but the diagonal surface texture can show through a thin ink film, and heavier twills need a firm hoop for embroidery.
- Twill TapeFabricA narrow woven tape, usually in a herringbone or plain twill, used inside garments to reinforce points that take tension — the back neck, the shoulders, pocket openings — and to bind raw edges. The twill weave is what makes it suitable: it is strong along its length, barely stretches, and lies flat enough not to show as a ridge through the outer fabric.
- Two-PlyFiberFabric or trim made from thread of two yarns twisted together rather than one. Twisting doubles the effective strength and rounds out the thread, giving a smoother, denser, more durable cloth that wrinkles less and resists pulling apart at stress points. In woven shirts it is the usual marker of a better garment; in knits it most often describes the collar, where two-ply is the difference between a collar that stays flat and one that curls after a season. It costs more per yard, so it appears on premium styles rather than promotional ones.
- Two-Ply YarnFiberYarn made by twisting two single strands together before knitting or weaving. Twisting evens out thin spots and roughly doubles strength, so the resulting cloth is smoother, denser and far more resistant to tearing and pilling than a single-ply of the same weight. In terry and towelling it is what separates a plush towel from a thin one; in shirting it marks a premium fabric. Expect a higher price and a heavier finished garment, and expect it to survive commercial laundering better than anything single-ply.
U4
- Underarm GrommetsGarmentHave you ever noticed those little metal grommets on your hoodies or sweatshirts underarms? These small holes ensure a better air circulation when you move, resulting in a better breathability.
- UnderbasePrint methodA layer of white ink printed first, underneath the coloured artwork, so the colours read accurately on a dark garment rather than being tinted by the fabric beneath. Necessary for most printing on dark blanks and the reason those prints feel heavier and cost more. Sublimation cannot lay one down, which is why it cannot print on dark fabric at all.
- UnstructuredGarmentA cap made without buckram in the front panels, so the crown folds down and follows the shape of the head. The result is the soft, low-profile dad-cap look that dominates retail, and a cap that can be rolled into a bag. The absence of a stiffener is an embroidery problem: with nothing behind it the fabric distorts under the needle, so a cutaway or tearaway backing is essential and dense fills should be kept modest. Expect slightly softer detail than the same design on a structured cap.
- UVA-Protective FabricFabricUsually made of densely woven fibers, UVA-Protective fabrics can block or limit the quantity of UltraViolet type A that penetrate through it. It will protect the wearer's skin better and prevent a premature fading of the garment.
V3
- V-NeckGarmentA neckline cut to a point at the centre front rather than running straight around the throat. Depth varies widely between styles — from a shallow notch to a deep V reaching the sternum — and it is the single measurement that decides whether a blank reads as a smart alternative to a crew neck or as a fashion piece. The seam construction at the point is what separates a good V-neck from one that curls after a few washes.
- V-PatchConstructionA cut of material in the shape of the letter V, which is sewn on a garment directly below the collar, to add support and strenght against stretching the neckline opening. Also a style detail, look into V-Neck.
- Vector ArtPrint methodArtwork described as shapes and curves rather than pixels, so it can be scaled to any size with edges that stay perfectly sharp. The preferred format for logos, lettering and any flat-colour design, and effectively required for cut vinyl and for separating spot colours. Usually supplied as AI, EPS, SVG or a vector PDF. The counterpart is raster art, which cannot be enlarged the same way.
W12
- Waffle WeaveConstructionA structure, also called honeycomb, in which the yarns are arranged so that the fabric forms a grid of recessed squares with raised borders. The three-dimensional surface holds far more air and water than a flat cloth of the same weight, which is why it is used both for thermal underwear, where it traps warmth, and for towels, where it absorbs.
- Water RepellantStandardThe ability to resist penetration by water. Not as rigorous a standard as waterproofness. Water-repellent fabrics cause water to pear on their surfaces, while insensitive sweat flows through. Water beads up and rolls off a water-repellent fabric.
- Water ResistantTreatmentA fabric that resists water for a time without being sealed against it, usually through a tight weave or a durable water-repellent finish that makes droplets bead and roll off. It is the weakest of the three outerwear claims: water resistant holds off a light shower, water repellent does more, and waterproof means a membrane or coating plus sealed seams. Repellent finishes wear off with laundering and can be damaged by heat, which matters when heat-pressing a logo onto a shell jacket — press at the lowest workable temperature and expect some loss of beading around the print.
- Water-Based InkPrint methodScreen printing ink that soaks into the fibre and dyes it rather than sitting on the surface, giving a soft print you can barely feel. Favoured for fashion and retail garments where hand matters. Harder to work with than plastisol: it dries in the screen, needs more care in curing, and struggles to cover dark fabric without a discharge or an underbase.
- WaterproofFabricThe ability to keep water from penetrating but permits water vapor to pass through. Today, there are more than 200 fabrics of this type that offer a diverse combination of water resistance and water vapor permeability.
- Welt CuffsConstructionCuffs on a short-sleeved garment made from a single layer of rib with a finished edge, knitted in a bolder, heavier construction than an ordinary 1x1 rib. They are most familiar on polos and on retro athletic tees, where the banded sleeve end reads as a deliberate design choice rather than a plain hem.
- WickingTreatmentThe movement of moisture along and through a fabric by capillary action, pulling sweat off the skin and spreading it over a wide surface where it can evaporate. It is a function of fibre shape and fabric structure rather than a coating — polyester wicks because it absorbs almost nothing, so liquid travels along the fibre instead of soaking into it. Cotton does the opposite: it absorbs and holds moisture, which is why a wet cotton tee stays wet. Some wicking is achieved with a chemical finish, and those finishes can wash out and can interfere with ink adhesion.
- Wind GuardConstructionA strip of fabric behind or over a zip or snap closure, sewn in to stop wind and water getting through the gap the closure itself cannot close. A zip is a row of interlocking teeth with air spaces between them and a channel behind, so even a closed zip leaks; the guard is the flap that covers it.
- Wind ResistantFabricA fabric that slows air passing through it without stopping it completely. It is a matter of degree rather than a yes or no property: windproof implies a membrane or coating that blocks air entirely, while wind-resistant usually means a tightly woven face that cuts most of the wind while still letting the garment breathe.
- Wind shirtGarmentA typical waterproof and windproof outer garment. Well appreciated by the golfer community.
- WovenConstructionA fabric made by interlacing two sets of yarns at right angles — the warp running the length of the cloth and the weft across it. Interlacing rather than looping is what makes a woven stable: it has very little natural stretch, holds a crease, does not curl at a cut edge, and unravels rather than laddering. Shirting, canvas, twill and denim are woven; t-shirts, polos and fleece are knitted.
- Wrinkle-FreeTreatmentAs it simple as it sounds, wrinkle free shirts can be qualified as such wether the natural properties of the material used make them less prone to wrinkle or if it has been chemically treated to resists wrinkles. Garments that are wrinkle-free are pretty appreciated amongst those whom are not too keen on ironing. Just hang it right out of the dryer!
Y3
- Y-NeckGarmentA neckline cut deeper than a v-neck, with a short placket or seam that forms a Y shape at the front. It sits somewhere between a v-neck tee and a henley and is more common on women's and fashion styles than on promotional stock. The deep opening cuts further into the chest than any other common neckline, so a centred print has to start noticeably lower or be placed off-centre. Check the finished measurement before setting a print height, because the drop varies widely between brands.
- Yarn DyedTreatmentDyeing the yarn before the fabric is knit or woven. It is the only way to build colour into the structure itself, which is how stripes, plaids, chambray, end-on-end and heather effects are made — the pattern cannot be printed on afterwards and look the same on both sides. Yarn-dyed colour also penetrates the fibre fully, so it resists fading better than surface dyeing. It costs more and commits the mill to a colour before anything is knit, so yarn-dyed styles come in fewer colourways and longer lead times.
- YokeConstructionThe part of a clothing piece fitted closely to the shoulders. Usually seen on the back as on a button-doen shirt, but may also be right infront, like on Western style of shirts.