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Note: This article will be updated from time to time
Sometimes communication between a T-shirt factory and the buyer can be quite difficult. It is very important to let the manufacturer know exactly what your requirements are so that the manufacturer can give you an accurate quotation and produce the shirts according to your expectations. However, the buyer usually have problems explaining their requirements, and the supplier struggles to understand what the buyer is trying to say. This 'how to' article aims to give buyers an idea how to place T-Shirt orders from manufacturers.
A T-shirt is usually made of some kind of fabric. The manufacturer has to understand exactly what fabric you are looking for. Telling the manufacturer to go and see a particular brand in some retail shop isn't going to help. Before you make and enquiry, ask yourself what fabric you would require.
Fabric composition
Start with fabric composition first. There are only about three-four kinds which are commonly used. We will explain in detail which fabric composition is suitable for which occasion in another article.
- 100% Cotton
- Polyester-Cotton Mix
- 100% Polyester
- Fancy material - Wool/Bamboo/Silk/etc
Fabric Pattern
Some t-shirts are smooth, some with hexagon holes, some with ribs like lines.
- Single Jersey/Knit
- Pique
- Rib
- Fancy fabric pattern / Jacquard
Fabric Weight
Its hard to explain how thick you want the fabric to see. 'Not see through' is a very subjective statement and is unlikely to get you anywhere. Best is to state the weight - that is if you know what weight. The weight is normally quoted in oz. or gsm. In our oppinion 155gsm fabric single jersey is very thin and has translucent properties. 180gsm is decent. 210gsm is thick. But this is only our oppionion. Your oppionion is bound to defer from ours.
Fabric Color
State the color you require. White is cheaper than Black, simply because the dyes for white is cheaper. So communicating the correct color is important to get accurate quotations. Usually pantone colors is widely accepted.
Qty to Shirts Required
Naturally the more quantity you can order, the cheaper. Depending on manufacturers capacity, super large quantities like 6 million shirts are not always good news. Simply because of high incident of fraud, and/or the manufacturer has no capacity to produce.
In a nutshell your enquiry can look like this
- Composition: 100% Cotton Fully Combed
- Pattern: Single Jersey
- Weight: 180gsm
- Color: White color
Letting your manufacturer know what fabric you require is only the first step. There are more information you have to give and it will be discussed in other articles. If you really don't know the specification you require, it is best to send over a sample.
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