Fabric plays a very important role in t-shirt customization; It determines the costs, the printing technique of the garment and how well a shirt or other piece of clothing will be able to hold its shape even after numerous washes and wears. The most common fabric varieties for t-shirts sold in the market are 100% cotton, polyester and cotton/polyester blends. In addition to the 3 common types of t-shirt fabrics, there are manufacturers who make fabrics from organically grown cotton and natural dyes; this is more costly but is done by manufacturers for environmental purposes.
Fabrics Guide
Types of fabric:
Apparel fabrics are very comfortable to wear! They need less care and pressing and easy to fit and sew. As per customer need, they can produce good quality fabric and different types of fabric.
Cotton:
There are two types of cotton fabric available in the market, carded cotton, and combed cotton. And combed cotton fabrics are much softer than the carded ones. Combed cotton is made by twisting smooth, even and thinner fibers together to produce a smooth thread. On the other hand, carded cotton is produced through a mixture of short, thick and ragged cotton fibers. The coarse feel of carded cotton makes the fabric’s quality inferior to combed cotton.
Qualities of pure cotton garments:
• Soft and comfortable.
• Sweat absorbent.
• Wrinkles/creases easily.
• Prone to shrinkage & skewing.
Cotton / Polyester Blends:
Always remember, more polyester content build greater stain, breathability and wrinkle resistance. If you choose 100% cotton then obviously its cost more than the Blended t-shirts.
Qualities of cotton-polyester blends:
• Tetron cotton (TC)
• Some cotton and a blended mix of more polyester.
• Crease resistant or wrinkle
• It’s completely in sweat-absorbent
• Durable
• Qualities of both cotton and polyester
• Chief Value Cotton (CVC)
• It’s completely soft and sweat resistant
• Qualities of both polyester and cotton.
• Wrinkle or crease resistant.
• Sweat absorbent & soft.
Microfiber or Quick dry:
Microfiber is a synthetic fiber that is made of several different materials, including polyester, polyamide, and other fabrics in various combinations. Microfiber is very popular and there are several places where people use this one! It is highly versatile fabrics. This fabric has become a particularly popular choice for performance apparel and sportswear and is fast replacing cotton fabrics in the production of active-wear and various specialty clothing.
Qualities of Microfiber:
• Dries quickly and can be washable.
• Shiny surface.
• Non-sweat absorbent.
• Sticky & warm feeling.
Hi-Cool Performance Fabric:
This is a microfiber type of fabric with a superior moisture management system and UV PROTECTION (Protecting your skin and health), As microfiber wicks moisture away from the body, it keeps the wearer cool, dry and comfortable feeling. In the category of moisture management fabrics, it has come to occupy an important position. The easy-care advantage keeps garments fresh and looking new, wash after wash. The unique fiber construction provides extra stretch performance. As this fabric is liquid and stain resistant, it is ideal for office wear even during rainy seasons.
What the benefits are of his cool performance fabrics:
• It helps to block the sun UV rays to our body
• It also offers SPF 50
• It will also keep the fabrics breathable and soft
• Hi-Cool
• And it is durable.
Spandex:
Spandex is one type of synthetic fabric and it includes polymer base. It also has unique properties like polyester or nylon. There are certain places where people can use these applications such as apparel or sports. This fabric can able to expand up to 600%! It also has sprung back features. If you need a perfect garment with elastic, then you can try this spandex easily.