Short answer: most everyday knit shirts (T-shirts and similar jersey tops) are made by turning yarn into fabric, dyeing and finishing that fabric, cutting panels from a marker, sewing them, then inspecting and packing. What you should know as a brand is not the romance of the factory floor — it is which decisions you must write down at each stage, or the factory will fill the gaps with its own defaults.
This page is a production-flow briefing for knit shirts. Production levers that improve a custom programme (capacity, PPM, changeovers) are covered in how custom apparel manufacturers improve production. Decoration and comfort choices live in customizing clothing for style and comfort.
Knit shirt production flow
| Stage | What happens | What the brand must specify |
|---|---|---|
| Yarn | Fibre type, count, spinning method are set | Fibre content for the label; any recycled claim must be supportable |
| Knitting | Jersey, rib, interlock, etc. on circular or flat machines | Structure, GSM target, width, needle count if you care about handfeel |
| Dye / finish | Colour, handfeel, shrinkage control, optional treatments | Lab dip / shade standard; finish (e.g. softener); residual shrinkage target |
| Cut | Marker made; panels cut by knife, CNC or die | Pattern, size chart, grainline, allowable splice rules |
| Sew | Panels assembled with defined stitch and seam types | Stitch types, SPI, thread, operation sequence |
| Trim / label | Labels, hangtags, stickers applied | Fibre, origin, care, RN or name — required fields for your market |
| QC | In-line and final inspection against the sealed sample | Defect definitions and AQL plan |
| Pack | Fold, polybag, carton, assortment | Assortment, carton marks, retail-ready rules |
What “good” looks like at the stages that fail most often
Fabric and dimensional change
Agree GSM and a shrinkage (dimensional change) limit with the wash method named. Common practice uses AATCC TM135 for fabrics or AATCC TM150 for garments in North America, or ISO 6330 washing procedures with dimensional change calculated per ISO 5077 (specimen marking per ISO 3759). Results are not interchangeable across methods. How to write the limit into a knit spec: writing a shrinkage limit into a knit fabric spec. After wash, GSM often rises as the fabric densifies — see GSM after washing.
Cut and sew
The marker and size chart drive yield and fit. Stitch and seam types should be named (industry classifications exist in ISO 4915 for stitches and ISO 4916 for seams) so “same as sample” is not the only instruction. For cut-and-sew roles vs other models, see what cut-and-sew is.
Quality control and AQL
Final inspection for apparel commonly uses attribute sampling under ISO 2859-1 with separate limits for critical, major and minor defects (many buyers use zero critical, AQL 2.5 major and 4.0 minor at General Inspection Level II — that is buyer practice, not a law). Agree the edition and the defect list in the purchase order; see AQL 2.5 or 4.0 and which ISO 2859 edition to name. Broader factory QC design: clothing factory quality control and apparel QC checklist.
Labels and origin (U.S. market note)
If you sell in the United States, textile wearing apparel generally needs fibre content, country of origin and the name or RN of the responsible business under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act rules (16 CFR Part 303), plus a permanent care label under 16 CFR Part 423 unless an exemption applies. Origin marking for imports also involves CBP rules. Build label copy into the tech pack before bulk, not after goods are sewn.
What to put in the tech pack so the flow does not invent itself
- Flat sketch, measurement chart and tolerances per size.
- Fabric: fibre, structure, GSM, colour standard, shrinkage method and limit.
- Bill of materials: thread, elastic, labels, polybags.
- Operation list with stitch types and SPI.
- Packing assortment and carton marks.
- Inspection: AQL and sealed PP sample reference.
Minimum quote fields for a basic tee: basic tee tech pack.
FAQ
Are woven dress shirts made the same way?
No. Woven shirts add collar interlinings, plackets, cuffs and often different pressing. The stage names look similar; the machinery and specs do not. Do not reuse a jersey tee tech pack for a woven shirt.
Where does decoration fit?
Print or embroidery is usually after sew (sometimes on panels before sew). It needs its own artwork, colour standards and wash tests, and may change the care label.
Shirts from Knitwear Base
We manufacture knit shirts and tees to a written tech pack through the stages above. See T-shirt manufacturing or send your pack via contact.
Sources and further reading
- ISO 2859-1:2026, Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes (AQL)
- AATCC TM135, Dimensional Changes of Fabrics after Home Laundering
- AATCC TM150, Dimensional Changes of Garments after Home Laundering
- ISO 5077:2007, Determination of dimensional change in washing and drying
- ISO 6330:2021, Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing
- ISO 3759:2011, Preparation, marking and measuring of fabric specimens and garments in tests for determination of dimensional change
- ISO 4915:1991, Textiles: Stitch types, classification and terminology
- ISO 4916:1991, Textiles: Seam types, classification and terminology
- eCFR, 16 CFR Part 303, Rules under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act
- eCFR, 16 CFR Part 423, Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel
- CBP, Marking of Country of Origin on U.S. Imports
Rules and standards are summarised from their official pages for general guidance; this is not legal advice. Check the current version and the requirements of your own market before you rely on them.
