Clothing manufacturing glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms you'll hear when working with a clothing manufacturer — from GSM and MOQ to sublimation, DTF and DDP shipping.
- Acid wash
- A finish that bleaches fabric unevenly for a faded, vintage look, often used on hoodies and tees.
- AQL
- Acceptable Quality Limit: a standard sampling method used to decide how many pieces to inspect in an order and how many defects are acceptable.
- Bill of materials (BOM)
- The list of every material in a garment — fabric, thread, zips, drawcords, labels and packaging — with quantities. Part of a tech pack.
- Chenille
- A thick, fuzzy, towel-like embroidery used for varsity jacket letters and patches. Varsity jackets →
- CMT
- Cut, make and trim: a manufacturing arrangement where the brand supplies fabric and trims and the factory cuts, sews and finishes the garments.
- Cut and sew
- Making a garment from scratch: a pattern is made, fabric is cut to it and the pieces are sewn together, rather than decorating a ready-made blank. Cut & sew →
- DCTS
- The UK's Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which gives goods from eligible countries such as Pakistan reduced or zero import duty. Shipping to the UK →
- DDP
- Delivered Duty Paid: a shipping term where the seller pays transport, import duties and customs clearance, so goods arrive with nothing more to pay. Shipping to the USA →
- Discharge printing
- A screen printing method that removes the garment's dye and replaces it with colour, giving a very soft print on dark cotton.
- DTF printing
- Direct-to-film: a design is printed onto film, coated with adhesive powder and heat-pressed onto the garment. Good for small runs and full-colour art. DTF printing →
- Elastane (spandex)
- A stretchy synthetic fibre blended with nylon, polyester or cotton to give fabric stretch and recovery. Called Lycra when branded.
- Enzyme wash
- A wash that softens cotton and gives it a slightly worn, lived-in feel without strong fading.
- Flatlock seam
- A flat, smooth seam common in activewear that reduces chafing against the skin.
- Fleece (brushed)
- A knit fabric whose inside loops are brushed into a soft, fluffy surface for warmth. The classic hoodie fabric. Hoodies →
- Four-way stretch
- Fabric that stretches both lengthways and widthways — essential for leggings and sports bras. Gym wear →
- French terry
- A knit fabric that is smooth on the outside with soft loops on the inside. Lighter than brushed fleece; used for hoodies, shorts and sweatpants.
- Garment dye
- Dyeing finished garments rather than fabric, which gives rich, slightly uneven colour and a softer hand feel.
- GSM
- Grams per square metre: the weight of a fabric. A light tee is around 160 GSM; a heavyweight hoodie is 400 GSM or more.
- Hang tag
- A branded card attached to a garment with a fastener, showing the brand, product details and often price or barcode. Labels & packaging →
- HS code
- The Harmonized System code that classifies a product for customs. It decides the import duty rate for each garment.
- Interlock
- A double-knit fabric that is smooth on both sides; polyester interlock is widely used for sublimated sports jerseys.
- Lab dip
- A small dyed fabric sample used to approve a colour match before bulk fabric is dyed.
- MOQ
- Minimum order quantity: the smallest number of pieces a factory will produce of one design. Pricing & MOQ →
- Plastisol
- The most common screen printing ink: bright, opaque and durable, sitting on top of the fabric.
- PP sample
- Pre-production sample: the final sample made with bulk materials. Once approved, bulk production must match it. Sampling →
- Private label
- Clothing made by a manufacturer to a brand's specification and sold only under that brand's name and labels. Private label →
- Puff print
- A screen printing ink that expands when heated, creating a raised, 3D print.
- Rib
- A stretchy knit with raised vertical lines used for cuffs, waistbands and neck trims.
- Screen printing
- Pushing ink through a mesh screen, one screen per colour. Durable and cost-effective for larger runs of simple designs. Screen printing →
- Strike-off
- A test print on the actual fabric used to approve colours and placement before bulk printing.
- Sublimation
- A printing process where ink turns into a gas under heat and bonds permanently with polyester fibres. Used for full-colour team kits. Sublimation →
- Tech pack
- The technical file a factory uses to make a garment: drawings, measurements, materials, construction, artwork placement and labels. Tech pack design →
- White label
- A ready-made product produced for many brands, each adding its own label. Less customisable than private label.
- Woven label
- A label made by weaving the design with thread, typically used as a brand's neck label. Durable and premium.
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