 Re: What's the difference between garment dyed shirts and other
As far as "Piece Dyed" garments, the fabric is dyed BEFORE cutting and sewing. It can lower the cost of goods because it is one less step (garment dyeing) in the production process, but one would have to commit to larger minimums of fabric of the same color. For example, if you want to make green t-shirts you would order green fabric first, then cut it and sew it. Shrinkage can occur if the fabric is not laundered by the fabric mill beforehand. Other problem areas sometimes occur with inconsistencies in color due to the fact the different pieces of the shirt (i.e. sleeves, front, back panels) can come from different layers of the cut fabric used when sewing the shirts. Some blank companies sometimes take excess stock and overdye it black to replenish inventory. This can also lead to inconsistencies in color especially during printing. You can, however, make amazing piece dyed goods, but it all comes down to the quality of fabric you use and the mill you work with.
For garment dyed goods, the shirts are cut and sewn first from an optic white fabric. The shirts are cut and sewn into a larger spec. The shrinkage occurs during the dye process because of the extreme heat and the shirts shrink to the proper spec (hence the term "pre-shrunk"). As a result of garment dyeing the shirts will come out softer and feel more vintage. During the garment dyed process you can also add enzymes and chemicals to soften the fabric or give it a specific treatment (i.e. mineral wash, river wash, crystal wash, etc). The advantages to garment dyeing are that you can dye smaller quantities per color and the product will feel a lot softer. It will also work better with more types of screen printing inks such as discharge inks. | 
