How to Tell if Your Blank T-Shirts are Good Enough

4944 Views 4 Replies 5 Participants Last post by ketherinjonsson, Sep 30, 2019

Yahmed2

Discussion Starter · Feb 25, 2018

One of the most important things to know when running a t-shirt printing business is your fabric. How else will you be able to tell if your suppliers are providing you with blanks that are according to what you specified, or that you are confident you are supplying your customers with exactly what they think they are buying?

Here are a set of tests, that will not only allow you to be a master of your trade, but also to make sure that you don’t make a mistake when you source your next set of blanks:

The Touch Test

This is not only the most simple and obvious one, but it is also very useful. A good quality 100% cotton ringspun t-shirt will always feel soft and firm to the skin. You can tell right away that a t-shirt is of bad quality if it feels too stiff, brittle, flimsy, coarse or even plasticky!

Pull Test

A good way to check whether a t-shirt is of good quality is by pulling on the fabric. This can be done mainly in two ways.

You can check the rib quality, by gently pulling at the neck of the T-Shirt. If the rib is good, it should not look deformed after the pull test.

You can check the quality of the fabric as well when you do the pull test, by stretching the t-shirt and checking to see if the shape of the material alters. A good quality t-shirt should also not become deformed after being stretched.

Scrunch Test

Grab a bit of the fabric and give it a good scrunch. Did it result in wrinkling? If your t-shirt cannot withstand one scrunch without wrinkling, how long do you think it’ll survive? A good quality t-shirt will never wrinkle easy.

Weave Test

The weave is one of the more important tests. This allows you to really understand whether or not the fabric is good and well made. For example, if you were to buy 100% cotton T-shirts, you should know there are two main types: ringspun and carded. Ringspun is the softer, and of better quality whereas carded is a little rougher and of lower quality. If you look closely at both weaves, you’ll notice that ringspun is a much tighter weave with less fuzz and a smoother surface.

Stitch Test

The stitch test can tell you how much care was put into the making of the T-Shirt. A good quality T-Shirt should have even stitching. If you check the insides, all stitches should be of the same colour and style, unless it’s in the design. If you pull at the seams, the stitches should be tight enough that no gaps can be seen.

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Jayglover

· #2 · Feb 26, 2018

That’s valuable info. I have sample of t shirts coming in from overseas. This are things I’m definitely paying close attention too.

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casablanca

· #3 · Sep 21, 2019

Am a manufacturer myself, I would not check the quality of the product the way it's been suggested. Presuming everyone here are into bulk purchasing of blank t-shirts to resell.
Get the t-shirt washed and check for the following:
1. Shrinkage
2. Feel of the fabric pre and post 2-3 wash,softening agents wash way
3. Color Staining or bleeding
4. Does it retain it's shape
5. Loose threads post wash
6. Check if the t-shirt is actually cotton, spun yarn too gives a similar look and not easy for someone new in the industry to differentiate. T-shirts or any garment made from spun will pill.
7. Check the t-shirt for the size in measurement and do not go by the label.
8. In case of a colored t-shirt check for post wash fading
9. In case of a white t-shirt try the water absorbency test, if the cotton t-shirt absorbs water instantaneously then its peroxide bleach else its chlorine bleached. Chlorine bleached white t-shirts will get a yellow tint in due course of time.

All pure cotton t-shirt if stretched will never bounce back to it-s original shape immediately, it will take time, whereas synthetic fabrics will.

I suggest you should alway use a new quality of t-shirt yourself before introducing to your customers. If it looks good after a few wash then it's safe to presume its's good else bad.

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linneasandel

· #4 · Sep 30, 2019

This is an awesome post and very useful for me. Thanks for sharing because I got so many valuable information through your article. Keep it up...

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ketherinjonsson

· #5 · Sep 30, 2019

This is what i was searching for. In addition to having the ideal weight, the T-shirt also features a silicone finish . If you're just tapping your forehead and wondering what it is and why it's on your shirt, it's because the shirt is softer, shinier, and less creased. The treatment is carried out by soaking in a silicone bath, where the textile fiber is completely smoothed. The process can be compared to a softener that is added at the end of the wash. Silicone treatment, however, lasts even after repeated washing. In short, this shirt will not offend anyone, it is comfortable to wear and yet we all know that simplicity is beauty.

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