T-Shirt Manufacturing Process Step by Step: How Kids T-Shirts Are Made in Tiruppur

Quick answer: a cotton T-shirt is made in eleven stages: spinning the yarn, knitting it into tubular jersey fabric, scouring, bleaching and dyeing, drying and compacting (the step that sets shrinkage), fabric inspection, pattern making and sampling, cutting, printing, stitching, checking against a size spec and an AQL sampling plan, and finally ironing, labelling and packing. For kids T-shirts, three things are added on top: chemical safety of the dyes and inks, no cords at the neck, and size grading by age instead of S, M and L.

This guide walks through each stage the way it actually runs in Tiruppur, the knitwear town in Tamil Nadu, India, where Gozi makes its own cotton T-shirts for kids. It is written for people starting a kidswear brand, sourcing from India for the first time, or simply wanting to understand why two T-shirts that look the same on a hanger behave so differently after five washes.

In this guide

• What are the stages of T-shirt manufacturing?
• How does a Tiruppur T-shirt move between units?
• The process step by step (Steps 1 to 11)
• How much does each stage change shrinkage?
• Which measurements matter on a kids size spec?
• A buyer's quality checklist for kids T-shirts
• FAQ

What are the stages of T-shirt manufacturing?

The table below is the whole journey on one screen. Keep it open when you speak to a factory: every question a buyer should ask maps to one of these rows.

How does a Tiruppur T-shirt move between units?

If you visit Tiruppur expecting one giant factory that does everything under one roof, you will be surprised. The town works as a cluster. Spinning mills, knitting units, dyeing and bleaching houses, compacting units, printers, embroiderers and garment units are often separate businesses, and a lot of the work moves between them as job work: the garment maker owns the yarn or fabric, sends it out for one process, pays a processing charge and receives it back.

This has two practical consequences for a brand or importer:

• Your garment maker is also your fabric project manager. The quality of a T-shirt depends on how well the garment unit chooses and controls its knitter, dyer and compactor. Ask who does each process and how they check the fabric when it comes back.
• Lead time is the sum of queues. Each hand-off adds transport and waiting time. When a factory quotes you a delivery date, ask which stages are in-house and which are outside, because the outside stages are where delays usually come from.

Two local words you will hear: "dia" means the finished width of the tubular fabric (factories plan which dia fits which size), and "lot" means one dyeing batch. Fabric from different lots can differ slightly in shade, which is why good units keep each lot together through cutting.

The T-shirt manufacturing process, step by step

Step 1: Which yarn is used for kids T-shirts?

Most cotton T-shirts are knitted from single (not plied) cotton yarn. Two choices decide how the fabric will feel and behave:

• Carded vs combed. All cotton is carded. Combing is an extra process that removes short fibres and lines up the long ones, so the yarn is smoother, stronger and less hairy. For clothes that sit on a child's skin all day, combed yarn is the usual choice. We explain the difference in detail in our guide to combed cotton meaning.
• Count. In India, cotton yarn is described by its English count (Ne): the higher the number, the finer the yarn. A "30s" yarn is finer than a "20s" and makes a lighter, smoother jersey; "24s" and "26s" give a slightly heavier hand. A fabric spec written as "30/1" means a single yarn of count 30.

Spinning method matters for twisting, too. Cotton Incorporated's guide to shrinkage notes that high-twist singles yarns "will certainly yield greater skewing or torqueing", while rotor (open-end) spun yarns "exhibit less fabric and garment torque" and plied yarns show very little skew (Cotton Incorporated, ISP 1009). That twist is the root cause of side seams that walk to the front after washing, which we come back to in Step 4.

Step 2: How is T-shirt fabric knitted?

T-shirt fabric is knitted, not woven, on circular knitting machines that produce a continuous tube. The common structures are:

• Single jersey: the classic T-shirt fabric, smooth on the face with loops on the back. Light, breathable and stretchy across the width.
• Interlock: a double-knit that looks the same on both sides, heavier and more stable. Common for baby wear and winter tees.
• 1x1 or 2x2 rib: very stretchy across the width, used for necklines and sometimes cuffs.

The tube is knitted to a target dia and weight. Weight is quoted in GSM (grams per square metre); if you are new to the term, read what GSM means in fabric, which includes GSM ranges by garment and season. Machine gauge ("cut") is the number of needles per inch; finer gauges suit finer yarns.

One thing a new brand rarely hears: single jersey made from a single yarn wants to twist. Cotton Incorporated's bulletin on wet processing of knits states that "single jersey fabrics constructed with a single yarn will torque during wet processing and accentuate the twisting" (Cotton Incorporated, TRI 3011). Good knitters and dyers manage this; it cannot be fixed later at the stitching table.

Step 3: What happens in dyeing and wet processing?

Greige (unfinished) fabric from the knitting machine is oily, slightly yellow and not absorbent. Before it can be dyed it is scoured (cleaned of natural waxes and knitting oils) and bleached (whitened). For knits, scouring, bleaching and dyeing are usually done in the same machine: Cotton Incorporated lists the "overflow jet (scour, bleach, dye)" as a standard route for cotton knits (ISP 1009). Cotton is most commonly dyed with reactive dyes, which bond chemically with the fibre.

After dyeing, a softener is applied. TRI 3011 lists the usual families as "polyethylene, cationic or silicone, or a combination", and warns that "excessive amounts of silicone may prevent compaction". In plain words: a fabric that feels unusually slippery and soft in the sample room can shrink more in the customer's machine, because too much softener stopped the compactor doing its job.

Many kidswear fabrics are also biowashed at this stage: an enzyme treatment that removes surface fuzz so the fabric stays smoother and pills less. If colour fading is your worry, our article on fabric dyeing and colour fading explains which choices at this stage decide how a colour ages.

Chemical safety for children. The most widely recognised test for harmful substances in finished textiles is OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100. It groups products into four classes, and Product Class 1 covers "products for babies and children up to 3 years", with "the strictest requirements and limit values" (OEKO-TEX). If you sell baby and toddler sizes into Europe or to larger retailers, expect to be asked which dyes, softeners and inks were used and whether they are certified.

Step 4: What is compacting, and why does it decide shrinkage?

This is the step most new brands have never heard of, and it is the one that most often decides whether customers complain.

During dyeing and extraction, wet knit fabric is pulled along its length. ISP 1009 notes that "continuous processes during dyeing and preparation for drying usually stretch the length and pull down or reduce the width", and that after extraction "length stretch of 10% and higher is commonplace". That stretch is stored in the fabric. If nobody removes it, the first hot wash and tumble dry at the customer's home will.

The cure has two parts: let the fabric relax while drying (a relaxation dryer rather than pulling it flat), then compact it. In the bulletin's words, "compaction is the use of compressive forces to shorten the fabric to reduce the length shrinkage." Tubular fabric is fed into the compactor slightly below its finished width ("one to two inches (2.5 to 5.0 cm) below finished width" according to TRI 3011) and is pushed back to its natural loop length.

How much does each stage change shrinkage?

Cotton Incorporated published residual shrinkage figures for a 100% cotton interlock as it passed through each stage. The numbers below are from that technical bulletin (length x width, in %, measured after laundering), not from Gozi's own tests. They show why "pre-shrunk" is a process, not a label.

Source: Cotton Incorporated, A Guide to Improved Shrinkage Performance of Cotton Fabrics (ISP 1009), Table II. The same bulletin reports a 28-cut single jersey in 30/1 yarn at 7.3 x 3.5 after relaxed drying with softener only, and 4.5 x 6.0 after compacting (Table III).

Three lessons for a buyer:

1. Length and width trade off. Compacting cut length shrinkage nearly in half but width shrinkage rose a little. A good finisher balances the two for the garment; you should see both numbers on a test report, not just one.
2. Test the way customers wash. ISP 1009 recommends washing and tumble drying "at least five cycles", and points out that if a care label "calls for line or flat drying, then mostly elastic shrinkage will affect performance. However, if tumble drying is suggested, then all available residual shrinkage will be realized." Parents of toddlers tumble dry. Test for it.
3. Spirality belongs on the report too. Ask for twist (spirality) after washing as well as shrinkage, because single jersey can pass a shrinkage test and still twist.

Step 5: How is fabric checked before cutting?

Before a single panel is cut, the fabric that came back from the dyer and compactor should be checked roll by roll:

• Visual inspection on a lit inspection table for holes, needle lines, oil marks, uneven dyeing and slubs. Many units use a points system, scoring each defect by size.
• GSM and dia against the order. A fabric that is 10 GSM light will look and feel cheaper even if everything else is right.
• Shade against the approved lab dip, under a light box, and between rolls of the same lot.
• A quick wash test on a swatch or sample garment for shrinkage and twist, before bulk cutting starts.

Step 6: How are patterns and samples made for kids sizes?

Kidswear is graded by age band (for example 1 to 2 years, 2 to 3 years and so on up to 7 to 8 years), not by S, M and L. A pattern maker builds a base size, then grades up and down. The usual sample sequence is:

1. Proto sample: first look at shape and construction.
2. Fit sample: tried on a child or a child-size form; fit comments go back to the pattern.
3. Size set: one piece in every size, measured against the spec sheet to check the grading.
4. Pre-production (PP) sample: made from bulk fabric with bulk trims and prints. Once approved and signed, this becomes the sealed sample everyone checks against.

Which measurements matter on a kids T-shirt size spec?

A size spec sheet lists each point of measure (POM), how to measure it, the value for each size and the tolerance allowed. Use both centimetres and inches if your factory and your market use different units (1 inch = 2.54 cm). These are the points that matter most for children:

Agree tolerances for each point before bulk production, and remember that the measurements on the spec are for the finished, washed state if that is how you test. If your fabric shrinks 5% in length, a garment cut exactly to the spec will be 5% short after the customer's first wash, which is why compacting in Step 4 and the spec in Step 6 have to be planned together.

Step 7: How is fabric cut?

Knit fabric is unrolled and left to relax before it is spread, because fabric straight off a tight roll is still under tension. It is then laid in many layers on a long table, a marker (the paper or digital layout of all the pattern pieces) is placed on top, and the stack is cut with a straight knife or a band knife. Small parts such as neck rib strips are cut separately.

Cut panels are numbered and bundled so that the front, back and sleeves of one garment come from the same layer. That keeps the shade the same across one T-shirt. A tubular fabric cut on a twisted line is another source of side seam twist, so straight laying matters as much as the knife.

Step 8: How are kids T-shirts printed?

Prints sell kidswear, and printing is also where many first batches go wrong (we wrote a whole piece on why getting printing right is so hard). The common methods in Tiruppur are:

• Screen printing on cut panels, with water-based inks (softer, breathe better) or plastisol (brighter, heavier). Each colour needs its own screen, so it suits larger runs.
• DTF (direct to film) transfers, printed digitally onto film and heat pressed. Good for many colours and small runs; the feel depends heavily on the film and on how much area is covered.
• Embroidery for small motifs and logos; ask for a soft backing on the inside so it does not scratch.

For children, ask for a strike-off (a test print on the real fabric), then wash it several times and stretch it to check for cracking. Keep large solid print areas away from the neck and underarms, and avoid glued-on decorations that a toddler can pick off and put in the mouth.

Step 9: How is a kids T-shirt stitched?

A basic crew-neck T-shirt is assembled on a short line of overlock, flatlock and coverstitch machines. A typical sequence:

1. Join the shoulders on an overlock, often with a tape to stop them stretching.
2. Attach the neck rib, then cover the back neck seam with a tape so no raw seam touches the skin.
3. Attach the main label or print the label on the inside back neck (printed labels avoid the scratchy tag children pull at).
4. Attach the sleeves.
5. Close the side seams and underarms in one pass, inserting the care label.
6. Hem the sleeves and the bottom with a coverstitch (twin-needle) machine.
7. Bar tack where needed, then trim threads.

Cords and drawstrings. This matters more for hoodies and jackets than for plain tees, but every kidswear brand should know the rule. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states that "hood and neck drawstrings on children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 12 or the equivalent present a strangulation hazard", and limits waist and bottom drawstrings in sizes 2T to 16 to 3 inches (about 7.6 cm) outside the channel, with no toggles or knots on the free ends (CPSC). In Europe, cords and drawstrings on children's clothing are covered by EN 14682; guidance published on it sets limits such as raw edges of no more than 20 mm and zip pullers at the back of the neck of no more than 75 mm (Intertek summary of CEN/TR 17376). Design out the risk before the tech pack goes to the factory.

Step 10: How are kids T-shirts checked before shipping?

Quality checking happens at three points:

• Inline: checkers on the line look at the first pieces from each operator and then at random pieces through the day, so a wrong setting is caught after ten pieces, not a thousand.
• End of line: every garment is checked for open seams, skipped stitches, stains, holes, print defects and measurement on key points.
• Final inspection: on packed goods, a sample is drawn using a statistical sampling plan (most buyers use AQL tables based on ISO 2859-1) and checked for defects, measurements, labels and packing. The lot passes or fails on the number of defects found in the sample.

For children's clothing, many buyers also ask for a broken needle policy (every broken needle accounted for) and, for some markets, metal detection of the finished goods.

Step 11: Ironing, labelling and packing

Finally each T-shirt is trimmed, ironed, folded to a set size, tagged and packed. Check three things here: the size label matches the size sticker on the bag; the care label symbols match how you tested shrinkage (if you tested with tumble drying, do not print "line dry only" to hide a problem); and the carton marks match your purchase order so stock lands in the right place in your warehouse.

What should a buyer check on a kids T-shirt order?

Print or copy this checklist into your purchase order. Each line is something you can ask for in writing.

What does this look like in a real kids T-shirt?

At Gozi we make our own range in our Tiruppur unit, so we see each of these stages from the inside. Our kids cotton T-shirts are made from 100% combed, biowashed cotton with no polyester, in a relaxed fit for ages 1 to 8. The plain tees such as the Butter Yellow show how much depends on fabric and finishing alone, while the printed tees such as the Happy Tomato add the printing step on top. If you are planning a brand, buying one of each and washing them alongside your own samples is a cheap way to calibrate your eye.

For the next steps after you understand the process, read our guides on how to start your own kids clothing brand and the retailer's checklist for choosing a kids clothing manufacturer in India. For heavier winter fabric, see what French terry is and how it is made.

Frequently asked questions

How are T-shirts made, in short?

Cotton is spun into yarn, the yarn is knitted into a tube of jersey fabric, the fabric is scoured, bleached, dyed, dried and compacted, then it is inspected, cut to a pattern, printed if needed, stitched, checked, ironed and packed. A plain kids tee goes through every stage except printing.

Why do some cotton T-shirts shrink and others do not?

Mostly because of what happened in finishing. Wet processing stretches knit fabric in length; if it is not relaxed and compacted, that stretch comes out in the customer's first hot wash and tumble dry. Yarn, fabric structure and softener levels also play a part. Cotton Incorporated's data shows residual length shrinkage on one interlock falling from 9% after relaxed drying to 5% after compacting.

Why do T-shirt side seams twist after washing?

This is spirality, or torque. Single jersey knitted from a single high-twist yarn tends to twist during wet processing and again in washing. It can be reduced with yarn choice, knitting settings, careful finishing and straight cutting, but not at the stitching stage. Ask for a spirality result alongside shrinkage.

Is DTF or screen printing better for kids clothes?

Neither is better in every case. Water-based screen printing usually gives the softest feel and suits larger runs; DTF suits many colours and small runs but can feel heavier over large areas. For children, test the actual print on the actual fabric: wash it, stretch it and feel it before you approve bulk.

What does OEKO-TEX Class 1 mean?

It is the strictest product class of OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100, for products for babies and children up to 3 years. The certificate covers testing for harmful substances; it does not cover shrinkage, fit or seam strength, so you still need your own quality checks.

Why is Tiruppur known for T-shirts?

Tiruppur grew as a specialised cotton knitwear town where spinning, knitting, dyeing, compacting, printing and garmenting businesses work side by side, often through job work. That network makes it possible to source fabric, finishing and stitching for knit garments such as T-shirts within one town.

How long does it take to make a batch of kids T-shirts?

It depends on whether the fabric is knitted and dyed to order, how many processes are done outside the garment unit, how many sample rounds are needed and how complex the print is. Ask your factory for a stage-by-stage timeline, and expect sampling to take longer on a first order than on a repeat.

Gozi Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd. designs and makes its own pure cotton kidswear for ages 1 to 8 in its unit in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu. See the range at Gozi cotton T-shirts for kids.