Our Fabric Pre-Shrinking & Pressing Process: How We Set Up Custom Apparel Orders

Our Fabric Pre-Shrinking & Pressing Process: How We Set Up Custom Apparel Orders

Before any of our custom apparel orders reach the cutting table, every metre of fabric goes through our fabric preparation line. This is one of the steps that decides whether a finished garment still fits and still looks right after a season of washing — and it is part of every project we ship, from a small club kit to a full brand run.

This page details the production processes and equipment used on our lines, as well as the procedures for recording parameters for each batch, ensuring that both your samples and bulk orders utilize the same base fabric material.

Stage 1 — Hand Pressing

Our line starts with a controlled steam iron and a trained operator. For every metre that comes off the bolt, we settle the surface and check the grain before any machine touches it. This stage is small but visible — it is also where fabrics that need delicate handling get the care they require.

For our custom teamwear and basketball orders, hand pressing is run on every batch before it moves to the press line. It is one of the reasons our repeat customers keep coming back: the fabric behaves the same way the first time they open the box and the twentieth time their players wash the kit.

Stage 2 — Controlled Industrial Press

Once hand pressing is done, fabric moves to our industrial press line. We run temperature and pressure on a calibrated panel, and we record the parameters for every batch in our production log. This is where the bulk of the heat-setting work happens, and it is what stabilises the fabric so the cut pieces stay stable through printing, sewing and packing.

The press line handles polyester mesh, polyester interlock, poly-cotton blends, polyester-spandex blends and brushed fleece, with different temperature and pressure set-ups for each base. Whatever fabric your project uses, we set up a calibration before the bulk run so the parameters are visible — not guessed.

For custom basketball kits and other teamwear, this stage is the reason we can hold finished measurements across a full season.

Stage 3 — Conveyor Pressing & Automatic Folding

The last stage of the line is a continuous conveyor press. Fabric passes through the press and out the other side flat, ready for the cutting table. This is where bulk orders pick up their consistency: every metre sees the same press, the same surface, the same fold.

Our conveyor line is set up so that the output of Stage 2 becomes the input of Stage 3 — no gaps, no re-handling between heat-setting and finishing. That matters when an order is on a tight production window.

What We Record for Each Batch

Every batch that runs through our preparation line carries a small data sheet:

- Fabric base (polyester mesh, interlock, poly-cotton, brushed fleece, etc.)
- Pre-shrink result and dimensional change
- Press temperature and pressure
- Conveyor speed
- Operator name and shift

If your order needs to repeat next season, the same parameter sheet can be referenced and reproduced. If a buyer asks why a finished garment behaves a certain way, we can pull the batch sheet and answer in numbers, not guesses.

How This Connects to the Rest of Our Custom Apparel Production

Our fabric preparation line is the first thing that touches your order, but it does not stand alone. After this line, fabric goes to cutting, printing or embroidery, sewing, packing and shipping. Because the fabric arrives at cutting in a stable, recorded state, every step after it runs more predictably — which is what allows us to ship a finished garment that still fits after a season of washing.

For a basketball kit, this means the chest measurement held on week one and on week twenty. For a marathon singlet, this means the cut stays clean after industrial washes. For a branded merch run, this means the print sits flat on the fabric instead of migrating off the grain.

Start with a Sample

If you are planning a custom apparel or teamwear project and want to see how our line handles your fabric, the simplest way to start is to send us your fabric spec, artwork idea and order quantity. We can run a small sample through the full preparation process and send it back with the batch sheet, so you can see the parameters before the bulk run starts.

Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +86 13995683615
Website: https://www.bizarresportswear.com/

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