Garment manufacturing spreading to pressing

GARMENT MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Bust: Measure around the fullest part
of the bust raising the measuring tape
slightly to a level just below the
shoulder blades at the back.
Waist: Measure snugly around the
waist (where you tied the cord)
keeping the tape parallel to the floor.
Neck: Measure around the neck,
passing the tape just above the collar
bone in front and along the base of
the neck at the back.
Shoulder: Measure from the neck
joint to the arm joint along the middle
of the shoulder
Front waist length: Measure down from
neck at highest point of shoulder to waist
line through the fullest part of the bust
Ladies Body Measurements

Shoulder to bust: Measure down from highest point of
shoulder to tip of bust
Distance between bust points: Measure in the horizontal
direction, the distance between the two bust points
Back width or across back measurement: Measure across the
back from armhole to armhole about 3 inches below base of
neck
Back waist length: Measure from the base of neck at the centre
back to waist line
Arm-scye depth: Measure from base of neck at centre back to a
point directly below it an in level with the bottom of the arm
where it joints the body

SLEEVE MEASUREMENTS
Upper arm circumference: Measure around the fullest part of
the arm.
Lower arm: Measure around the arm at desired level
corresponding to lower edge of sleeve.
Elbow circumference: Measure around the arm elbow.
Wrist: Measure around the wrist.
Sleeve length: For short sleeve length, measure down from tip
of shoulder at top of arm to desired length of sleeve. For elbow
length sleeve measure from top of arm to elbow point. For full
length, bend the elbow slightly and measure down from top of
arm to back of wrist passing the tape over the elbow point

SKIRT MEASUREMENTS
Waist: Same as for bodice.
Hip: Measure around the fullest part or the hip horizontally
Waist to hip: Measure down from waist at centre back to
fullest part of the hip
Skirt length: Measure down the centre back from waist to
desired length of skirt

BOYS AND MEN’S MEASUREMENTS
Many measurements are common for both women’s
garments and men’s garments. In addition to women’s
measurements fewer measurements are required for men’s
and boys garments. They are listed below:
Shirt Length
Shirt length should be measured from neck at highest point
of shoulder to desired length along the front.
Pant Length
Pant length is measured from waist to ankle along with side
of the body.
Cuff Measurement is estimated by measuring the wrist
loosely and adding ½” overlap extension to it.

PATTERN DRAFTING/MAKING
Pattern of a garment is the blue print on the basis of the fabric is
cut. The patterns can be prepared using strong brown papers, news
papers for rough drafts, strong white paper which is available in a
variety of weights and widths, tracing paper or butter paper may be
used to develop patterns. A basic pattern of a garment can be
prepared by one of these two methods:
1. By drafting
2. By draping fabric on a model or person

TYPES OF PAPER PATTERNS
Paper patterns are made in two types
 Personal Patterns
 Commercial Patterns
Personal Patterns
In many ways it is most advantageous to draft your own
patterns rather than buy commercial patterns. It is most
economical, since drafting’s based on personal measurements
fit well.
Commercial Patterns:
Commercial patterns are usually done on tissue paper. Since
tissue paper is not bulky, it allows many pieces of pattern to be
packed compactly in an envelope.

Good patterns are carefully labeled with the following
information: pattern size, name of each pattern (back, front,
sleeve, etc), number of pieces to cut from each pattern piece,
pattern markings like notches, buttons and button hole
position, seam allowances, grain lines, center front, center
back, hem line markings, dart locations, etc
Commercial patterns for women and children are usually
sized according to bust measurements. Pants and skirts
according to waist, hip and length measurements. Hence
before selecting the patterns, you should take the body
measurements accurately and buy the correct size. The
measurements are listed on the pattern envelope in some of
the good commercial patterns.

PRINCIPLES OF PATTERN DRAFTING
1. Patterns must be made larger than body measurements to allow for
freedom of movement, ease of action and comfort in wearing.
Recommended ease allowance for various parts of the body are listed
below. Bust 3" to 5" (3" for a tight fitting garment and 5" for loose fitting
one); waist ¼" to ½"; hip 3" to 5"; upper arm 3" to 4"; arm hole depth 1";
bodice length nil; sleeve length nil; skirt length nil.
2. For symmetric designs where the right and left sides are alike, paper
pattern for half front and half back only need to be made: For the bodice,
start the drafting with the back part. For sleeves, full pattern must be
drafted.
3. It is better to draft the primary or basic pattern blocks—plain bodice,
plain sleeve, plain skirt without seam allowances. When this is done, be
sure to leave seam allowances while laying out the pattern on the material
at the time of cutting. If you do not have much experience in cutting, and
want to avoid the risk of cutting without seam allowance, you may add
seam allowances to your paper pattern itself after completing the draft.

4. The following construction details and information should be
recorded and marked clearly.
a) Name of each piece of pattern (bodice front, bodice back,
sleeve etc),
b) Number of pieces to be cut with each pattern piece. (For
example, for a back open dress you have to cut 1 front, 2 backs and
2 sleeves),
c) If seam allowances are not included in the draft, this should be
mentioned. If seam allowances are included, seam lines and cutting
lines should be clearly shown,
d) Length wise or straight grain line should be drawn with a red
pencil as shown (<----->) on all pattern pieces. This line indicates
that the pattern should be kept on the cloth in such a way that the
line is parallel to the length of the cloth or the selvedges. It is
usually drawn parallel to the centre front and centre back edges of
the pattern,

RELATIVE GIRTH MEASURES FOR MEN

SPREADING
 The objective of spreading is to place the number of plies of
fabric that the production planning process has specified to
the length of the marker plan, in the colours required,
correctly aligned as to length and width, and without tension.
A study of spreading must include the following considerations:
 Requirements of the spreading process
 Methods of spreading
 Nature of fabric packages
 Shade sorting of cloth pieces
 Correct ply direction and adequate lay stability
 Alignment of plies
 Correct ply tension
 Elimination of fabric faults
 Avoiding distortion in the spread

METHODS OF SPREADING
Spreading by hand
 Despite the advent of spreading machinery which will cope with a
wide variety of fabrics, there is still a frequent need to spread fabrics
by hand.
 It is a time-consuming method, usually requiring an operator at each
side of the table.
 The fabric is drawn from its package which, if it is a roll, may be
supported on a frame, and carried along the table where the end is
secured by weights or a clamp.
 The operators work back from the end, aligning the edges and
ensuring that there is no tension and that there are no wrinkles.
 The ply is normally cut with hand shears or with a powered circular
knife mounted on a frame, though a few fabrics are ripped at the end
of the ply to discover the exact weft grain and enable some
straightening of a slightly crooked fabric to take place.

SPREADING USING A TRAVELLING MACHINE
 Spreading machines carry the piece of fabric from end to end of the
spread, dispensing one ply at a time on to the spread.
 Their basic elements consist of a frame or carriage, wheels travelling in
guide rails at the edge of the table, a fabric support, and guide collars to
aid the correct unrolling of the fabric.
 In the simpler versions, the operator clamps the free end of fabric in line
with the end of the spread, pushes the spreader to the other end, cuts
off the ply in line with that end, clamps the beginning of the next ply,
pushes the spreader to the other end and so on.
 More advanced spreading machines may include a motor to drive the
carriage, a platform on which the operator rides, a ply-cutting device
with automatic catcher to hold the ends of the ply in place, a ply
counter, an alignment shifter actuated by photo-electric edge guides, a
turntable, and a direct drive on the fabric support, synchronized with the
speed of travel, to reduce or eliminate tension in the fabric being
spread.

MARKER MAKING/MARKER PLANNING/LAYOUT
 Marker planning, or the placement of pattern
pieces to meet technical requirements and the
needs of material economy.
 Marker Planning is the allocation of patterns of
garment in the available length and with of
fabric to meet buyers or customers
requirements

THE REQUIREMENTS OF MARKER PLANNING
 The work of the marker planner is subject to a
number of constraints relating to:
 Nature of the fabric and the desired result in
the finished garment
 Requirements of quality in cutting
 Requirements of production planning

NATURE OF THE FABRIC
Nature of the fabric and the desired result in the finished garment
 Pattern alignment in relation to the grain of the fabric Pattern
pieces normally carries a grain line.
 When pattern pieces are laid down the piece of cloth, as is
commonest with large pattern pieces, the grain line should lie
parallel to the line of the warp in a woven fabric or the wales in
a knitted fabric
 Where pattern pieces are laid across the piece, the grain line
should lie parallel to the weft or course direction. In bias cutting,
which is often used in large pattern pieces as part of the
garment style in ladies’ dresses and lingerie, as well as in small
pattern pieces such as pocket facings and under collars in
menswear as a requirement of satisfactory garment assembly,
the grain lines will (normally) be at 45 ° to the warp

SYMMETRY AND ASYMMETRY
 Many fabrics can be turned round (through 180 °) and retain the
same appearance; these are designated ‘two way’ or ‘symmetrical’
 They require no special action on the part of the marker planner.
More restricting are fabrics with some asymmetry. In this case, if a
fabric ply is turned round it does not retain the same appearance,
especially when the two opposite ways are sewn together.
 However, in some cases, as long as the pattern pieces of an individual
garment all lie in the same direction, the direction they lie in does
not matter.
 Examples of such fabrics are those with a nap or pile which is
brushed in one direction and thus presents surfaces which show
different reflection of light; knitted fabrics where the loops of the
wales always point in the same direction; and fabrics with a surface
design which does not run the same way when turned round but
where either direction is acceptable.

DESIGN CHARACTERISTIC OF THE FINISHED GARMENT
 For example, if a vertical stripe does not show a
complete mirror image repeat, the right and left
sides of a garment may be designed to be mirror
images of each other.
 In this case, a marker that uses a half-set of
patterns is planned, and the required effect is
created in the spreading of the fabric which
places pairs of plies face to face.

REQUIREMENTS OF QUALITY IN CUTTING
 For the majority of cutting situations where a knife blade is used,
the placements of the pattern pieces in the marker must give
freedom of knife movement and not restrict the path of the
knife so that it leads to inaccurate cutting
 A blade, which has width, cannot turn a perfect right angle in
the middle of a pattern piece and space must always be
allowed for a knife to turn such corners.
 Also, in practice a curved part of a pattern such as a sleeve
head, when placed abutting a straight edge, leads to either a
shallow gouge in the straight edge or the crown of the curve
being straightened.
 The amount of space that must be left will depend on the
actual cutting method employed

MARKER PLANNING EFFICIENCY
Marker planners measure their success by the
utilization (or efficiency) of the marker plan
created.
A formula describes this:
Area of patterns in the marker plan
Marker Utilization = ------------------------------------------------ X 100
Total area of the marker

CUTTING
The objective of cutting
 The objective of cutting is to separate fabric parts as replicas of
the pattern pieces in the marker plan.
Hand shears
 Hand shears are normally used only when cutting single or double
plies. The lower blade of the shears passes under the plies, but
the subsequent distortion of the fabric is only temporary and
accurate cutting to the line can be achieved with practice. Left-
handed shears are available since the cutting line will not be seen
easily if right handed shears are used by a left-handed person.
This method is flexible enough to accommodate any fabric
construction and pattern shape.
 The obvious disadvantage of the method lies in the time it
consumes and the consequent high labour cost per garment, but
it is appropriate for made-to-measure garments.

STRAIGHT KNIFE CUTTING
 Most cutting rooms that cut garments in bulk make use of straight knives.
The elements of a straight knife consist of a base plate, usually on rollers
for ease of movement, an upright or standard carrying a straight, vertical
blade with varying edge characteristics, and an electric motor above it, a
handle for the cutter to direct the blade, and a sharpening device. The
base plate on its rollers slides under the glazed paper which is spread
below the bottom ply of fabric in the lay.
 Two kinds of power are required to operate a straight knife.
 Motor power drives the reciprocating blade, and operator power drives
the knife through the lay. The motor power needed is determined by the
height of the lay, the construction of the fabric, the curvature of the line
being cut (which causes the rear of the blade to press against the cut
fabric plies) and the stroke of the blade. The greater the power of the
motor, the heavier the machine. The taller the standard, the thicker its
cross-section and the greater its width, adding resistance to the forward
movement on a curve.

 Normally available blade heights
sharpness of the blade and its
constant bevel is most consistently
achieved by the use of a continuous
abrasive belt, available in a series of
grits from coarse to fine.
 The normal blade has a straight
edge, varying from coarsely ground
for use with densely woven and
coated fabrics, through various
grades of roughness to a fine edge
for cutting synthetic fabrics, knits
and loose wovens
STRAIGHT KNIFE CUTTING MACHINE

ROUND KNIFE
 The elements of a round knife, pictured in Fig., are a
base plate, above which is mounted an electric
motor, a handle for the cutter to direct the blade,
and a circular blade rotating so that the leading edge
cuts downwards into the fabric.
 Blade diameters vary from 6 cm to 20 cm. Knives
with smaller diameter blades are termed ‘electric
shears’ and are used for cutting simple pieces of
fabric.
 Round knives are not suitable for cutting curved lines
in high lays because the blade does not strike all the
plies simultaneously at the same point as a vertical
blade does.
 Therefore a round knife is used only for straight lines
or lower lays of relatively few plies. It is naturally
much more difficult for a circular blade to negotiate
a tight curve, such as an armhole.

BAND KNIFE CUTTING
 A band knife comprises a series of three or more pulleys, powered by an
electric motor, with a continuously rotating steel blade mounted on
them. One edge of the blade is sharpened.
 The principle of operation is different from a straight or a round knife in
that the band knife passes through a slot in the cutting table in a fixed
position and the section of lay to be cut is moved past it.
 The blade is usually narrower than on a straight knife and there is no
standard behind it, both factors which assist the cutting of tight curves.
 A band knife workplace may be arranged so that the operator either
pushes or pulls the section of lay towards the knife.
 A band knife is shown in Fig. Band knives are used when a higher
standard of cutting accuracy is required than can be obtained with a
straight knife
 Space must be left around garment parts when planning the marker so
that they can be sectioned out using a straight knife and then cut exactly
using the band knife

BAND KNIFE CUTTING
 When small parts such as collars, cuffs
and pockets are cut, a template of
metal or fibre board in the shape of the
pattern piece may be clamped to the
section of lay on top of the marker,
which is then drawn past the band
knife blade, cutting exactly along the
hard edge.
 Band knives are used more in
menswear than in women’s wear and
are often used to cut large garment
parts such as the large panels of jackets
and overcoats.

LASER CUTTING
 A laser produces a beam of light that can be focused into a very small
spot (0.25 mm), producing a very high energy density and a rapid,
localized increase in temperature. Cutting takes place by burning,
melting and vaporization. A laser beam does not become blunt and
need renewing, but it does suffer from limited depth of focus. This limits
the depth of fabric it can cut and the best results are achieved when
cutting single plies. There is also a risk with thermoplastic fibres that the
edges may fuse together.
 The system includes a stationary gas laser, a cutting head carrying a
system of mirrors which reflect the laser beam to the cutting line, a
computer which operates the entire system, and a means of removing
cut parts from the conveyor carrying the single ply of fabric. A practical
limitation on the speed of cutting is the speed of movement of the
carriage bearing the mirrors. Automatic, single ply, laser cutting is fast
compared with automatic multiple ply knife cutters, with speeds of 30–
40 m/min being achieved compared with 5–12 m/min quoted already
for knife cutting

SINGLE NEEDLE SEWING MACHINE
A machine for sewing fabric, leather, etc. Specifically, one
that uses two threads (an upper and a lower, or bobbin
thread) and is best at sewing woven materials.

PARTS & FUNCTIONS

 Head - The complete sewing machine without cabinet or carry case.

 Bed - The flat surface of the sewing machine. A flat bed machine has one level
to sew on. A free-arm bed has a removable U-shaped part of the bed to reveal
an arm or tub used for sewing hard-to-reach areas like a pant cuff or sleeve.

 Hand wheel - the wheel located on the right side of the sewing machine. This
wheel is driven by the motor, but may be turned by hand to adjust needle
height.

 Bobbin Winder - Mechanism used to wind bobbins.

 Bobbin - Low spool that provides the lower thread.

 Thread take-up - Arm that pulls up slack in thread.


PARTS & FUNCTIONS
 Thread guide - Device which carries thread to a certain location.
 Upper tension - Mechanism which controls delivery of upper thread.
 Lower tension - Provided by the bobbin case. Controls delivery of the
bottom thread.
 Bobbin Case - Device which hold the bobbin and provides tension to the
lower thread.
 Pressure Foot - Foot that presses down on fabric to stabilize its movement.
 Feed Dog - Mechanism which controls motion of the fabric.

PARTS & FUNCTIONS
 Needle Plate - Plate under pressure foot with slots to
allow feed dog to reach fabric and opening for the needle
to move up and down.

 Hook - Device which picks the thread off of the needle.

 Feed drop - Adjustment used to take the feed dog out of
play for free hand work.

 Stitch length - Adjustment used to determine length from
front to back of the stitch.

PRINCIPLES OF SEWING OPERATION

DOUBLE NEEDLE LOCK STITCH MACHINE
 This machine is similar to single needle lock stitch machine. But
here all components are having two sets. i.e. two sets of bobbin
case, pensioner ,take ups, thread guides, spool pin, needle
holders. In this the bobbin case are fixed one. The bobbin only
taken out from the machine.
 This machine adopts two straight needles, vertical-axis rotating
hook with self-lubricating feature for catching thread loops and
sliding cam take-up to produce two lines of double lockstitch.
 The needle bar can be engaged and disengaged mechanically and
the arm shaft and hook shaft are supported by ball bearing. It is
provided with synchronous tooth belt for driving and plunger
pump for lubricating, and knob-type stitch regulator and lever
type reverse feeding mechanism.
 A bobbin thread pullback spring in the bobbin case guarantees the
unanimous result of sewing between the bottom thread and
upper thread. It is suitable for stitching shirt, uniform, jeans,
overcoat or similar clothing.

OVERLOCK SEWING MACHINE
 An over-lock stitch sews over the edge
of one or two pieces of cloth for
edging, hemming or seaming.
 Usually an over-lock sewing machine
will cut the edges of the cloth as they
are fed through (such machines are
called ‘sergers’), though some are
made without cutters.
 Over lock sewing machines usually run
at high speeds, from 1000 to 9000
rpm, and most are used in industrial
setting for edging, hemming and
seaming a variety of fabrics and
products.

THE FORMATION OF AN OVER-LOCK STITCH
 1. When the needle enters the fabric, a loop is formed in
the thread at the back of the needle.
 2. As the needle continues its downward motion into the
fabric, the lower looper begins its movement from left to
right. The tip of the lower looper passes behind the needle
and through the loop of thread that has formed behind the
needle.
 3. The lower looper continues along its path moving
toward the right of the serger. As it moves, the lower
thread is carried through the needle thread.
 4. While the lower looper is moving from left to right, the
upper looper advances from right to left. The tip of the
upper looper passes behind the lower looper and picks up
the lower looper thread and needle thread.
 5. The lower looper now begins its move back into the far
left position. As the upper looper continues to the left, it
holds the lower looper thread and needle thread in place.
 6. The needle again begins its downward path passing
behind the upper looper and securing the upper looper
thread. This completes the over-lock stitch formation and
begins the stitch cycle all over again.

USAGES OF THE OVER-LOCK STITCH
Over-lock stitches are typically used for:
 1-thread: End-to-end seaming of piece goods for textile finishing.
 2-thread: Finishing seam edges, stitching flat-lock seams, stitching elastic and
lace to lingerie, and hemming.
 3-thread: Sewing pin tucks, creating narrow rolled hems, finishing fabric edges,
Decorative edging, and seaming knit or woven fabrics.
 4-thread: Decorative edging and finishing, seaming high-stress areas.
 5-thread: Seam construction in apparel manufacturing.
Some examples of applications are:
 Sewing Netting
 Butt-seaming
 Edging emblems
 Purl Stitching
 Decorative edging

BAR TACKING MACHINE
 The bar tacking machine has much
application in the garment
manufacturing industry. One of them
is sewing dense tack around the open
end of the button hole.
These machines are sewing a number
of stitches across the point to be
reinforced and then sew covering
stitches at right angle over to the first
stitches. The variable is the number of
tacking stitches and the number of
covering stitches.
 Some of the bar tacking are fitted with
the following special attachments.
 Signals are available and it controlled
by special mechanism, when the
bobbin thread is below a certain level.
 Automatic thread cutters are
available.
 A pedal which opens and close the
work clam.
 This machine is used for the following
application in garment industry.
 Closing the end of the button hole.
 Reinforcing the ends of pocket
opening.
 To finish the bottom of files.
 Sewing on belt loops.

BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINES
Button hole machines are used for making
button hole in the garment and to finish the
edges and make the button hole in neat finish.
These come in a variety of types according to
type of Button hole needle on garment.
The simplest Button hole are used on shirt,
blouses & other light weight garment & the
more complex one on the heavier tailor
garments.
The various nesses in button hole machines
are form in side button hole. The stitch type,
the stitch density whether the button hole is
cut before or after sewing & the presents or
absence of gimp can be modified as per the
requirements.

BUTTON HOLE MACHINE TYPES
 Size and shape of the
button hole.
 Stitch type.
 Lock stitch,
 Chain stitch.
 Stitch density.
 Type of button hole.
 Button hole cut before
stitch,
 Button hole cut after
stitch.
 Presence or absence gimp.
 1. Stitch type
 Lock stitch: It is used more
commonly than the chain
stitch because of its
greater strength and
security.
 Chain stitch: these types
of stitch are give more
neat finish but it does not
provides strength to the
button hole. So the use of
this type of stitch is less
popular than lock stitch.
 2. Size and shape of the
button hole.

 Eyelet Buttonhole
 Straight Buttonhole
 Standard
 Taper Bar
 Straight Bar Tacking
 Round Bar Tacking
 Circular Stitching

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE
 Without damaging the garment
this machine is used to sew the
button in the garment. Button
with two holes, four holes or
shanks canal be sewn on the
same machine by simple
adjustments to the button clamp
and the spacing mechanism. The
sewing action consists of a series
of parallel stitches whose length
is equal to the spacing between
the centers of the holes. The
needle has a vertical movement
only and
the button clamp moves the
button from side to side.
 Button can be sewn on with one
or two threads, the number of
stitches depending on the type
of machine used. Each machine
has a maximum number of
stitches, i.e. 16,24 or 32, and can
adjusted to sew the full amount
or half. Generally decorative
button would be sewn on with
half the number of stitches used
for functional buttons.

THE FEED OF ARM MACHINE
The feed of the arm machine is used to stitch a narrow tubular seam on the
outer edge of the trousers and shirt.
This machine is used where a lapped seam has to be closed in such a way
that the garment parts become a tube.
These are common in jeans production where the out side leg seam is
normally the type known as lap felled and it is joined after the inside leg
seam in the sequence of construction.
The operator wraps the part to be seam around the machine bed. It is fed
away from operator, off the end of the bed as the operator sews.
It can use for shirts and blouses of light to medium weight fabric. Unit
features a specially designed arm and bed for easy material handling. Low
tension stitching prevents puckering and enhances sewing quality

BLIND STITCH MACHINE
Blind stitch machine is used to stitch hem in a knitted fabric.
As the hem stitch is too small in right side of the garment and it
is invisible. Some time the machine can be set to skip stitch
that is to pick up the fabric on alternate stitches only. But this
type is reduces the durability of the stitches.
Zigzag stitches or lock stitches with a side to side width as well
as a stitch length. In mechanical machines basic stitch
formation is dictated mainly by a stitch pattern camp
maximum pattern width us established by stitch width
regulator. Stitch length is selected or for straight stitching and
is the same for both stitch types at the same setting but occurs
eye as a distance between points and than actual stitch
measurement.

PRESSING
 Pressing makes a large contribution to the ﬁnished appearance of garments and
thus their attractiveness at the point of sale. Steam and pressure are frequently
applied during garment assembly to ensure the quality of the ﬁnal product.
 The largest use of pressing is in the mass production of tailored garments,
particularly menswear. These products receive their shape by a combination of
pattern, the attachment of canvasses and/or fusible interlinings, and pressing.
The presses have specially designed surfaces that impart shape to selected parts
of the garment.
THE PURPOSE OF PRESSING
 Presenting the fabric for retail
 Final pressing is undertaken to smooth away unwanted creases and crush marks.
In garment manufacture, creases and crushing occur as a result of operator
handling; this is particularly bad when garments are handled between operations
in bundles, whether tied up tightly or piled on trolleys or in boxes. However, the
increasing use of materials with a high standard of crease recovery, along with
the reduction in work in progress that results from the installation of hanging
transport systems or the working of team systems, has reduced the problem for
many types of garment.

 Making creases
 Creases are obvious design features in trousers, skirts (where a series of creases is
often referred to as pleating), and some collar styles. Creases are less obvious but
still require pressing when they are hems
 and cuff edges, front edges, top edges of waistbands, pocket ﬂaps and patch pocket
edges as well as pressed open seams, which from a pressing point of view are two
creases sewn together.
 Moulding the garment to the contour of the body
 It is mainly effected in wool or wool-rich fabrics in tailored garments. This sort of
molding involves two kinds of deformation (together or separate): shrinking and
stretching. After molding it is not possible to unpick the seams and return garment
parts to their former ﬂ at state. The chief areas where this molding takes place are
around the ends of darts, collars, shoulders, armholes and sleeve heads, and
sometimes trouser legs. Thus the chest and waist of a tailored jacket created by the
pattern’s seams and darts can be accentuated by pressing on shaped presses.
Generally, where the body has a prominence, extra length is created, and where
the body has a hollow the fabric is shrunk.

 Preparing garments for further sewing
 The term ‘under-pressing’ is reserved for pressing operations on
partly constructed garments, while top-off or ﬁnal pressing is used
for completed garments, the actual term varying according to the
sector of the industry. The stages at which a garment is under-
pressed will depend on many factors. It normally takes place when
several sewing stages have been completed but the garment parts
are still accessible
 by the press equipment. An obvious example is a jacket and its
lining before assembly, after which pressing of the separate
sections is no longer possible. Under-pressing also makes further
sewing easier to do, or easier to do to a high quality standard. It
may be possible to topstitch a collar that has not been pressed, but
it is likely to be more quickly and accurately sewn if it has.

Categories of pressing
 Pressing serves to highlight the variety and extremes that exist within the
clothing industry across the different garment types, the levels of style change
and the volumes of a style that are produced. Specialized pressing equipment
is costly and often relates to a specific garment type, and even a particular
shape.
 Garments that require no pressing may include bras and other foundation
garments, stretch swimwear and dancewear, and briefs and other items of
underwear.
 Garments requiring minimal pressing or finishing include simple, single-ply
garments such as slips and nightgowns, often in knitted synthetics, tee shirts
and other knitted leisurewear, quilted or wadded items such as anoraks, and
some laundered and garment-dyed products.
 Garments requiring extensive under-pressing and final pressing include those
that require the pressing open of seams and the setting of edges during
manufacture. They are often of more mouldable fabrics, which use large areas
of interlining and are usually wholly or partly lined. The category includes
men’s jackets, trousers and waist- coats, many skirts, women’s tailored jackets
and trousers, topcoats, trench coats and other lined rainwear.
 Pleating or ‘permanent press’ finishing

PRESSING EQUIPMENT AND METHODS
 Irons
 The most common type of iron in general use is the steam electric.
The iron is heated by an electric element, controlled by a
thermostat, and supplied with steam, either from the factory’s
main steam supply, or from a small boiler adjacent to the pressing
unit.
 The steam function of the iron is activated by the touch of a button,
when a powerful jet of dry steam is produced. At extremes, the
weights of irons vary from about 2–15 kilos.
 Several shapes are available including a roughly triangular one
similar to a domestic iron, the ‘tailor’s shape’ which has a pointed
nose and parallel sides, and a narrow one used for operations such
as seam opening on sleeves and trouser legs.

STEAM AIR FINISHER
 This equipment is often referred to as a steam air bag, a form press
or a ‘dolly’ press. It consists of a frame carrying a steam distribution
system, compressed air distribution system and a pressing form
which is a canvas bag in the approximate shape of the garment to
be pressed, i.e. a body shape but with no sleeves.
 There are controls for steam and air release, and timers controlling
the steam and air cycles. The equipment aims to reduce the
positioning and re-positioning in pressing operations by pressing
the whole garment at the same time, though ﬁnishing is a better
term in this situation since very little pressure is applied to the
garment.
 The operator pulls the garment on to the form from above, and the
form is then expanded to its full size and shape as steam is blown
through it from the inside. A cycle of, perhaps, eight seconds’
steaming is followed by a further period of hot air drying, also by
blowing from the inside.

STEAM TUNNEL
 Another garment finishing process where pressure is not applied to
the garments but where handling during the process is reduced is in
steam tunnel finishing. It can be used for a variety of simple
garments in man-made fibres and blends. In addition to
manufacturers, these systems are used extensively by mail-order
companies to re-present garments.
 Some garments on hangers are fed under automatic control
through a cabinet on a motorised rail, passed through sections with
superheated steam, and dried by air blowing. Alternatively, tee
shirts and similar knitwear are loaded on to frames and passed
through the tunnel on a conveyor.
 The tunnel reduces the need for any other pressing process before
or after its operation and sometimes eliminates it. The aim of the
steam is to relax natural fibres, that of the heat to relax man-made
fibres. With the garments on hangers or frames, gravity or tension
pulls out the wrinkles, and the turbulence of air blowing provides
additional energy to relax wrinkles in woven fabrics.

PLEATING
 Pleating is a special type of pressing, the aim of which is to produce an
array of creases of some durability according to a geometrical pattern.
This may be an overall pattern of small pleats, formed as a result of
machine pleating a complete roll of cloth, or larger pleats formed by
hand pleating of garment sections that have been previously cut to
shape and, in the case of skirt sections, hemmed.
 Examples of machine pleating are ﬂuting and crystal pleating; hand
pleating includes box pleats and the fan-shaped pleats that taper to
nothing at the waist known as sunray pleats. Like other forms of
pressing, the means of pleating are heat, moisture and pressure.

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