Manufacturing, explained
Custom apparel glossary
In short
The 19 terms you'll meet when ordering custom clothing, uniforms and leather goods — MOQ, tech pack, GSM, sublimation, cut-and-sew, private label and more — each defined in plain English with the numbers SeamFoundry actually works to.
- MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
- The smallest number of pieces a manufacturer will produce of one style in one run. At SeamFoundry MOQs start at 25 pieces per style for apparel, 12 for sublimated team uniforms and 10 for leather goods and fight gear. MOQs exist because pattern making, sampling and decoration setup cost the same whether you order 25 or 2,500 pieces.
- See also: Tech pack, Pre-production sample
- Tech pack
- A technical specification document for a garment: sketches, measurement chart, materials, trims, artwork placement, labels and packing instructions. A tech pack lets a factory quote and sample accurately. You do not need one to order from SeamFoundry — sketches or reference photos are enough, and a free template is available.
- See also: Pre-production sample, Grading
- Pre-production sample
- A single physical piece made to your specification before bulk production starts, so you can check fit, fabric, colour and branding. SeamFoundry samples take 7–10 days and the cost is credited against the bulk order.
- See also: Counter sample, Lead time
- Counter sample
- A sample the factory makes to match a reference garment you send, rather than a drawing. Used when you want to copy or improve an existing product — the factory reverse-engineers the pattern and proposes materials.
- See also: Pre-production sample
- Lead time
- The time between confirming an order and it being ready to ship. Custom apparel lead time is usually sampling (7–10 days) plus bulk production (2–4 weeks depending on quantity and decoration), plus transit. Allow 4–6 weeks door-to-door for a first order; reorders skip sampling.
- See also: Pre-production sample, MOQ
- GSM (grams per square metre)
- The weight, and therefore thickness, of a fabric. Lightweight t-shirt jersey is 150–180 GSM, premium tees 200–240 GSM, standard hoodies 300–350 GSM and heavyweight streetwear hoodies 400–500 GSM. Higher GSM means a heavier, more structured garment and a higher unit cost.
- Cut-and-sew
- Manufacturing a garment from scratch: fabric is cut to your pattern and sewn into your design, so you control fit, fabric weight, panels and every trim. The alternative is decorating pre-made blank garments. Cut-and-sew is what makes a product genuinely yours.
- See also: Private label, Blanks
- Blanks (decorated blanks)
- Ready-made plain garments from a wholesale brand that are printed or embroidered with your logo. Cheap and fast, but the fit, fabric and inside label belong to the blank brand, not you. Most "no minimum" custom clothing offers are decorated blanks.
- See also: Cut-and-sew
- Private label
- Products manufactured by a factory and sold under your brand name, with your labels, hang tags and packaging. Private label sits between white label (an existing product relabelled) and full cut-and-sew (built to your own design). SeamFoundry produces both private label and fully custom cut-and-sew.
- See also: White label, Cut-and-sew
- White label
- A generic, already-designed product that multiple brands sell under their own name with only the label changed. Fastest route to market but no differentiation in fit or fabric.
- See also: Private label
- Sublimation (dye-sublimation)
- A decoration method where dye is printed onto transfer paper and heat-pressed into polyester fabric, becoming part of the fibre. It allows all-over, full-colour designs — names, numbers, crests and sponsor logos — with no extra cost per colour and no feel on the fabric. Standard for team uniforms and performance wear; it does not work on cotton.
- See also: Screen printing, Embroidery
- Screen printing
- Ink pushed through a stencilled mesh screen onto fabric, one screen per colour. Best for bold graphics on cotton in runs of 25+ pieces. Variants include puff print (raised), high-density and discharge (soft, vintage feel).
- See also: Sublimation, Embroidery, DTG
- Embroidery
- A design stitched into the fabric with thread. The most premium and durable decoration for logos on hoodies, polos, caps and jackets. Pricing depends on stitch count; artwork must first be "digitised" into a stitch file.
- See also: Screen printing, Chenille patch
- Chenille patch
- A fuzzy, raised embroidered patch — the classic varsity letter. Sewn onto varsity jackets, hoodies and caps for a retro, premium look.
- See also: Embroidery
- DTG (direct-to-garment printing)
- Inkjet printing directly onto a garment, like a paper printer for fabric. Good for photographic, many-colour designs in tiny quantities; less durable and less vibrant on dark fabrics than screen printing.
- See also: Screen printing
- Garment dye
- Dyeing the finished garment rather than the fabric roll, producing the soft, slightly faded, lived-in colour typical of premium streetwear. Includes acid-wash and sun-fade treatments. Requires cut-and-sew production and a small shade tolerance between batches.
- See also: Cut-and-sew
- Grading (size grading)
- Scaling a base pattern up and down to create the full size range while keeping proportions correct. Proper grading is why a well-made XS and XXL both fit; junior sizes need their own graded blocks, not shrunken adult patterns.
- See also: Tech pack
- Full-grain leather
- The top layer of the hide with the natural grain intact — the strongest, most durable leather grade, used for premium jackets and professional boxing gloves. Top-grain has the surface sanded; "genuine leather" is a lower split layer.
- FOB / DDP (shipping terms)
- Incoterms defining who pays for what in transit. FOB (Free on Board): the price covers goods delivered to the export port; you arrange freight and import duties. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): the price includes shipping, duties and delivery to your door. SeamFoundry can quote either.
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