Custom shirts and apparel for creator brands: a manufacturing guide

Shirts, hoodies, caps and bags are often the easiest merchandise to add to a campaign or store, and they keep your brand visible long after the campaign ends. Apparel looks simple, but fit, fabric and print quality decide whether people wear it or leave it in a drawer. This guide explains how creator apparel is made in China and the choices that matter most.

Blank or cut and sew

There are two main routes. With blank garments, the factory takes a standard shirt or hoodie and prints or embroiders your design on it. It is fast, works for small runs and keeps the price down. With cut and sew, the garment is made from scratch to your pattern, fabric and color. You get a unique fit, custom colors and details such as printed linings or custom trims, but it takes longer to sample, and custom dyed fabric usually carries a minimum quantity.

Fabric and weight

Fabric weight is measured in grams per square meter. Lighter shirts feel soft and drape well, while heavier shirts feel more substantial and hold their shape. Combed cotton gives a smoother print surface than basic cotton. Ask for preshrunk fabric, and approve a washed sample, so the shirt still fits after the first wash.

Printing and decoration methods

The Main Methods Include:

• Screen printing. Ink pushed through a screen, one screen per color. Very durable and economical for larger runs with a few flat colors.
• Direct to film. The design is printed on a film and heat pressed onto the garment. It handles full color artwork and suits small runs.
• Direct to garment. Ink printed straight onto the fabric, like a paper printer. Good for detailed artwork on cotton in small quantities.
• Embroidery. A premium finish for logos and small marks, priced by stitch count.
• Sublimation. Dye bonded into polyester fabric, ideal for all over prints. It does not work on cotton.

Sizing

Sizing causes more returns than any other apparel problem. Standard Chinese sizing often runs smaller than United States and European sizing, so never rely on size labels alone. Send the size chart you want, with body or garment measurements in centimeters, and approve a full size set before production. Check that the print is scaled sensibly across sizes too, since one print size can look too small on a 3XL and too large on an XS.

Labels and packing

Most markets require labels showing fiber content and country of origin. The United States also requires care instructions, and the European Union requires fiber names in the official language of each country where the garment is sold. Custom neck labels, printed neck tags and hang tags make the product feel finished. For fulfillment, garments are usually folded and packed in individual bags with a size sticker, so pickers can find the right size quickly.

Typical timeline

Printed blanks can be sampled in one to two weeks, and production of a few hundred to a few thousand pieces usually takes two to four weeks after approval. Cut and sew takes longer: allow three to four weeks for samples and four to six weeks for production. Factories close for two to four weeks around Chinese New Year.

What drives cost

Garment type and fabric weight set the base price. Decoration adds to it: the number of print colors and locations for screen printing, the print area for direct to film, and the stitch count for embroidery. Custom labels, tags and packaging add a little more. Quantity has a large effect on screen printing, because the screens are set up once for the whole run.

Duties

Import duties on apparel depend on the fabric, the garment type and the destination country, and they change. Clothing was not included in the recent list of Chinese goods proposed for lower United States tariffs, which we covered in our manufacturing news. Check the current rate for your exact product before you set prices.

How Amora charges

Apparel projects fall under simple product development in our pricing. You pay a one time fee of USD 500 to 1,000, set by the complexity of the design: 50% to start and the balance when you approve the sample. If you are not happy with our work, you can stop there and owe nothing more. Production orders carry a commission of 3% to 8% of order value, and your first test run is commission free. We take no commission from the factory, so our only income on your project is the fee and the commission you agreed to. All of these terms can be negotiated. The full details are in our pricing article.

Common questions

What is the difference between blank and cut and sew?

Blank garments are made in standard styles and then printed or embroidered with your design. Cut and sew garments are made from scratch to your pattern, fabric and color, which gives a unique product but adds sampling time and fabric minimums.

Which printing method should I use?

Screen printing is the most economical for larger runs with a few flat colors. Direct to film printing suits full color artwork and small runs. Embroidery gives a premium finish for logos. Sublimation suits all over prints on polyester.

Will Chinese sizes fit my customers?

Not always. Standard Chinese sizing often runs smaller than United States and European sizing. Send the size chart you want, with body measurements in centimeters, and approve a size set before production.

What labels does apparel need?

Most markets require fiber content and country of origin labels, and the United States also requires care instructions. Tell us your markets and we will make sure the labels meet them.

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