Step 3: Learning new things...

The phone is dialing... I am now ready to discuss with a contact on my proposal. The designs have been finalized, overall plan on packaging the product has been thought of. Okay, the person has picked up the phone:

....

Contact: Hi! yes she had mentioned that you want to make some prints on a T-shirt

Me: yes, I'd like to know how much screen printing on a T-shirt would cost

Contact: Okay, what GSM are you looking for

Me: .....

Contact: Hello?

Me: uh, GSM?

Contact: yes, we need to know the GSM the textile before giving any quote.

Me: Oh

Contact: What type of stitching do you want? jersey or interlock?

Me: what?

Contact: Okay, how about you find out about the fabric you want and then let me know. If you want to talk to suppliers you will need to provide details like these

Me: Hmm. Ok, thank you so much for your help!

*hangs up*

Me: what the hell is a jersey and an interlock??

Okay, so I don't know how many people read my blog posts, nor do I know how many of these readers are also looking to get Tshirt designs printed, but I'll provide some of my information on what you would need to know anyway. For those interested in screen printing fabric, it's a potential help, for others, it is a new thing to learn for the day!

Okay so what is jersey and what is an interlock? well jersey isn't the town or the type of clothing in this context, but a type of stitch. Some may go into details now, but im skipping all that, since the main idea is to know how to tell different stitches apart. Jersey knit fabrics are commonly found in T-shirts. They are light, a little stretchable, and if cut, usually curl up a bit. Each side has a different appearance.

this is a close-up photo of a jersey knit T.... the outer side faces outwards when you wear your T. The middle area stitching is called a rib stitch. for an easier view of the outer and inner differences, here's another close-up shot:

If it is an interlock stitch, both sides would look the same. The fabric doesn't stretch like a jersey knit, and feels more dense. For easier reference, here are some beautiful pictures of the 3 main knits from mellysews.com :

I did some research that suggested that Jersey Knit was the most commonly used fabric for Tshirts, which would mean I would go for it. I also went to a few different shops to feel the jersey knit fabrics. You could do this by visiting any clothes store and just feel the T-shirts and other clothes on sale. Don't overdo it or you're gonna look creepy, or do it for too long unless you're buying something from the shop (obviousmantip). In the end, do make sure you go around to have a physical feel of the material before making a quick decision (obviousmantip #2)

For those who need to know this too, GSM stands for Gram per Square Meter. I am familiar to this term for paper, and learnt that it is used for fabric too. Most branded T-shirts end up providing most of the information (except for type of stitching) on the labels, so you can always check Tshirts that you own for a quick reference too!....